Boys & Girls Club to Host 23rd Year of Safe Summer Streets

For the 23rd consecutive summer the Club will be expanding summer hours during July and August for our teen membership. The Safe Summer Streets program, begun in 1990, will keep the Club open from 5 to 10:45 p.m. on a Monday through Saturday schedule beginning Monday, July 2nd. Program offerings as part of Safe Summer Streets include: the 16-team Basketball League, Summer Swim Team, Open Gyms, Open Swims, the Career Prep Summer Jobs program and Field Trips to name a few. The seven-week on-site program will also include small group club activities, community service projects and limited transportation each evening. Some of the special events planned include a basketball game vs. Boston Police Department All-Stars (7/2), the start of our inclusive Yoga Class (7/5), the start of the Career Prep Summer Jobs program (7/9), a Glass Blowing Field Trip (7/20), Senior Class Night at U-Mass (7/25), a Theater for Kids Trip to see “Billy Elliot” (7/26), Open Mic Night (7/27), the Career Fair (8/1), the College Alumni Night Cruise (8/8), the Semi-Formal Dance (8/14), and the championship game from all three divisions of the Safe Summer Streets Basketball League (8/15). The summer program will conclude with two off-site activities – Camp Northbound for 150 Club members in Maine from 8/18 to 8/23 and our Annual, 5-day Disney for Kids trip with a group of 150 from 8/27 to 8/31. The Safe Summer Streets program is open to all teens in the community age 13 to 18 who are registered members of the Boys and Girls Club. If you are currently not a member all you will need to do is stop by any one of our three locations, pick up an application, pay a $5 membership fee and provide proof of age. You will then have a one-year membership. Please note that this program extends to our teen members located in the Harbor Point community of Dorchester who attend our Walter Denney Youth Center Unit. Transportation from the Denney Center will be provided to all teens looking to take part in activities. We strongly encourage you to spend your summer vacation meeting new friends and participating in any of the activities listed above. For more information please contact Mike Joyce, VP of Programming at ext. 2110.

Intramural Swim League Championship Meet
The six-team Intramural Swim League completed its season with the championship meet held last Saturday during our Triple Play festivities. The championship meet provided several close races but in the end the Dolphins proved too strong for their five opponents by capturing the 2012 championship. The final point totals were as follows: Dolphins – 165, Piranhas – 119, Sandsharks – 118, Barracudas – 111, Kat Fish – 102 and Stingrays – 66. Members of the Dolphins were: Curt Boyd, Adam Regan, Shannon Greene, Olivia Brown, Jason Casey, Gabriella Gold, Kaleigh Cadogan, Kaeja Saucer, Victoria Smith, Kyle Casey, Samantha Smith, Samantha Uzarek and Elicia Langley. Next up for our swimmers will include members of the Marr-lin Swim Team competing in the Bay State Games while at the same time, we have begun accepting registrations for the Summer Swim Team. The Summer Swim team will be open to any member age 5 to 18 who can complete a 50-yard swim. Try-outs will be held on 6/26, 7/3 and 7/5 and will be followed by team practices, held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings beginning on Tuesday, July 10th. Team meets include Blue Hill (7/26), Watertown (8/2) and the closing Team Meet/Family BBQ (8/9). For more information please contact our Aquatic Director, Aquiles Gomes at ext. 2220.

College Prep Program for High School Teens
College Bound opportunities are an important piece of the Club’s Education program offerings for our teen members. Recently, we received grant funding from Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation’s - Recipe for Success program to provide college-going experiences to our members. Over the past three months teens have had the opportunity to visit the following: UMASS Boston, Boston College, and the National Association for College Admission Counseling Fair showcasing colleges and universities from around the country. The Recipe for Success program was formed to help inspire Boys & Girls Club members pursue their dreams, and set ambitious goals by introducing them to the possibilities of post-secondary education. In addition to visiting schools, we also offer assistance with the college selection, application, essay and financial aid process on an individual basis throughout the year. If you are in need of assistance with the College selection or admission process please contact Education Director, Emily Capurso at 617-288-7120, ext. 2320.