Boys & Girls Clubs of America

“Boys & Girls Clubs have served young people most in need for more than 150 years, helping them develop the skills and abilities to become caring, responsible and productive citizens. Each year, nearly four million ethnically diverse young people, ages 6 to 18, enter the doors of a Boys & Girls Club. Sixty percent of Club youth are eligible for free- or reduced-price school lunches, an important indicator of low income status, compared to 51 percent of public school students nationally.

"Boys & Gils Clubs of America has developed a theory of change we call our Formula for Impact. A central principle of the theory of change is that by providing a high quality Club Experience, Boys & Girls Clubs increase their positive impact on young people and thus the outcomes we wish to achieve. The Healthy Eating and Physical Activity guidelines help create an environment where Club members can thrive.

"BGCA’s data reflects the trend seen in national data regarding the decline in girls’ regular physical activity as they age. Yet when we examine the data, we see some interesting differences between high-school-age girls who attend the Club regularly and their peers nationally. In 2016 survey data for regularly attending Club girls ages 12 to 15 shows that 31 percent of them took part in moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, compared with 23 percent of their female peers nationally. Additionally, more Club girls engage in daily physical activity than do their male peers nationally.

"In 2017, BGCA will work with Boys & Girls Clubs to increase physical activity and nutrition education for members and their families, provide healthy meals and adopt viable policies. Thus far, 684 Clubs have adopted Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards, benefiting more than 89,842 youth ages 6 to 18.”