Chicago Here We Come!

A Keystone Club is a group of Club members who want to do more with the time they have at the Club by starting initiatives to better their community and make an impact for younger generations—a Club within a Club. Boys & Girls Clubs of America calls it the ultimate teen program that develops tomorrow’s leaders. Keystone Clubs provide leadership development opportunities for young people ages 14 to 18.

BGCA hosts an annual National Keystone Conference for Boys & Girls Club teens that brings together members from all across the globe. Throughout the conference, Keystone members engage and socialize with peers, explore relevant issues, and develop skills to support and enhance efforts in their local Boys & Girls Clubs and communities.

To be invited, Keystone Clubs must have an accumulative 200 hours of community service, have a social media presence, reoccurring Teen Nights, and submit a Club project that involves initiatives to better their community and/or their generation.

In Pinedale, the Club project was a podcast. A teen-led podcast, with staff supervision, that explored the world of mental health. They dove not only into the long-term effects of bullying, but also how to overcome it. Six teens started open dialogue about their experiences and have dedicated the last few months “Breaking Down Bullying.” If you haven’t heard the podcast: start here.

“I have learned so much from people’s experiences,” said Angel, age 18, “This podcast was something we’ve wanted to do for a long time and Keystone really helped us make it come true.”

“I am so proud of them for executing their plans and earning their spot at the conference,” said Stephanie Santos, Pinedale Club Director.

Ron Samuel, a generous and long-time friend of the Club heard about their accomplishments and wanted to surprise them with something nice. He bought the teens a luggage set for each of them to travel with.

“This was one the nicest things anyone has ever done. I have noticed Ron at many Club events and I know he funds our annual Christmas party but I didn’t think he would do this. It means a lot that he believes in us,” said Angel.

Angel and five others will be traveling to BGCA’s National Keystone Conference from July 17th- 19th.