Boys & Girls Clubs of the Upstate
The Positive Place for Kids!
Our Mission
“To inspire and enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.”
We now serve 1,400 children per day in 13 Boys & Girls Clubs in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties. Clubs provide youth development programming for at-risk youth every afternoon until 6 p.m. during the school year and all day during the summer. We collaborate for facilities with School Districts 2, 6, 7, and Cherokee County schools, First Baptist Church’s Hangar, Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. Morningside Baptist Church provides our 1st class office space on their campus at 901 S. Pine Street in Spartanburg.
For more information email the organization’s president, Greg Tolbert greg@bgcusc.org in Spartanburg or former Clemson All-American Vance Hammond vance@bgcusc.org in Gaffney.
Our goal is to provide every child with the nurture, guidance and experiences needed for a successful and bright future. Today, we focus our efforts on three objectives directly implied by our mission:
- Keeping children safe and out of trouble
- Helping them improve their academic achievement and
- Helping them become super-student citizens.
We are able to do this because we provide: a safe place to learn and grow; ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals; life-enhancing programs and character development experiences; hope and opportunity.
Five Core Areas
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Health & Life Skills
Programs help young people develop the capacity ot engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults.
4. 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.
5. Sports, Fitness & Recreation
Programs help develop physical activity, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, appreciation for the environment and social skills.
