Boys_&_Girls_Clubs_of_Philadelphia
Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia is a non-profit organization located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1][2][3] The organization is a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.[4][5]
 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (September 2016) |
| Formation | 1887 |
|---|---|
| Type | Youth organization |
| Legal status | Non-profit organization |
| Purpose | "Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence." |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia |
Region served | Greater Philadelphia |
| Website | http://www.bgcphila.org/ |
Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia was established in 1887 in the city's Germantown neighborhood.[6] In 1892, the group expanded to the Nice town neighborhood and became the first club to serve girls. A third location opened in Wissahickon in1896 and was the first youth club in the United States to serve African American youth.[6]
In 1906 the Germantown, Wissahickon and Nice town clubs joined the Federated Boys Clubs, a precursor to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.[6] As of March 2021, the organization had 22 clubs in all areas of Philadelphia. Several suspended operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
In 2012 Joseph & Lisabeth Marziello were hired as co-CEOs.[2][8] In 2015, the organization announced a $40 million capital campaign called Bold Change for Kids in order to build two new facilities and to renovate 6 more. The drive was supported by Comcast Corporation and the fundraising committee was headed by Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts.[9][10] The original aim of the fundraising drive was the demolition of the 19th century Germantown club, located at 23-25 W. Penn Street, to be replaced with a new building with modern facilities. The plan was aborted after local residents objected.[11][12]
Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia programs focus on core areas of youth development including education, career development, leadership, health, life skills, arts and sports.[13][14] One program, the Call to Action Literacy Initiative, utilizes the Slingerland Multi-Sensory Approach to help students develop a range of learning styles using kinesthetic, auditory and visual learning techniques.[15]
During the 2015-16 program year, over 1,200 youth participated in this critical program.[15]
- "Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia announces fourth annual ‘Philly Showcase of Wine & Cheese", philly.com, March 29, 2016.
- "Boys & Girls Club of Phila. now run by a married couple", bizjournals.com, March 25, 2012.
- "Boys & Girls Clubs Of Philadelphia Launches 'A Bold Change For Kids' Campaign", corporate.comcast.com, May 19, 2015.
- Angelly Carrión, "New Projects In Store for Seven Boys & Girls Club Branches in Philadelphia", phillymag.com, March 20, 2015.
- Erin Edinger-Turoff, "Boys and Girls Club denies campus salesman", temple-news.com, January 21, 2014.
- "Boys and Girls Club Philadelphia - Our History" Archived 2016-10-23 at the Wayback Machine, bgcphila.org,
- "Club Locations | Boys and Girls Club of Philadelphia". Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- Cheryl Elias, "Philadelphia Boys & Girls Clubs Hosts Showcase Of Wine And Cheese Fundraiser", philadelphia.cbslocal.com, May 5, 2013
- "Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia Launches A Bold Change for Kids Campaign". www.businesswire.com. 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- Amy Seasholtz, "Comcast to lead $40m fund-raising drive for phila. Boys & girls clubs", philanthropynetwork.org, May 19, 2015
- "Germantown Boys & Girls Club Compromise Brings Peace To Penn Street". Hidden City Philadelphia. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- "Historic Germantown Boys and Girls Club spared wrecking ball". WHYY. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- Colin Graf, "MetaSource Supports Technology Upgrade for Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia", metasource.com, February 17, 2015
- Jason Lee, "Philly Wine And Cheese Festival", phl17.com, APRIL 8, 2016