Care, Learning and Fun at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence have been a haven for children and a door to adult success for 150 years.
The Clubs offer essential before- and after-school care for children from working families, with a Power Hour of homework help and a wide range of supports including adult mentoring and learning clubs such as Weird Science, Movie-Making and e-Newpspaper Club among others. Any Club member has access to the Aquatics Program including the pools at Fox Point and Wanskuck and the well-coached Riptides competitive swim program.
The largest Clubhouse, Wanskuck on Branch Avenue, is also the oldest at nearly 100 years old. It serves hundreds of teens and other kids from seven Providence neighborhoods. “Right now, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence is over halfway to their $16 million Capital Campaign goal to renovate and expand the Wanskuck facility to double its current capacity.”
3,600+ Young people annually provided with a safe space during out-of-school time hours
8 Number of B&G Clubhouses in Providence: Chad Brown, Fox Point, Hartford Park, Meeting Street School, Roger Williams Middle School, Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School, Southside, and Wanskuck.
5 B&G teen programs offered at Roger Williams Middle School, Alvarez High School, the Teen Center and Princes to Kings programs at the South Side Club and a summer Youth Employment Program.
90% Percent of Club members whose families live below the poverty line.
37% Percent of Club members from single parent homes
78% Percent of teen members who plan to continue their educations after high school.
70,152 meals and snacks served each year.
100% Percentage of Princes to Kings (P2K) Program members (young men of color) who graduated from high school and are enrolled in higher education.
2,651 Youth served through the childcare, swim, teen and youth employment programs.
95% Percent of teen members who say they feel safer at a BGCP Club than at other places where they spend time out of school
1868 The year the Fox Point Clubhouse opened on South Main Street. It was relocated to Wickendon St. in 1978.
1927 The year the Wanskuck Clubhouse opened on Branch Avenue
Source:
Editor’s Note: This Providence Counts has been updated with the assistance of the Boys & Girls Clubs on 3/8/25.
Nini Stoddard is a proud Providence resident. After living abroad as the child of a US diplomat, she returned to the United States to attend college. She lived in Connecticut and enjoyed working as a librarian, as a director of a regional non-profit, and as a prospect researcher. Nini moved to Providence in 2006 to work at Brown University as a senior prospect researcher. Now retired, she loves local history and volunteering.
Jonathan Howard is Co-founder of Cause & Effect, Inc., a consulting company that provides strategic planning facilitation, fund development planning and board strengthening to mission-driven organizations. He is a long- time resident of Providence.
Want to comment? Click!