.png)
ABOUT
Our Mission
The BGCCA mission is to inspire and enable young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential to become productive, caring responsible citizens.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area
Proudly serving the capital area since 1892! Learn more about the BGCCA's history.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area (BGCCA) provides safe havens for young people by offering quality programs and critical relationships with nurturing and reliable adults.
Boys & Girls Clubs give their members access to dedicated, trained professionals who can provide guidance in adopting healthy lifestyles and pursuing educational objectives. Most importantly, Boys & Girls Clubs equip young people with the skills they need to resolve conflicts peacefully, improve relationships with every aspect of their day-to-day lives and function as responsible citizens. Meet our Board of Directors or view our Staff Directory.
BGCCA serves youth at 18 locations within Albany County and Rensselaer County.
Current program locations include: Albany Cohoes Troy Watervliet
Community Sites: Ezra Prentice Griswold Heights
Questions?
Visit our easy-to-use F.A.Q. Page
Send a message via Contact Us
Browse through our social media posts.
What We Do
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area provide services and programs to help young people make positive life choices. From education and career programs to health and life skills, our staff and volunteers help inspire youth by providing an opportunity to belong, succeed and serve their community. Our programs help young people develop self-confidence and self-esteem.
Programming focuses on 5 Core Areas established by Boys & Girls Clubs of America:
Character & Leadership ● Career & Education
Health & Life Skills ● Sports & Recreation ● The Arts
Character & Leadership programs are built around helping youth establish necessary skills to become responsible and caring citizens. Participants also develop leadership and decision making skills to help them achieve a great future.
Passport to Manhood represents a targeted effort to engage young boys in discussions and activities that reinforce character, leadership and positive behavior. Each participant receives a “passport” to underscore the notion that he is on a personal journey of maturation and growth. Each of the program’s 14 sessions use interactive activities to focus on a specific aspect of character and manhood. It also includes a service project where boys learn the importance of giving back to the community.
Youth of the Year 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. In the 21st-century world and workplace, leadership skills such as communication, goal-setting and teamwork are essential for everyone - especially young people preparing to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood.
Torch Club is a “club within the Club,” helping to meet the special character-development needs of younger adolescents at a critical stage in their life. A Torch Club is a powerful vehicle through which young people develop and strengthen their 21st-century leadership skills, giving them a firm foundation of good character and integrity. Torch Club members elect officers and work together to implement projects in the four focus areas: service to Club and community; education; health and fitness
Keystone Club is The Boys & Girls Club Movement’s ultimate teen program. Keystone Clubs provide leadership development opportunities for young people ages 14 to 18. Youth participate in activities in three focus areas: academic success, career preparation and community service. With the guidance of an adult advisor, Keystone Clubs aim to have a positive impact on members, the Club and community.
Over 100 Youth piloted our Summer Bike Safety Program this past summer. We are excited to bring it into all of our programs this year. We would like to thank the Troy Bike Rescue and County Waste for their commitment to a healthy community, one Bike ride at a time
Career & Education programs focus on three approaches: academic enrichment and school engagement; targeted dropout prevention; and intensive intervention and case management. Our aim is to ensure that all Club members graduate from high school on time, ready for a post-secondary education or workforce. placement
Homework-help program encourages youth to be self-directed learners. Power Hour: Making Minutes Count helps Club members ages 6-18 achieve academic success by providing homework help, tutoring and high-yield learning activities and encouraging members to become self-directed learners. Designed specifically to help kids and teens with homework, this program is available after school at Clubs. Dedicated youth development professionals and volunteers supervise each session and help youth members
The Be Great Program provides youth, ages 13 to 19, with age-appropriate skill-building opportunities, job prep training and hands-on experience. Program highlights include resume workshops, guest speakers, mock interviews, work experience, life skills training, financial literacy training and college trips.
BGCA is committed to ensuring that America's youth, especially those who need us most, graduate from high school on time with a plan for the future. That's why we launched Summer Brain Gain - a summer learning loss prevention program developed specifically for Boys & Girls Clubs to integrate into their traditional summer schedule. Each summer in America, an estimated 43 million children in the U.S. miss out on expanded learning opportunities that could prevent them from falling behind. During s
DIY STEM is a hands-on, activity-based STEM curriculum which connects youth aged 9 to 12 to science themes they encounter regularly. Special attention is paid to connections of theory and application and the common interactions members have with these scientific principles. DIY STEM currently includes five modules: Energy and Electricity, Engineering Design, Food Chemistry, Science of Sports: Football. DIY STEM provides youth who might otherwise not have access to STEM experiences with simple,
The CS Pathway is designed to guide members through a series of increasingly challenging activities, including: Hour of Code: Youth are exposed to computer science through accessible, drag and drop coding and games. CS Unplugged: Youth gain a conceptual understanding of computer science through low-tech group activities. App Lab: Youth work in teams to design, develop and present original ideas for Apps.
Digital literacy program that teaches youth essential technology skills
Health & Life Skills programs develop young people’s capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults.
Designed to incorporate healthy living and active learning in every part of the Club Experience, Healthy Habits emphasizes good nutrition, regular physical activity and improving overall well-being. The program, for ages 6 to 15, is the Mind component of Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body and Soul.
Sports & Recreation programs help develop physical fitness routines, a positive use of leisure time, reduction of stress, and social and interpersonal skills.
Targeting children from kindergarten through eighth grade, Soccer for Success aims to teach kids the fundamentals of soccer, as well as help them establish healthy habits and develop critical life skills.
PLAY BALL allows youth to increase their overall fitness while learning the fundamental skills of baseball and softball through fun and enriching activities. PLAY BALL is a new program that highlights the many ways baseball can be played outside of the traditionally organized baseball leagues and tournaments, ranging from playing catch, stickball and WIFFLE Ball games to participating in skills competitions like “Pitch, Hit & Run.
Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body and Soul is BGCA’s proven health and wellness program 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, promoting the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition through the program’s three components: mind, body and soul.
Our pool is open year-round to give our members a fun way to stay active throughout the year. For information about swimming lessons, please e-mail Camron Mckinley at camronm@tbgc.org
During our Lawson's Lake Summer Camp, fishing lessons are provided by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
The Arts programs enable youth to develop their creativity and cultural awareness through knowledge and appreciation of the visual arts, crafts, performing arts and creative writing.
Lyricism 101 is a program designed to cultivate and amplify the powerful, formidable voices of Club teens. Recognizing the power of the literary arts, Lyricism 101 positions Club members as torchbearers and experts in the ancient oral poetic traditions that continue to thrive around the world. The program gives teens an opportunity to tell their stories, build community and express their artistic visions through the music of hip-hop culture and the culture of the cipher.
DramaMatters Afterschool is a drama education program for Clubs that encourages members ages 6 to 18 to engage in hands-on performing arts activities. Drama education builds self-confidence, sparks creativity and boosts academic achievement. The DramaMatters Afterschool Program Guide is a weekly program consisting of 60 minute sessions segmented for beginner, intermediate and advanced members. Each session can be adapted to fit the age of participants as well. Sessions consist of a short warm-u
