Boys & Girls Club
About Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains
The MISSION of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.
Early Childhood Program
The Early Childhood Education Clubhouse expanded in the 2024-2025 school year, now offering three distinct programs to serve young learners both within the Clubhouse and the Brookings School District. This includes a morning half-day preschool, a 3-year-old specific Extended Enrichment class, and Continued Education Care for 4- and 5-year-olds before and after school. For many children, the morning half-day preschool and 3-year-old classes provide their first structured classroom experience.
Our Continued Education provides care for 4- and 5-year-olds before and after school, emphasizing play-based learning that promotes both social and academic growth. In this setting, children engage in hands-on activities and have opportunities to strengthen friendships and develop social skills.
Each program encourages students to be active, caring community members, with free-choice activities, local field trips to businesses and parks, and visits from community partners like the Police and Fire Departments, supporting children’s social, emotional, and academic needs.
In August 2024, the Clubhouse began a remodel to expand childcare services to include ages birth to 2 years. We anticipate opening this new program in mid-February 2025. Our facility will feature seven specialized rooms tailored to ages and developmental stages, ensuring each child receive care and enrichment specific to their needs. The expansion will allow for 110 children.
Teen Program
The Boys & Girls Club of Brookings has been serving the community for upwards of 20 years and is continuously growing to meet the needs of our community’s youth. Since the Teen Center opened its doors and provided a place for middle school and high school age teens to participate in impactful programming, and form positive relationships during out-of-school time. A couple of examples of program offerings the Teen Center is proud to facilitate include:
i. Teen Court and Youth Diversion, where youth who have committed a criminal offense are provided a second chance to remove that offense from their record, foster valuable life skills, and contribute to their community through acts of service.
ii. Life Skills, where youth learn to resist drugs, alcohol, and tobacco use, as well as reduce violence and other high-risk behaviors.
iii. Club Council- creating leadership and community service opportunities for teens in which they are empowered to make decisions about their Club and give back to their community.
iv. Career Launch- A summer based program in which teens ages 13-15 participated in an incentive-based career readiness program. They focus on career exploration, discussing secondary education choices, and fostering valuable skills as an employee.
Academic Success Program
Academic Success programs at the Club provide members the opportunity to experience programs that focus on science, technology, homework help/tutoring, and the arts. We offer daily programs within this outcome that enable youth to be successful in school and their career while instilling a passion for lifelong learning. By participating in STEM and science experiments, like making slime or a cloud in a jar, youth engage in critical thinking skills and use engineering and scientific methods. Programs in the art rooms allow youth to learn and express themselves through creative projects using paint, yarn, clay, fabric, makeup and more. Advanced, interactive technology, like our Infinity game tables, encourage youth to challenge each other to educational and enriching activities. The Club also provides homework help and tutoring throughout the school year in our Power Hour and Brain Gainz programs. Power Hour and Brain Gainz staff works closely with members’ teachers so youth stay on track with their education. During the summer, we also combat learning loss through Power Up. This is a five-week program where teachers plan engaging lessons centered around topics and curriculum that students learned throughout the past school year. This keeps subjects fresh in their minds, so as the new school year starts they are prepared to learn new skills. By offering these programs in this targeted Academic Success outcome, we help each of our member’s meet key academic milestones and goals.
Healthy Lifestyle Program
Healthy Lifestyles is one of three priority outcomes at the Boys & Girls Club of Brookings. We offer daily programs that fall within this outcome that enable youth to live a healthy lifestyle within their mind, body, and soul. These programs include teaching the importance of healthy eating, providing nutritious snacks and meals daily, engaging in physical activity through team and individual sports and games, educating on the dangers of tobacco use, understanding and dealing with puberty and peer pressure, offering free one on one and group counseling sessions, building confidence in one’s unique self, and educating youth on proper teamwork, sportsmanship, and mindfulness. By offering these programs in this targeted Healthy Lifestyles outcome, we help each of our members gain the necessary skills to be successful and healthy during their time in school, at the Club, and at home.
