By Mary-Justine Lanyon
They may not realize it but the children who are members of the Mountain Communities Boys & Girls Club are learning a lot about themselves and preparing for their future adult lives.
The two sites – one in Crestline on Forest Shade Road and one at Lake Arrowhead Elementary School in two portables – provide a safe place for the children to be after school. Each site is open until 6 p.m. when the children’s parents or guardians pick them up.
The children receive healthy snacks and are given the opportunity to work on their homework. For students who may need a little extra help, three retired teachers – Vicki Walton, Susan Rice and Jennie O’Hara – offer tutoring.
“They are amazing,” said Marcy Vega, the Boys & Girls Club CEO. “They work with the children on reading and writing. They stay about two hours each day.” Tutoring is available Monday through Thursday as the children don’t do homework at the club on Fridays.
The club now accepts kindergarten students at both sites. They have their own program, Vega said. They enjoy a snack, socialize and do their homework. Those who have no homework are given some work to do. Then, she said, they go outside to play or play inside when the weather is inclement.
Vega is very excited about the STEM program they now offer. “It’s important for kids who struggle with sitting down and focusing,” she said. “Because it’s hands-on, they focus on what they’re doing and don’t fidget. The kids don’t realize they’re learning because they’re having fun.”
STEM is just one of the many programs offered by the Mountain Communities Boys & Girls Club. Some of those programs – like Smart Moves – have been in place for several years. Through Smart Moves, the children learn about being safe with each other and in general.
“There’s a lot of talk about talking to people they know inside the club, with each other and their parents,” Vega said.
If a program the local club gets through the Boys & Girls Club of America isn’t working for their members, she noted, they will either adapt it to their needs or move on to another program.
“We want the parents and kids to feel joyful,” Vega said.
One program that has recently been adapted is Healthy Habits. “We’ve always had it,” Vega said. But the directors sat down, talked about it and realized that just talking about food and what goes into your body isn’t enough. “Let’s do fun food,” was their thinking.
“Now,” Vega said, “we have parents asking how we got their child to eat broccoli. The children are more likely to eat food they wouldn’t eat at home if they’re having fun. It’s creative and the kids love it.”
One food project recently had the children spread peanut butter and jelly on wheat bread, add strawberries and banana and roll it up into a “sushi” roll. They loved it, Vega said.
In the club’s Diversity program, the club members watch videos that promote the idea that each person is unique. The younger children watch cartoons; one of the videos the older children watched was set in Japan where people were eating with chopsticks. That video and others demonstrate the diversity of cultures and the colors of people’s skin. The message is that we all have the same blood inside us – something they discuss after watching the videos.
The club members do a lot of activities and games in teams. “We promote the idea of each child having a different gift,” Vega said. “Each one is good at something – a sport, being a joke teller, an artist, a dancer, a singer, a writer, in math, in science.”
Members of the Mountain Communities Boys & Girls Club learn how to work together as a team.
Vega is proud to say she does not see bullying happening at either the Crestline or Lake Arrowhead site. If a child is new, that child is introduced to the group and partnered with another member. The director will ask who will show that child around the club, show them the dos and don’ts, become their buddy for the day.
“That cuts the fear of coming to a club where they may not know anyone,” Vega said. And, she added, the staff will ask the child questions to loosen them up – like who their teacher is, who their friends are at school.
“We’re careful about respecting the child’s space,” she said. “If a staff member gets too close to them, it can be scary. Staff will get down at eye level to talk to the child.”
Other programs offered include Money Matters, a hands-on program where they learn how to handle money.
The breakfast program at the Crestline site is new as of last August. Parents can drop their children off at 7 a.m. The staff will put them on the bus for Valley of Enchantment Elementary School and Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate School.
The program was started, Vega noted, in response to requests from parents. “One father said he would either have to take his child to work with him or lose an hour of pay,” Vega said. “He is so grateful we started this early program.”
In addition to the club programs, staff brings in special guests to interact with the children. Southland Sings, for example, visits the sites. They help the children write music and then play it.
“They had so much fun,” Vega said, adding the program is usually only offered at schools. A teacher brought up the Boys & Girls Club, which led to their visit to the two club sites.
Artist Patty Woods visited with the children in December, guiding them as they created ornaments. Each child got to make two – one to keep and one to be sold at the boutique in Cedar Glen that benefits the Boys & Girls Club. She plans to return and do a Valentine’s Day project with the club members.
For more information on the Mountain Communities Boys & Girls Club and how to enroll your child as a member, call (909) 338-9390 or email Vega at mvega@mcbgc.org.
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