Community Access and Participation

Community Needs and Issues

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston's five Clubs are located in inner-city neighborhoods that confront serious social and economic challenges.

Beyond Four Walls addresses three risk factors in the lives of young people from under-served communities:

  1. Under-served youth lack opportunities to explore and express their creativity in positive ways. Young people often lack ways to give voice to their experiences, their ideas, their beliefs, and their passions in life. Many Clubhouse participants are exceptionally talented and bright youth who have been pegged as poor students or "trouble-makers" in school, but in the Clubhouse can find the support to build self-confidence, set high standards for themselves, and take steps to realize their potential.

  2. Under-served youth have few opportunities to gain experience with science and technology. Youth are leaving school ill-prepared for tomorrow's high-tech workplace, yet many are eager to learn. Innovative uses of technology can help ignite interest, involvement, and achievement on the part of Clubhouse participants.

  3. Under-served youth have little interaction with adults in professional careers. Studies show personal interaction with adult professionals is one of the most important factors in determining what path a young person chooses and what work they pursue. Yet under-served youth have little interaction with adults who are engaged in professional careers, who can encourage them to build upon their talents, apply to college, or pursue a fulfilling career.

Targeted Population

Beyond Four Walls targets youth between the ages of 10 and 13 who will benefit from early exposure to science and technology (i.e., before their minds are "made up" about its place in their lives). Youth are recruited through the Boys & Girls Clubs, with a special emphasis on attracting youth who have not necessarily expressed prior aptitude for or interest in school-based activities involving science or technology.

Beyond Four Walls also recruits, trains, and supports Teen Mentors (ages 14-17), who are paid for their work. The Teen Mentor Program addresses three lessons learned from BBB:

  1. In order to increase retention of teen participants, Beyond Four Walls should capitalize on teens' interest in mentoring and in obtaining meaningful (and remunerative) work experience.

  2. Beyond Four Walls should provide career pathways so that teens with career and/or academic aspirations can see how the Clubhouse can lead to specific achievements and contribute to their success.

  3. The participation of younger children requires a higher ratio of mentors to youth, presenting an opportunity to involve teens as mentors.
Teen Mentors will also form a corps of talent that can be put to good use in the development of new Clubhouses in Boston, and will play an important role in guiding the future development of Beyond Four Walls.

Community Roles

Parents and guardians of Beyond Four Walls participants are involved in multiple ways. Because of the "portable" nature of project tools and activities, Beyond Four Walls enables youth to involve their families in inquiry-based science activities at home and in their communities. Family events are held at the end of each session, at which youth explain their project, demonstrate their scientific investigations, and enable the entire family to share and celebrate in their science learning experience. Families, teachers, classmates, and friends are invited, providing a chance to explore scientific principles in a non-threatening, hands-on atmosphere.

 

 

 

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