I was invited by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) last month to visit the United States. The idea was to share experiences with youth workers and see first-hand how they equip young people to deal with the challenges of growing up in America.
My visit consisted of two days in Fort Lauderdale in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County to the north of Miami in Florida. There are 12 clubs there serving more than 12,000 young people each year.
In one of the first clubs visited, I discussed the challenges of engaging high numbers of young people to participate in programmes. The dynamic club director Karriem Edwards admitted they had similar issues. Their solution was bold: persuading local schools to lay on buses to take children from the school direct to the clubs. The idea of closer engagement with schools and persuading them to recognise the value of youth club provision certainly appeals.
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