Programs and Services

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley provides services in the following five core program areas:  Character & Leadership Development, Education & Career Development, Health & Life Skills, the Arts, and Sports, Fitness & Recreation.

Character & Leadership Development

Programs empower youth to support and influence their Club and community, sustain meaningful relationships with others, develop a positive self-image, participate in the democratic process and respect their own and others’ cultural identities.

• Sponsored by Readers’ Digest, the Youth of the Year program recognizes outstanding contributions to a Club member’s family, school, community and Club; academic excellence; and personal challenges overcome.

Education & Career Development

Programs enable youth to become proficient in basic educational disciplines, apply learning to everyday situations and embrace technology to achieve success in a career.

• Strategic partnerships with local school systems and the Tennessee Department of Education on programs such as 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Lottery Education for Afterschool programs (LEAP), and Supplemental Education Services (SES) are making the difference for our members.
• We have hired professionally trained tutors to bridge the gap for our members.

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.  This program enables youth to receive a nutritious meal each day at the Boys & Girls Club, which provides them with the proper sustenance they need on a daily basis and ensures that no child goes to bed hungry.  For many members, these are the only nutritional meals they will have all day, aside from what they receive at their schools.

• Currently CAC (Community Action Committee) Mobile Meals provide the meals.  
• 436,409 hot meals and snacks are served to our members annually.
• The meals and snacks meet all USDA nutritional requirements.

Sports, Fitness & Recreation

Programs develop fitness, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, appreciation for the environment and social skills.

• Programs include Triple Play: A Game Plan for Mind, Body and Soul, a national program that takes a holistic approach to educating boys and girls about good nutrition, making physical fitness a daily practice and developing individual strengths and good character; plus NFL Youth Football; Jr. NBA / Jr. WNBA Program; Rookie League baseball; basketball; tennis; ultimate frisbee; yoga; and gamesroom tournaments

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.

• Programs include Fine Arts, Image Makers Photography, Music Makers, Drama Matters, Digital Arts Festival, and Club Choirs.

Additional Services

Richard L. Bean Detention Center

• Boys & Girls Clubs established the RLB Center in 2004 to provide programs in anger management, drug and alcohol prevention, character and leadership development, career development, and parenting skills.
• On a daily basis, staff work with youth who have been charged with theft, drugs, weapons, robbery, vandalism, assault, violation of parole, and truancy.

Who we serve

We serve a variety of members in our Clubs, which include locations in 1 school and 4 public housing communities, 3 teen centers, 9 free standing Clubs, the Richard L. Bean Detention Center, and the Gene Monday Gym.  The Clubs are open every day after school and provide care all day during the summer months, school holidays, and in-service days.

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