Health and Life Skills

Health and Life Skills programs are designed to be fun and inviting for all members, with an effort made to attract teens and young people of all backgrounds in an environment that promotes and encourages interracial and crosscultural cooperation.

“Thank you for taking the time to help our children build firm foundations.”
Parent of Club member

Program components include the SMART Moves (skills mastery and resistance training) Prevention Programs:

SMART Kids (Ages 6-9)
Start SMART (Ages 10-12) and
Stay SMART (Ages 13-15)
Children and young people are given the knowledge, skills, self-esteem and peer support to help them avoid risky behaviors and situations, including involvement with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Responsible behavior is presented as a deterrent to adolescent sexual activity, drunk driving and drug trafficking.

SMART Girls (Girls ages 8-17)
Young women are provided with information about health, fitness and self-esteem issues in order to encourage the attitudes and lifestyles that will enable them to develop their full potential.

Passport to Manhood (Boys ages 11-14)
This program teaches responsibility and reinforces positive behavior for young men. Each participant is issued his own “Passport” to underscore the notion that he is on a personal journey of maturation and growth.

Street SMART (Ages 11-13)
Street SMART is designed to counteract the negative lures of gangs, violence and “street” influences. It covers youth gang awareness and prevention, conflict resolution and positive peer helpers, as well as planning and implementing community events.

Gang Prevention
Through Targeted Outreach
Effective techniques are used that direct “at-risk” young people to positive alternatives. Through a referral network with courts, police, juvenile justice agencies, schools, social service agencies and community organizations, as well as through direct outreach efforts, young people are recruited and mainstreamed into Club programs as a diversion from gang activity.

Act SMART (Ages 6-17)
Developed as a joint project between Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the American Red Cross, Act SMART is an HIV/AIDS prevention program.

Kids Cafe
The two main objectives of Kids Café are:

1. to curb the effect of malnutrition
experienced by children living in poverty.

2. to provide job readiness skills for youth to enter into the food service industry. Kids Café at 500 Genesee Street serves approximately 150 meals daily, Monday through Friday. Our food service training initiative teaches young people many aspects of food service procedures, including preparation, cooking, serving, stocking, cleaning, safety awareness, and budgeting.