It’s easy to think that learning, for kids, only happens in and around school, and that during the summer, kids turn their brains off entirely. But at Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC (BGC), every single thing we do (whether in our Clubs in the city, or at beautiful Camp Potlatch) continues to focus on helping them learn. The trick is that we do it all through the authentic, individual relationships we build with every kid. That’s because when learning opportunities are presented on their terms, play to their strengths, and are designed to give them the independence (while still stealthily supervised) to play, explore and experience activities, they learn without even realizing it. As the place they come when they think they’re “done with learning” for the day or, in this case, for the summer, it HAS to be that way, or they wouldn’t choose to belong. And when they choose to be a part of it, the lessons are more likely to be the intangibles, and life-long.
How do we know it’s all working as we say it is? Check out these results from our outcome measurements:
What does summer learning cost?
$50 – a week of STEM programming (Lego today – inventors of the future tomorrow)
$100 – fund a kid to participate in summer day camp at a Club for a week
$250 – support a Club out-trip (picture a trip to the beach, nature walks, picnics at Stanley Park) that they’ll be able to rave about when they’re back at school
$500 – replenishes a Club’s supply of games, sports equipment and books for a busy summer
$2,000 – funds all of the program supplies at a Club (from cooking activities to craft and maker supplies)
Thank you for believing in what’s possible when kids get to be kids!
Carolyn Tuckwell
President & CEO
ctuckwell@bgcbc.ca | 604.879.6554
