2023 Spring Newsletter
Youth of the Year
Jose Guzman
Youth of the Year is a national Boys & Girls Clubs of America initiative that fosters the next generation of leaders and change-makers. The competition celebrates youth who exemplify the qualities of a young leader including integrity, commitment, drive, and responsibility. Club members from locations around the country compete for Junior or Senior Youth of the Year. This year, in Larimer County, 14 youth competed in the Junior category and four teens competed in the Senior category.
On February 18, 2023, members presented their speeches to a panel of judges. This year’s senior award was given to Jose Guzman, last year’s Junior Youth of the Year. Jose is in eighth grade and has been attending Club since he was nine.
Tell us about yourself.
I would say that I’m a very outgoing and extroverted person. From a young age, I’ve always been taught to never lose the drive to learn. I love being active, whether it’s playing sports or weightlifting. I also like to cook and, although sometimes my parents get mad at me for making a mess, they say that I cook well. My parents say that I’m very smart and intelligent and that they’re very proud of me for everything I have accomplished at such a young age. If they’re proud of me, I’m proud of myself.
What is your favorite part about Club?
My favorite part of Club is hanging out with my friends in the gym and the teen room, and of course the staff members. The staff members have really helped to shape me into the person I am today; whether it’s basketball or school work they are always there for me.
What is your vision for the future? How will Club help you achieve your goals?
My vision is for racial inclusiveness and a racism-free world. In the past, I was targeted and pushed away because of my race, and I don’t want anyone, especially someone my age, to be put in that situation. I genuinely believe that the younger generation is the future of this country, and if they’re affected by racial discrimination, we cannot push this country forward. Club can help me to do this because if I can get my message and my story to kids my age and younger, that would be one step closer to a racism-free world.
If you could tackle one world problem right now, what would it be?
If I could tackle one world problem right now, it would be the lack of free education. Kids in some third-world countries don’t have access to education, and I believe every kid in the world has a right to free education.
CEO Corner
Allison Hines
As the weather warms and the birds begin to sing loudly in the mornings, I immediately get excited about my favorite season – SUMMER! Being a July baby, I have grown to love the abundance of sunshine, long days spent outside and more time with friends and family at parks and backyard barbeques. As a full-time working parent, the approach of summer also brings some anxiety. What will my 5th grade son do for the next three months?
Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County (BGCLC) is already ramping up in anticipation of our busiest season of the year, when our operating hours triple and the number of youth that we serve nearly doubles each day. Last summer, BGCLC served 958 children across Larimer County, allowing parents to continue
working and giving youth new experiences and learning opportunities outside of the classroom. We offer programs ranging from sports and fitness to arts and theater along with a variety of local field trips to keep kids active and engaged throughout the summer.
In 2023, our Summer of Discovery program will expand to serve middle school students at both our Fort Collins and Wellington Clubs. The program combines interactive workforce opportunities with hands on learning experiences alongside local professionals. Not only did this program help prevent summer
learning loss, but it has also led to very strong academic gains.
Data showed that youth enrolled in Summer of Discovery increased an equivalent of 7 weeks of school math instruction and 11 weeks of classroom reading instruction. WOW! And the best part? This program will be offered at no cost to families through our incredible partnership with Poudre School District and the Hoel Workforce Development Fund.
Our upcoming fundraising events help to support our busy operations and family scholarships now and throughout the year. I hope to meet many of you at our Spring Soirée on June 9th or out on the links “Fore the Kids” on July 17th. Happy Summer!
With Gratitude,
Allison Hines, CEO
Comprehensive Childcare and Family Campus
Loveland, Colorado
For over 30 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County has been a local leader in youth
development programming in Northern Colorado. We are excited to share an update on our purchase of the New Vision Charter School and creation of a comprehensive child care campus in the Loveland community.
This campus will serve families with youth between the ages of 0-18 with child care and out of school programming and offer access to additional youth and family services all at one location.
This campus will have the capacity to serve over 350 young people, per day, with a focus on access and affordability for all families.
The renovations will begin this summer and we anticipate being fully operational in early 2024.
A special thanks to our partners of this project: United Way of Larimer County, Teaching Tree Early Childhood Learning Center, and the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County.
Doing It Wright Award
Christine Cunningham, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Every year, the Doing It Wright Award, in honor of our past CEO, Kathi Wright, is awarded to someone who exemplifies the qualities that we focus on at Club: honesty, integrity, and passion. The most recent recipient of this award went to our Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Christine Cunningham.
Christine was a key player in launching behavioral health programming at BGCLC. What started as a team of one, grew quickly to include six more members.
The Behavioral Health Team provides one-on-one and group counseling sessions and conducts numerous social-emotional learning programs that focus on emotion regulation skills, coping skills, CASEL framework and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making.
“My first reaction to receiving the award was tears and disbelief. It wasn’t just for me; really, the entire Behavioral Health Team won the award. The team is unbelievably committed to this work, to the kids, to families, and to the staff.” – Christine Cunningham, LCSW
Summer of Discovery
Workforce Development Programs See Success
Summer of Discovery, a partnership program with the Poudre School District and the Hoel Workforce Development Fund, is an extension of Summer at the Club that focuses on workforce development for middle school students. This program exposes teens to various career options by introducing them to industry experts, engaging them in hands-on experiences, and giving them opportunities to visit job locations. The industries that Club members observed in 2022 included technology, construction, energy, arts, health & wellness, entrepreneurship, and recreation & hospitality.
Based on data provided by Poudre School District on the growth effect of summer learning programs, teens participating in Summer of Discovery showed the highest academic growth of the five programs included in the overall analyses. Our Summer of Discovery participants demonstrated academic growth equivalent to 7 weeks of school math instruction and 11 weeks of classroom reading instruction.
Because of the remarkable success of Summer of Discovery, we are excited to be expanding the program in 2023! The program in Fort Collins will now allow for double the number of participants, and a second group of Summer of Discovery students will launch in Wellington.
Summer at the Club
In addition to Summer of Discovery, our popular Summer at the Club programs will also be running, offering action-packed activities that inspire creativity, build character, and provide academic enrichment. Summer at the Club operates Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., at ten locations throughout Larimer County.
Ask a Colorado Eagle
Wyatt Aamodt
As a professional hockey player for our partner, the Colorado Eagles, Wyatt Aamodt has learned a lot of valuable lessons both on and off the ice.
With that knowledge, we asked Aamodt to share some advice for our Club members, families, and community.
Who as a mentor helped make your future bright?
A mentor of mine who made my future bright would be both of my parents. Without their love and support, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
What is one thing you wish someone had told you when you were younger?
One thing that I wish someone would’ve told me when I was younger is that life is all about perspective. We all have something to be thankful for.
Did you always know you wanted to play hockey professionally?
My goal for hockey was to just play college hockey. Once I was able to achieve that, I set my eyes on pro hockey but never knew if it would be a possibility or not. I am truly thankful for the support of my family and friends, who have made my dreams come true of playing pro hockey.
What is your favorite thing about your career?
My favorite things about my career are that I get to play the game I have loved since I was a kid for a living and the friendships I have made from the sport of hockey.