Programs
Southside Boys & Girls Club Members programs are designed to encourage Club members to realize a wide variety of positive outcomes, a strategy for developing the "whole child".
Below are the activity descriptions for the 2022-23 Line Up.
Click on an activity group below to see the activities offered.
For more information or to sign up for one of our programs, please call our office at 757.545.5963.
These programs are designed to ensure that all Club members graduate from high school on time, ready for a post-secondary education and a 21st-century career.
These Club programs help develop physical fitness, reduce stress and promote a positive use of leisure time, appreciation for the environment and interpersonal skills.
These programs develop young people’s capacity to engage in positive behaviors to nurture their well-being, set personal goals and grow into self-sufficient adults.
These programs help youth become responsible, caring citizens. Program participants also develop leadership skills and gain opportunities for planning, decision-making, contributing to Club and community and celebrating our national heritage.
These programs are designed to ensure that all Club members graduate from high school on time, ready for a post-secondary education and a 21st-century career.
We believe that supporting children, allows them to embrace who they are, can define their future, and can change the world.
Education & Career Activities:
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Knowledge Hour 101: helps Club members ages 6-18 achieve academic success by providing homework help, tutoring, and high-yield learning activities and encouraging members to become self-directed learners
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Project Learn 412: reinforces and enhances the skills and knowledge young people learn at school during the hours they spend at the Club. This comprehensive program strategy is based on Dr. Reginald Clark's research showing that students do much better in school when they spend their non-school hours engaged in fun, but academically beneficial, activities.
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Summer Brain Gain 110: a fun, interactive learning program designed for those who don't participate in enriching summer activities.
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Law & Order Southside 757: helps to foster interest in and access to higher education through cascading mentoring partnerships by exposing the elementary students to a legal curriculum, and the resources of the legal profession.
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My Future Essential 511: is BGCA's mobile-friendly social platform with access to over 125 Boys & Girls Club program activities in areas such as STEM, leadership and the arts. With My Future, kids and teens can learn new skills, connect with their friends, and earn recognition and rewards in a safe and fun online environment.
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Diplomas 2 Degrees 818: a college readiness, access and success program. d2D provides a range of services to help guide Club members through high school and plan for post-secondary education and career success
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Career Launch 401: a job-readiness and career-preparation program! This curriculum offers new, fun and interactive activities for youth ages 13 to 18 to explore a broad range of career areas, match their interest to career clusters and identify the skills and education needed for their career path.
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Homework Lab: Provides small group tutoring for those members that have been recommended by parents or identified through their report card as needing additional assistance in Math & Reading.
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Word↑UP: provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth
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Essentials Tech: are engaging and exciting project experiences that provide members of all ability levels with a foundation of technology skills that explore three central themes: building, exploring and communicating
Character & Leadership Activities:
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Keystone Club 104: is the Boys & Girls Club Movement’s most dynamic teen program. It affords teens an opportunity to gain valuable leadership and service experience.
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Torch Club103: are chartered small-group leadership and service clubs. The program is a powerful vehicle through which Club or Youth Center staff can help meet the special needs of younger adolescents at a critical stage in their development.
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Jr /Torch Club 317: members learn to elect officers and work together to implement activities in four areas: service to Club and community, education, health and fitness, and social recreation
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Southside Hours of Service 25: encourages good character and appreciation for citizenship and provides every Club member with opportunities to serve in year-round Club and community-based volunteer service experiences. Each member is required to complete 25 hours of community service to begin the journey of becoming civically engaged.
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Each One Teach One Mentoring 115: Provides guidance and support to young people. Mentoring is a very powerful and personal way to enhance the lives of the youth we serve by being positive role models in their life.
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Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids: provides youth online opportunities to learn a variety of different world languages.
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Chess Club: aid in developing the muscles of the brain because they involve different areas of the brain and engaging in this board game directly contributes towards the sharpening of the brain. Chess makes the youth learn how to strategize aspects of the game and life. In addition, youth can also learn the importance of foresight and planning.
Health & Life Skills Activities:
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Smart Moves 123: participants will be exposed to various activities designed to hone their decision-making and critical-thinking skills, as well as learn how to avoid and/or resist alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and premature sexual activity.
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Smart Girls 603: is a small-group health, fitness, prevention/education, and self-esteem enhancement program designed to meet the developmental needs of girls in three age groups. Through dynamic sessions, highly participatory activities, field trips and mentoring opportunities with adult women, Club girls explore their own and societal attitudes and values as they build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good health care and developing positive relationships with peers and adults.
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Passport to Manhood 824: promotes and teaches responsibility in Club boys ages 8-17. Passport to Manhood consists of 14 sessions, each of which concentrates on a specific aspect of manhood through highly interactive activities
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Bully Stops Here(BSH) 719: offers expanded lessons in bullying prevention, as well as an emphasis on resiliency training to give Club members, ages 10-14, the skills they need to grow up confident, caring and responsible. Creating a positive Club climate is an important practice for members to feel emotionally safe.
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Triple Play Healthy Habits 456: curricula are designed to teach young people about the benefits of developing healthy habits such as eating smart and being physically active; equip young people with skills to adopt healthier habits by participating in fun and engaging learning activities both at the Club and at home, and encourage young people to take small steps toward positive behavior changes.
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Cybersafe: address the challenges that youth commonly encounter online, encourage positive dialogue with adults about internet safety and create safe online experiences for youth.
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Southside National Bank 724: promotes financial responsibility and independence among Club members ages 7-18 by building their basic money management skills. Participants learn how to manage a checking account, budget, save and invest.
Sports/Fitness/Recreation Activities:
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Triple Play “Body": promotes becoming more physically active through fun daily fitness routines. Curricula/programs include Daily Challenges and Triple Play Leadership Clubs (formerly Sports Clubs).
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Play Ball: is a program from BGCA and Major League Baseball that highlights the many ways baseball and softball can be played outside of traditionally organized leagues and tournaments, ranging from playing catch, stickball and plastic ball and bat games, to participating in skills competitions like “MLB Pitch, Hit & Run.” Play Ball allows youth ages 6-18 to increase their overall fitness while learning the fundamental skills of baseball and softball through fun and enriching activities.
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Youth Athletic Leagues: Season sports leagues such as Baseball, Soccer, Flag Football and Basketball are offered.
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Southside PGA Academy: Golf lessons are provided by a local golf pro at Lambert Point Golf Course in Norfolk and Bide-A-Wee course in Portsmouth VA the 1st & 3rd Saturday’s each month.
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Prevention Basketball (PBL): Teens ages 13-18 are required to attend a monthly Prevention workshop to address issues & concerns in the community as part of their membership fee.
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National Fitness Competition 365: Club members have opportunities to "compete against themselves" by tracking their accomplishments and striving for improvement – helping them build intrinsic motivation, confidence, and physical competence.
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Biddy/Jr. NBA Basketball: Learning the fundamentals of basketball and exhibiting our talents through sports leagues and traveling All-Stars games.
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Jr. RBI: the program is designed to create playing divisions that provide baseball and softball opportunities for youth ages 5-12. It also serves as a feeder to the RBI teen program (youth ages 13-18).
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Viking Football: is the perfect program for your young athletes who want a complete introduction to America's Game or for those who simply want to brush up on their skills in preparation for league play.
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Viking Soccer: provides recreational youth soccer players an opportunity to experience a consistent and high-quality fun, family-like atmosphere. It fosters stimulation and excitement about soccer to increase the recreational player's interest and love for the game.
The Arts Activities:
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Drama Matters Club: is designed to raise awareness about the benefits of drama education It offers Club members different ways for them to express themselves creatively in hopes that they will discover a behind-the-scenes role in a production.
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Visual Art: This year-round program encourages artistic expression among Club members ages 6-18 through nine different categories of visual arts including monochromatic and multi-colored drawing, oil painting and watercolor, printmaking, collage, mixed media, pastel, and group projects while providing opportunities for members to create artwork for display in a local exhibit
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Photography Club: is designed to help members go beyond snapshots and develop skills to take photographs that can really impact the viewer. The current popularity and accessibility of photography make it a powerful means to engage the youth of all ages in creative programming, while simultaneously teaching them skills they will use for the rest of their lives.
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Lyricism 101: provides an opportunity for Club teens to explore hip-hop as an art form and cultivate their creativity and critical thinking skills.
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GFSH-TV (Great Futures Start Here): provides opportunities for Club members to report the news via in-house circuit TV and learn about the various career choices in the media industry.