Programs Designed to Help Every Child Thrive
Day in the Life
The Club provides a place where all youth, no matter their circumstances, can make great discoveries about themselves and engage in educational and recreational activities. And it’s all done in a safe environment and led by positive role models and leaders. We meet kids and teens where they are and help them to take steps forward to reach their potential. By focusing on safety, academic support, and character development, we’re helping youth find – and achieve – brighter futures.
Every afternoon, the doors of Boys & Girls Clubs of Highland County open to a space where kids feel safe, supported, and empowered. From homework help and mentorship to sports, arts, and leadership programs, every moment is designed to inspire confidence and build brighter futures. Whether they’re discovering new passions, forming friendships, or gaining skills for success, our members experience a sense of belonging and opportunity every day.
What We Do Every Day
Help Kids Create Healthy Habits
Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body and Soul is BGCA’s proven health and wellness program originally co-sponsored by the Anthem Foundation and founding partner The Coca-Cola Company. Since launching in 2005, Triple Play has made more than 14.4 million connections with kids and teens across the country, promoting the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition through the program’s three components: mind, body and soul.
Healthy Habits
Mind
Addresses the ways an individual’s health behaviors are influenced by personal beliefs and exposure to positive modeling. In addition to nutrition education, activities focus on helping youth assess, practice, identify, consider, and recognize health behaviors and messages.
Daily Challenges
Body
Intentional focus on physical literacy: Ability – Increasing capability in basic movement skills and overall fitness; Confidence -the knowledge of the ability to play sports or enjoy other physical activities and Motivation- the intrinsic enthusiasm for physical activity for members to be physically active for life.
Social Recreation
Soul
Emphasis on social and emotional development, or the social, cognitive, and behavioral skills that youth need to be healthy and productive. There is an explicit focus on emotional regulation, healthy relationships (with self and others), and responsible decision-making.
Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Operation Help
Operation HELP (Helping Education Little People) is a grant-funded afterschool and summer program offered through the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative. It's built to help students succeed in school and beyond, while drawing the whole family into the journey.
What we do:
- Academic support to help students build core skills
- Personal enrichment that sparks new interests and confidence
- Family engagement through life-skills workshops and community service partnerships
Who we serve: 1st–5th graders from Avon Park, Memorial, Fred Wild, Sun n Lake, and Woodlawn elementary schools, plus 6th–8th graders from Avon Park and Sebring middle schools.
When and where: Programming runs at our Avon Park and Sebring Club locations, serving 70 students at each site. Open to all Highlands County students — public, private, and homeschool — regardless of ability, background, financial position, or language.
Core Programs
Power Hour
Academic Success
Our core educational program that provides Club professionals with the strategies, activities, resources and information to create an every day engaging homework help and tutoring program that encourages all Club members of every age to become self-directed learners.
Project Learn
Academic Success
Project Learn reinforces the academic enrichment and school engagement of young people during the time they spend at the Club. Participants in the Project Learn program reported 87% fewer missed school days when compared with non-Club youth.
Summer Brain Gain
Academic Success
Comprised of one-week modules with fun, themed activities for elementary school, middle school and high school students that are aligned with common core anchor standards. Summer Brain Gain: Read!, a literacy program, complements the larger Summer Brain Gain curriculum.
Triple Play
Mental Health & Wellness
Strives to improve the overall health of Club members by increasing daily physical activity, teaching them about good nutrition and helping them develop healthy relationships.
Smart Girls
Mental Health & Wellness
SMART Girls provides health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement for girls ages 8 to 17.
Passport to Manhood
Mental Health & Wellness
Teaches responsibility to boys ages 11 to 14 with sessions that focus on a specific aspect of character and manhood through highly interactive activities.
Youth of the Year
Teen Program*
Youth of the Year is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program. It is our signature effort to foster a new generation of leaders, fully prepared to live and lead in a diverse, global and integrated world economy.
Money Matters
Career Readiness
Money Matters: Make it Count teaches teens how to set goals, budget, save and invest. In addition to staff-led financial literacy sessions, young people practice their financial decision-making skills through fun, engaging digital tools and games.
Diplomas 2 Degrees
Career Readiness
Diplomas to Degrees, a college readiness program, helps teens develop both short- and long-term goals, while familiarizing them with post-secondary education through experiences like college tours.
POSITIVE ACTION
Academic Success
Positive Action is a structured PreK-12 educational program that fills a critical instructional gap, providing educators and practitioners with a proven approach and easy-to-use lessons.
CHARITY FOR CHANGE
Academic Success
Uses various teaching tools to help students engage in their community through charity and learn about nine character traits, including citizenship, perseverance, kindness, self-control, tolerance, responsibility, integrity, cooperation and respect.
Ready to Get Involved?
Whether you want to enroll your child, make a donation, or volunteer your time, there's a place for you at Boys & Girls Club of Highlands County.
