Mission
Our mission at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve is to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. The Boys & Girls Clubs have three Priority Outcome Areas: Academic Success, Good Character & Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles.
History
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve is an autonomous affiliate of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the largest youth development organization in the United States. Boys & Girls Clubs of America celebrated its centennial in 2006, and there are more than 4,000 Clubs located in all 50 states, Native American lands, and on U.S. military installations around the world, annually helping over 4 million youth reach their full potential.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve has a unique place in the history of the Boys & Girls Clubs movement. Our local organization began in 1984 as the “Boys & Girls Club of Summit County” and was one of three selected urban sites participating in a national demonstration project to test the feasibility of bringing Club programs into low-income housing areas designed by Boys Clubs of America and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The program was a success and there are more than 400 Clubs in housing projects across the country. Our four Club facilities and our Barberton iStrive site are located in and near properties of Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority.