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Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania is pleased to share that our 3R’s Poetry Slam written by our very own Juan Perez is officially an EMMY Award winning video for Commercial- Single Spot! BGCWPA is so grateful for our staff for doing whatever its takes each and every day, and for BGCWPA alumni like Emmai Alaquiva of Ya Momz House, Inc. for helping to create such an amazing video! Learn more about our ReMEMBER, ReIMAGINE, ReINVEST campaign and how BGCWPA is meeting the demands of over 15,000 local youth during COVID-19 and beyond!

Career Works High (CWH) is an exciting opportunity for students in grades 9-11 to enhance their career readiness during the 2020-2021 school year from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania (BGCWPA). Career Works is an innovative employment and post-secondary preparation program that allows young adults to explore future career options while learning the skills they need to get on the path to success. The program runs out of our BGCWPA Career Works - Mon Valley Center in the Tube City Center for Business and Innovation (formerly the Daily News Building) at 409 Walnut St. McKeesport, PA 15132. Career Works [...]

On Monday, September 14th, BGCWPA President & CEO, Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, was honored as one of Pittsburgh Business Times Women of Influence. This annual award honors Pittsburgh’s most influential women executives and leaders, changing their industries and impacting their communities. On this career milestone, Lisa stated, "I am honored to be named one of Pittsburgh Business Times 2020 Women of Achievement along with 25 other influential women and proud to be the first female CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania in our 130 year-old history.” As a CEO passionate for the growth of our quality, gender inclusive programs [...]

This summer’s virtual Learn & Earn program was an incredible learning experience for me as well as many of the youth who engaged in the process and embraced the challenge!  It was full of highlights and challenges, frustrations and triumphs; but as I reflect on those six weeks, I realize how much I grew as an educator and a youth development professional.  Beyond my personal experience, however, there is a lot to celebrate while looking back at the impressive work the youth produced, the relationships they formed, the self-exploration they engaged in, and the variety of skills that so many of [...]

As we close the first week of Fall 2020 programming, we wanted to take a moment to thank those who joined us and those who made it possible! After such an incredible Summer 2020, we are thrilled to offer full day, hybrid and after school programming at select Clubhouses! As of 9-8-2020, the following Clubhouses opened for full day academic support in partnership with school districts: Estelle S. Campbell of  Lawrenceville Carnegie Northern Area- Millvale Orchard Park- Duquesne These Clubhouses offer Daytime Learning Hubs, After School Programs and a Hybrid option to meet the needs of all of our communities. Daytime [...]

Are you a parent worried about academics during COVID-19? Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania has teamed up with The Pittsburgh Learning Collaborative, A+ Schools and other partnering organizations to provide a family support hotline to help parents navigate these unprecedented times.  BGCWPA is proud to join our fellow partner organizations to streamline the process of academic questions and to provide accurate information to concerned parents. 2-3 representatives are assigned at a time to answer phone calls and voicemails with a response provided within 48 hours. The representatives are equipped with updated information from local school board meetings, state mandates [...]

rue21, a leading retailer for teens and young adults, had extra inventory because of temporary store closures due to COVID 19. When they were trying to figure out what to do with the 500,000 items, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania was the first organization that came to mind!      According to Julia Draper, rue21’s VP of marketing, “We’re thrilled to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania. The programming BGCWPA offers is so valuable and an integral part of the broader community.” Julia also stressed that their customers are diverse, and inclusion is a core tenet of the brand. “BGCWPA and [...]

Throughout the month of August, youth enrolled in our in-person Summer Day Camps at our Carnegie, Estelle S. Campbell, and Northern Area Clubhouses had the opportunity to travel to one of Allegheny County’s parks to spend time outside, get moving and participate in the “Skin & Skulls” program.  Rangers lead youth in exploring the different native animal species of our County by looking at an extensive collection of animal skins and skulls, learning animal traits, and examining their pelts to learn more about  predator/prey relationships, habitats, adaptations, and diets of the animals that call our area home. Thank you to Allegheny [...]

Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania Welcomes Somerset County Boys & Girls Club to our Family!  Pittsburgh, PA: Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania  (BGCWPA)welcomes Somerset County Boys & Girls Club as the newest member of the BGCWPA Clubhouse family. As the seventeenth location for BGCWPA, the Somerset Clubhouse will offer Preschool/afterschool programming and Teen  Workforce Programming, which is NEW to the area, after school and specialty programming at the Georgian Place starting in Fall 2020. We will build upon our school-based programming located at Eagle View Elementary, which has been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 precautions. Science, technology, engineering,  [...]

“A mentor is someone who helps you find hope within yourself.” Oprah Winfrey Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania have been mentoring and teaching life skills to young members for over 130 years! Last year, we took that a step further and formalized our Career Works, youth workforce development program including opening a stand alone Career Works Center.  Career Works is an after-school employment and post-secondary preparation program for high school students and young adults, where we do whatever it takes to ensure every young adult can design and launch a great future. Through job shadowing, conversations with leading professionals, [...]