Program Spotlight

BOAST Maryland is proud to partner with extraordinary programs that are working to provide excellent education opportunities to K-12 student in Maryland.

The Boys & Girls Club of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (BGCAA) was founded twenty years ago in Annapolis by a group of concerned community members who felt there was a need for neighborhood youth to have a positive place to grow, learn and have fun. The mission of the BGCAA is to enable all young people, especially those in need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.

Since the Boys & Girls Club at Bywater first opened, five more Clubs have opened their doors county-wide. The six BGCAA clubs now serve close to 7,000 youth, ages 5 to 18. The clubs are open every day, after school and on weekends, when kids have free time and need positive, productive outlets. The clubs reach out to kids who cannot afford, or may lack access to, other community programs.

Known as “The Positive Place for Kids,” the six county clubhouses provide character development programs for children, conducted by full-time professional staff. Key programs of the Boys & Girls Club emphasize character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; the arts and sports; and fitness and recreation.

Every day after school, kids fill the Anne Arundel County clubs to do their homework, play in the Games Room and shoot baskets. But more than that, BGCAA members are learning to be filmmakers and poets. They have won scholarships to study abroad. BGCAA youth leaders have traveled the world from California to Scotland. Most importantly, they are having fun in a positive environment.