Boys & Girls Club of Dubois County to open in October
The Boys & Girls Club of Dubois County will open its first location on October 26, offering after-school programming for kindergarten through sixth-grade students at Trinity United Church of Christ in Jasper.
The club will operate as an affiliate of the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence County, which will help set up operations and programming while a local advisory committee guides the club’s growth in Dubois County.
“Our goal is to create a place where kids feel safe, supported and excited to walk through the doors each day,” said Frank Decker, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence County. “This club is being built for the community, with the community, and we are excited to see the impact it will have on local youth and families.”
Emily Klein, chair of the club’s local advisory committee, helped launch the effort after she and others identified gaps in services for Dubois County youth, particularly children from financially strained families.
Those numbers are eye-opening. About 36% of students in Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools are considered economically disadvantaged, according to Indiana Department of Education data. That figure is 52.9% at Southwest Dubois County School Corporation, 26.4% at Northeast Dubois and 25.9% at Southeast Dubois.
“What we have seen is an increase in child poverty and many of the barriers that can cause, academically, socially, etc…,” said Klein. “Out-of-school, high-quality programs have the capability to reduce some of those barriers.”
Children in the club will take part in activities focused on academics, healthy lifestyles and character development.
“Boys and Girls Clubs of America is known for high-quality programming that encompasses the whole child from kindergarten to 12th grade,” said Klein.
The group understands costs can impede participation. Nationally, cost is the top barrier to after-school participation reported by low-income families, according to the Afterschool Alliance’s 2020 America After 3PM survey.
The cost to families is a $30 registration fee for the full school year. However, this year the amount is discounted to $20 in the club’s first year since it is opening partway through the year. Families who can’t pay have options to have the fee covered.
That price is well below other local options. Existing after-school programming in the county runs $65 per week per child, or $45 per week for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, according to figures the club compiled.
“We do not want the cost to be prohibitive,” Klein said.
Plans include adding summer programming, expanding to other parts of the county, and increasing the age range of students it serves as the club grows. Boys & Girls Clubs typically serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and the Dubois County club hopes to grow into that range once it has more space.
“Our goal is to grow to serve all Dubois County youth who need us,” Klein said.
Klein said community support, including grants, donations and volunteers, has been “tremendous.”
JETT Grant fuels launch of Boys and Girls Club in Dubois County with $20k grant
The club will use volunteers alongside trained staff. Volunteers must pass a background check and complete training. Interested volunteers can apply at bgcduboisco.org. Klein said volunteer training sessions will be scheduled soon but asked for patience, as staff training and site preparation come first.
The club is hosting a community open house from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the club’s entrance on the west side of Trinity UCC, 310 W. Eighth St., Jasper. The club officially opens October 26.
“As we continue to grow as a community, our needs are changing. We have a great need locally to provide a safe space for our kids outside of school hours,” said Sara Schmidt, Council Vice Chairperson; Director of Driveline Manufacturing at Jasper Engines & Transmissions; Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools Board of Trustees Member. “The Boys and Girls Club provides education and skills our youth can benefit from for the rest of their lives.”
