The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach is pleased to announce the positive impact of its programming offerings for the previous (2017-2018) school year that seek to inspire members’ natural curiosity in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). “Our STEAM programming is an important component to our Boys & Girls Club experience, and strongly believe these set of choices support our young people in taking the first step in looking at career paths in these high growth fields,” stated Pam Estes, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach.
With over 500 club members participating in diverse subject areas such as coding, robotics, sailing, cooking and animation, ecology and music, outcomes were notably positive year-over-year with substantial gains seen in computer skills competencies and improvements in decreasing the gender and ethnicity participation gap. The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach has a strong commitment to engaging both genders equally and supporting underrepresented groups at a young age with a goal of carrying every child’s interest and enthusiasm in these areas into higher education.
Faye Cartmale, Impact Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, stated, “We are incredibly proud to communicate the positive influence these programs have had on our members. At the conclusion of programming, surveys indicate that a majority of them have increased their competencies beyond just the subject matter, such as leadership and respect for others, adding so much value to the participants – all while having fun. It’s a win-win for the children in our community!”
The STEAM programming initiative at the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach was made possible due to the generous contributions from the following foundations and organizations: Edison International, Cox Communications, James M. Cox Foundation, Royal Bank of Canada Foundation, Best Buy Children’s Foundation, San Diego Gas and Electric, Festival of Arts Foundation, Massen Greene Foundation, and Edwards Life Sciences. For more information on the impact of our programming efforts or Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach membership opportunities, please contact the Member Services at (949) 494-2535 or visit www.bgclagunabeach.org.
About The Club
The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach service area includes Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Lake Forest, and the surrounding communities, and occupies three sites in Laguna Beach: Canyon Branch, Bluebird Branch and Lang Branch. Together, they offer a nationally recognized and award winning year round Out-of-School enrichment program that focuses on the whole family. From preschool to parenting classes, The Boys & Girls Club offers an array of services that focus on; academic success, good character and citizenship, healthy lifestyles and creative expression. Being an indispensable asset to the families of our community is a Boys & Girls Club time-honored tradition. For over 60 years, The Boys & Girls Club strives to support the youth of Laguna Beach throughout of school recreation that celebrates the whole child.
For more information about The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, visit: www.bgclagunabeach.org or call (949) 494-2535.
