Impact

Club programs help youth to make positive
choices that will impact them for the rest of
their lives.

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua participated in an impact study with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to identify the key elements that assure positive developmental experiences for Club youth. The study showed that Club members are statistically more likely to give positive or "pro-social" responses to questions about drug use, attitudes toward school, conflict resolution, etc. than non-Club members. In other words, the Club's youth development programs have a positive impact on children.

Another finding is that the level of impact a Club has on its young people depends on the degree to which the Club implements five key elements in its operations:

1. A safe, positive environment: Club staff, facilities, program offerings and age-appropriate settings produce continuity, predictability and a sense of physical and emotional safety for members. The Club sets clear boundaries and rules that provide structure for activities, define acceptable behaviors and consequences for inappropriate behavior and are consistently enforced by staff.
2. Fun: Clubs generate happiness, fun and enjoyment for members. Members develop a strong sense of belonging through personal connections they establish with staff and their peers. Young people have the sense that the Club is theirs when staff members make the Club feel like home, fostering a family atmosphere.
3. Supportive relationships: Club youth develop meaningful relationships with peers and adults. Staff members actively cultivate and maintain such relationships to ensure that every member feels connected to one or more adults and can forge friendships with peers. Staff members demonstrate warmth, closeness, caring, appreciation, acceptance and proper guidance in their ongoing interactions with members.
4. Opportunities and expectations: Club members acquire physical, social, technological, artistic and like skills. Clubs expect members to develop a moral character that helps them know right from wrong and behave ethically. Club staff help members prepare daily for school establish better study habits and pursue a post-secondary education. Staff members consistently communicate and reinforce high expectations of youth.
5. Recognition: Clubs use many methods to recognize and affirm young people's intrinsic worth and accomplishments. Staff members encourage youth and provide positive reinforcement as they make improvements and experience successes. The Club prominently showcases young people's achievements. Year-round rewards, incentives and awards validate member accomplishments.

73% of elementary school aged Club members and 70% of teen Club members state that the Club is "doing great" or "doing well" when evaluating their Club connection, which means that our Club members feel that they have positive connections with adults and peers and feel a sense of belonging, usefulness, influence and competence at the Club (our Youth Development Strategy).

74% of elementary school aged Club members and 81% of teen Club members state that the Club is "doing great" or "doing well" when evaluating their educational commitment, which measures Club members' engagement in school and their attitudes about participating and doing well in school.

72% of elementary school aged Club members state that the Club is "doing great" or "doing well" when evaluating their friendships and relationships, which measures the extent to which youth show care and concern for themselves and others and have friends. These questions also ask about youth interest in having friends with people of different racial or ethnic heritages.

86% of elementary school aged Club members and 81% of teen Club members state that the Club is "doing great" or "doing well" when evaluating their leadership, which includes youth involvement as Club and community contributors and leaders.

Additional Measure of Teen Satisfaction

87% of teen Club members state that the Club is "doing great" or "doing good" when evaluating "my actions with others", which measures young people's judgments about right and wrong behavior, the extent to which they care about how their actions affect others, and their commitment to acting on these beliefs.

87% of teen Club members state that the Club is "doing great" or "doing good" when evaluating their relationships, which measures the extent to which youth show care and concern for themselves and others and have friends.

89% of teen Club members state that the Club is "doing great" or "doing good" when evaluating "things I do", which measures the extent to which young people avoid participating in risky or dangerous behaviors, e.g., drug and alcohol abuse.