The 2016 BGCML NYOI

MEASURING THE IMPACT OF BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS 2016 Annual Report

20 16

TABLE OF CONTENTS 04

INTRODUCTION

05 Highlights from BGC Studies

07

About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Muskegon Lakeshore

08

Who We Serve

09

Financial Report

15

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CLUB EXPERIENCE

17 How BGCML Applies Our Youth Development Principles

19 Certain Staff Practices Enhance Members’ Club Experience

20

CLUB MEMBERS ACHIEVE POSITIVE OUTCOMES

23

Preparing Members for College and Careers

24

Developing 21st Century Leaders

27

Developing a Healthier Generation

30

Avoiding Health-Risk Behaviors

32

Key Program Highlights

Club Member

ABOUT THE CLUB The Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore provides mentorship, adult role models, activities, and services to local youth in the areas of education and careers, character building, leadership, health, life skills, arts, sports, fitness, recreation, and several other specialized programs.

In just over one year, we’ve already made tremendous impact—thanks to overwhelming community support. We currently serve thousands of Muskegon youth annually!

POINT OF VIEW:

A STRONG COMMUNITY

“The Boys & Girls Club is a safe haven to have fun, learn, and potentially save our kids’ lives.”

KAY SHABAZZ

Club Parent

MUSKEGON HAS A NEED

Muskegon County youth are often left to find their own path in the streets. An increasing number of our children are at home with little or no supervision, which often leads to a life of trouble. Our young people need to know that someone cares about them. They deserve nothing less than a safe, nurturing place to learn, play, and grow.

“I believe the Boys & Girls Club helps increase gradua rates and decrease criminal rates, which positively a our friends, family, and the community.”

• Muskegon ranks 80 out of 83 Michigan counties for childhood well being. The Club is open when youth need us most, to offer a fun, safe, and supportive place to learn, grow, and forge their future.

LARRY HINES Donor

• 1 in 5 youth do not graduate from high school. With help from the Club’s academic programs, 90% of our members graduate.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS YOU CAN BE THE SOLUTION

More than ever before, Muskegon County needs all of us to come together to help keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. We need your help to allow our programs and Club to thrive—ensuring a safe and active learning environment for years to come.

We invite you to become part of movement that is more than just the presence of a Boy’s & Girls Club, your gift will be an investment in the Future of Muskegon County. It just takes one to make a difference. It just takes you.

We are excited about the journey! Please join the movement by giving to one of three levels found on the enclosed envelope or online at BGClubMuskegon.com/donate.

JON COVINGTON

DJ HILSON

BOBBY MORSE

CHRIS DEAN

SPENCER HINES

BOB SCOLNIK

“I believe the Boys & Girls Club helps increase graduation rates and decrease criminal rates, which positively affects our friends, family, and the community.”

CEO of MOCITI

Muskegon Fire Chief

JON FELSKE

|

ADVOCATE

|

SUPPORT

H E L P B O Y S & G I R L S C L U B S C R E AT E A G R E AT F U T U R E F O R A L L K I D S .

WWW.BGCLUBMUSKEGON.COM

Vice President of the Hines Corporation

Superintendent of Muskegon Public Schools

DON KALISZ

KEITH GUY

JUDY KELL

Muskegon Public Schools Head Coach

JENNY HART-LOCKE Owner of Village Inn

DEB HAYEK

DONATE

Muskegon County Prosecutor

District Manager at Chicago Diversified Foods Corporation

JUDY HAYNER

Executive Director of the Muskegon Museum of Art

Partner at Revel

Grants Coordinator for the County of Muskegon

JACK KENNEDY

Muskegon County Road Commissioner

MATT KOLKEMA

Detective at Muskegon Police Department

CHRIS MCGUIGAN

President of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County

LARRY HINES Donor

Property Developer

Muskegon County Com

BRIANNA SCOTT Attorney

JANIE SCOTT

Owner of JAAR, Inc.

TOM TUTTLE Philanthropist

MIKE YOUNGDAH

Northwest Mutual Fina Advisor

ALENA ZACHERY

Superintendent of Mus Heights Academy

Friends of the Boys & Girls Club of the Muskegon Lakeshore, This past year has been a momentous one. More than 1,000 children had a remarkable year thanks to the support of friends like you.

To kick off the year, our original Nelson Club Site climbed to over 100 members visiting every day. In addition, we collaborated with the City of Muskegon & Community Foundation for Muskegon County to open five Club Park Sites throughout the city, during the summer months to better reach youth who needed us most. We also served over 30,000 nutritious meals at no cost to our kids, enhanced our Nelson Club with its own Teen Center, and opened a new Muskegon Heights Club Site.

However, we are just getting started. Muskegon’s youth need our support now more than ever. One in four lives in poverty, and thousands are left unsupervised every day during critical out-of-school time. The youth we serve rely on us. For so many local kids, our Clubs are the only place to get nutritious meals, have the space and equipment to play and stay fit, and partake in life-changing educational and leadership programs, during out of school times and summer months. For so many more, our services are still needed and we must continue keeping the door to a great future open for every young person.

Your assistance has allowed us to do just that, by taking our advocacy for Muskegon’s youth to the next level with the launch of the Beacon of HopeGreat Futures Campaign. The Beacon of Hope Campaign marked a new era for BGCML as a lead advocate for the kids who need us most. It represented the coming together of a community and garnering thousands of supporters to take action to help Muskegon’s youth.

BGCML is now better positioned than ever before to bring our message of opportunity and hope to a wider audience. The Beacon of Hope Campaign is enabling us to deepen our impact and secure positive outcomes for our county’s children and teens. We could not have made this unprecedented leap forward without you. It’s the giving spirit and belief in our movement’s mission evinced by our partners and donors that laid the foundation for our success. Thank you again for your continued support.

Be Great,

Dakota Crow Chief Professional Officer, BGCML

BOARD OF DIRECTORS DJ HILSON Prosecuting Attorney SPENCER HINES Hines Corp DON KALISZ Revel JUDY KELL Community Health Project JACK KENNEDY Road Commissioner MATT KOLKEMA Muskegon Police Department CHRIS MCGUIGAN Community Foundation for Muskegon CO

BOB SCOLNIK Commissioner BRIANNA SCOTT Attorney JANIE SCOTT JAAR, INC TOM TUTTLE Media Businessman MIKE YOUNGDAHL Northwest Mutual ALENA ZACHERY ROSS Muskegon Heights Academy JON FELSKE Muskegon Covenant Academy

JENNY HART-LOCKE Village Inn

CHRIS DEAN Muskegon Heights Fire Dep.

DEB HAYEK Taco Bell/Border Foods

JON COVINGTON MOCITI

JUDY HAYNER Muskegon Museum of Art

KEITH GUY Muskegon Public Schools

MEASURING THE IMPACT OF BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS

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2016 Annual Report

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Muskegon Lakeshore (BGCML) is committed to measuring how much our young people are achieving & how effectively our Club Experience is implemented.

Our measurement efforts are aimed at demonstrating our impact to stakeholders, engaging in continuous improvement and delivering high-quality programming & services.

BGCML is proud to present its first annual report summarizing our 2016 local & national findings.

INTRODUCTION Since 2015, BGCML has emerged as a leader in outcomes measurement in Muskegon County's youth-serving sector, building the capability of our Clubs to collect and use data to gauge the beneficial effect on young people and demonstrate the impact to our stakeholders.

Based on youth development research and more than a century of peer Clubs’ own experience, Boys & Girls Club leaders articulated a new theory of change in 2010. The Formula for Impact depicts how Clubs put our youth development mission in action. It identifies who Clubs serve, shows how they do that, and what they hope to accomplish with young people. The Formula for Impact guides Clubs across the nation in helping youth achieve positive outcomes in three priority areas: Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles.

Young people who need us most

Our Formula for Impact

Outcomedriven club experience Five Key Elements for positive youth development

Targeted Programs

4 2016 Annual Report

In 2011, BGCA launched the National Youth Outcomes Initiative (NYOI), a system grounded in the Formula for Impact and built to measure the impact of Clubs across the nation using a common set of research informed indicators of our priority outcomes. NYOI’s key tool for gathering outcomes data is a survey administered to local Club members each spring. BGCA continues to provide training and technical assistance to enable local Club organizations to use NYOI data effectively.

2016 marks the 2nd year BGCML has participated in the survey.

High-Yield Activities

Priority Outcomes Academic Success

Graduate from high school ready for college, trade school, military or employment

Good Character & Citizenship

Be an engaged citizen involved in the community, register to vote and model strong character

Regular Attendance

Healthy Lifestyles

Adopt a healthy diet, practice healthy lifestyle choices and make a lifelong commitment to fitness

HIGHLIGHTS FROM BGC STUDIES BGCA complements its youth outcome measurement efforts with formal, third-party evaluation and other types of studies to inform the development, implementation and enhancement of Club programs and services and gauge their impact with additional empirical rigor.

National Economic Impact Study In 2015, BGCA engaged the Institute for Social Research and the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan to conduct a national study to estimate the return on investment (ROI), or the benefit-cost ratio, of the services Boys & Girls Clubs provide to youth and their families. The study showed that Boys & Girls Club services and programs produce significant and lasting value for youth, families and their communities.  Every dollar invested in Boys & Girls Clubs returns $9.60 in current and future earnings and cost-savings to their communities. The greatest benefits are from Club members’ improved grades and reduced alcohol use and their parents’ earnings.  Clubs spend $1.4 billion annually on operating costs, resulting in $13.8 billion in lifetime benefits to youth, families and communities.

 Boys & Girls Clubs help increase the earning power of parents, as well as of youth when they become adults.  Boys & Girls Clubs also contribute to major savings for society by helping to prevent costly expenditures for health care, public assistance programs, and criminal justice system involvement and incarceration.

The study also produced benefit-cost ratios for two BGCA programs. Project Learn is a Club-wide program strategy that reinforces and enhances the skills and knowledge young people gain at school. Triple Play is a suite of programs that increase Club members’ daily physical activity, teach them good nutrition and help them develop healthy relationships.

Every dollar invested in Boys & Girls Clubs returns $9.60 in current and future earnings and cost-savings to their communities.

 Project Learn generates an estimated $18,000 in lifetime benefits from improved grades, yielding a return of $8 on every dollar invested.  Triple Play produces estimated lifetime benefits of $270 by increasing physical activity, for a return of $1.40 on every dollar invested.

2016 Annual Report

05

Highlights from this Report Analyses of the 2016 NYOI survey data have yielded new insights. It provides updated findings showing how an optimal Club Experience drives more positive outcomes for Club youth. It features more detailed findings about the specific Club staff practices needed to build a high-quality Club Experience that is grounded in our youth development principles. The report also highlights the predictive power of the optimal Club Experience on members’ outcomes when they have a high-quality Club Experience and attend the Club more frequently.

In addition, this report presents current findings about the degree to which Club members are achieving positive outcomes in our three priority areas. In Developing Globally Competitive Graduates, using data from new NYOI STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) readiness indicators, we find that almost twice as many 12th-grade Club members are interested in a STEM career as 12th graders nationally. In Developing 21st Century Leaders, we find that almost twice as many Club members in 8th, 10th and 12th grades volunteer at least monthly in comparison to their peers nationally. In Developing a Healthier Generation, we find that 33 percent of Club girls ages 12 to 15 are physically active every day, compared with 27 percent of their male peers and 23 percent of their female peers nationally. We also find that Club high-school-age members who stay connected to the Clubs as they get older seem better able to resist engaging in risky behaviors such as drinking alcohol or using marijuana than do their counterparts nationally.

Lastly, the report summarizes impact findings from the most important formal, third-party studies that have been conducted for BGCA over more than 20 years, including the national economic impact study demonstrating Boys & Girls Clubs’ tremendous return on investment to society and the rigorous randomized control trial of BGCA’s national summer learning program, Summer Brain Gain.

6 2016 Annual Report

About Local & National Youth Outcomes Report In NYOI, BGCML collected data about their registered members’ demographics, attendance and participation. Our Kid Trax data management systems feeds data into BGCA’s national system, contributing to the National Report.

The NYOI Club Member Survey is designed to measure indicators of youth achievement in our priority outcome areas. Some survey questions replicate language used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey, allowing BGCA & BGCML to compare Club youth outcomes to national averages. Some survey questions are asked of members of all ages, while others are only asked of teens ages 13 to 18; this is noted as applicable throughout this report. The NYOI survey also asks members about their perceptions of their Club.

Their responses allow us to assess how well the BGCML team delivers a high-quality Club Experience that promotes positive youth development. BGCA processes the responses from surveys completed in our Club each spring, furnishes our Club organization with our members’ survey data, then aggregates and analyzes the data to render local & national results. This marks the second year BGCML has participated in the NYOI Survey.

ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE MUSKEGON LAKESHORE Boys & Girls Clubs of the Muskegon Lakeshore provides a safe, affordable place for kids and teens during critical out-ofschool time. Our dedicated team offers life changing programs and services to youth across Muskegon County.

Mission To inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive and caring citizens.

Vision To be the beacon of hope & light to over 1,000 youth, each day. Through teamwork, dedicated staff and volunteers cultivate a “Culture of Cool� by offering age appropriate and dynamic programming, easily accessible to any youth, ages 6-18 within the Muskegon County area. Supported by sustained funding The Boys & Girls Clubs will be the premier youth serving organization.

Boys & Girls Clubs annually serve over

1 thousand young people, a diverse population ranging from Over

89%

of Club members are eligible for free- or reduced-price school lunches, an important indicator of low-income status, compared to 52% of public school students nationally.

ages 6 to 18.

54% of Club members are boys.

On a typical day,

160

children and teens attend BGCML with more than

300

attending on an average summer day.

25 adult staff and over 100

volunteers work to fulfill our youth development mission and strengthen our ability to grow to reach more youth in Muskegon County.

Our Scope BGCML operates two Clubs year round, in partnership with Muskegon Public Schools and Muskegon Heights Public School Academy SystemOur Nelson Club and Muskegon Heights Academy Club Sites, which are open after school and extended times throughout the summer. BGCML extends its services to various park sites throughout the summer, made possible by the Community Foundation for Muskegon County and City of Muskegon.

2016 Annual Report 07

2016 Demographic Information

Female Club Members 473

WHO WE SERVE 8 2016 Annual Report

Male Club Members 560

TOTAL MEMBERS 1,033

6-9 Year Old 372

Native American .04%

13-18 Year Old 227

10-12 Year Old 434

African American 84.71%

Hispanic/Latino Multi-racial .80%

7.6%

Caucasian Asian Other 6.33% .35% .17%

2016 FINANCIAL INFO

It has been another amazing year at the BGCML! The Beacon of Hope Campaign enabled us to increase revenues to $430,305 in 2016, allowing for the service of more youth. As revenues increased, our annual cost per child decreased to just below $1,000. With membership soaring past 900 active youth members and annual member dues remaining at $5 we must continue to garner the financial support of the community.

REVENUES TOTAL (In Percentages)

EXPENSES TOTAL (In Percentages)

18%

4%

78%

2016 Annual Report 09

2016 BUSINESS DONORS

ADVOCATE Below $1,200

OTHER Below $1,200

OTHER Below $1,200

American Glass Mosaics

Generation Care, PLC

Waves of Hope, INC

Ameriwash Inc

Greater Muskegon Service League

West Michigan Dirtworks, LLC

Auto Spa West Michigan, Inc.

Hazekamp's Premier Foods

Bonton Stores

Barrett Plumbing, Inc

Meijer

Bridgestone Tire

Basch-Olovson Engineering Company

Muskegon Catholic Central

Buffalo Wild Wings

Betten Baker

Newmyer Plumbing

Source One Digital

Brianna T. Scott & Associates

BELIEVER $2,500-$4,999

Packingham & Associates, LLC

The Station Grill

Brickley DeLong, PC

Prein & Newhof

Burda Law Offices, PLC

Premier Casework Installers, INC

A SPECIAL THANKS TO

Frontier Communications Andy

C.E.E.P. Agency, LLC

Quality Tool & Stamping CO

J. Egan CO, Inc. Newkirk

Central United Methodist Church

Roxy Mops LLC

CORE Realty Partners

Shipston Aluminum Technologies

Crow Erickson, Inc

Shoreline Insurance Agency, INC

CWC Textron

Tandem Electric LLC

Dietech

The Car Store, INC

Dynamic Conveyor Corporation

The Cheese Lady LLC

Family Financial Credit Union

Uganski Roll-Off Services

Folkert Family Foundation

Velarde Marketing

Fruitport Lions Club

Waddell & Reed

Garage Door Specialist

Waterstone Insurance Agency

BEACON $5,000+ per year Arconic Foundation Taco Bell Hines Corporation Kiwanis of Muskegon Nichols Trinity Health SAF Holland United Way Harris Catering Serenity Sisters McDonald's Redi Rental Yanfeng Comcast 10 2016 Annual Report

A tremendous THANKS to our many supporters in 2016! If we have inadvertently omitted your name from our lists, please let us know.

Michigan Health Endowment Fund Party City Frey Foundation Ronald McDonald House Charities House Family Foundation Beverage Parts Source, LLC

Electric Associates Inc.

FRIEND $1,200-$2,499 Tyler Sales Company, LLC Woman's Life Crowstead, LLC Famous Foods of Muskegon

Muskegon Public Schools Muskegon Heights Public School Academy Muskegon Area Transit Dean of Transit City of Muskegon City of Muskegon Heights Muskegon County Office of the Public Defender Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office Fresh Start Chartwells UHaul Pioneer Resources First Tee of West Michigan Kitchen 242 Michigan Department of Education Department of Justice Muskegon Museum of Art AmeriCorps BGCA Baker Rotaract Club

2016 INDIVIDUAL DONORS BEACON $2,500+ Per Year Ted & Francine Anton George & Lori Cannon Deborah Devoursney Jon & Kerstin Felske Spencer Hines Bob & Merle Scolnik Arthur & Janie Scott Robert D. & C. Corcoran Tuttle Fund of the CFFMC

A tremendous THANKS to our many supporters in 2016! If we have inadvertently omitted your name from our lists, please let us know.

FRIEND $600-$1,199 Per Year

SUPPORT BETTER LIVES $250-$599

OTHER Below $1,200

Pamela Babbitt

Cynthia Ackerman

Sheryl Kuznar

Rebecca & Bradley Billinghurst

James & Sandra Anton

Dr. & Mrs. John LeClaire

Robert & Arlana Fischer

Devere & Vanessa Bendixen

Sarah Leybourne

Martha Janssen Janssen Family Fund of the CFHZ

Mary Berghuis

Dennis and Shari Luce

Saundra Blanchard Saundra Blanchard, MD

Calvin Joseph and Cynthia Mahan

Jennifer Locke Timothy & Marian Michalski

David and Barbara Bloomfield Family Fund of the CFFMC

Katrina & Bruce Olson Michael

Char Boertman

BELIEVER $1,200-$2,499 Per Year

K & Kay M Olthoff Mary L Price Fund of the CFFMC

Kandace Boysen

Tom & Elizabeth Tuttle

Toni Rose

F.L. & C.J. Wenell

Lupe Alviar, Jr.

Daniel Terry Kathleen Tyler

Anton Family Fund of the CFFMC

John & Kathleen Workman

Drew & Julie Boersma

Michael & Marti Youngdahl

Judith A. Hayner

Chandler & Lorene Puthoff

Gary T. Neal & Chris McGuigan Debbie & Steve Olsen John & Mary Swanson

Brenda and Shawn Buckner Paige Cornetet Orville & Susan Crain Earl & Shirley Crow Dakota and Annah Crow Lisa George Deborah Hayek DJ and Tricia Hilson Kenneth and Maria Ladas Hoopes Vivian Keene Laura Kelsey

Jenny McNeill Irving Nesson Allen and Charlotte Pearson Ted and Louise Price Fund of the CFFMC

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249 Geoff & Melanie Alm Gerri & Mark Burye Robert Chapla Veronica Cloetingh Jeb Colaner William Cooper Blake and Janet Crow Roland Crummel Erin Dabrowski

Edward & Patricia Schroeder

Christopher Dean

F. Remington Sprague

Esther Edwards

Robert Strauss

Mark Eisenbarth

C. Dan and Francis Theilbar

Brianne Elliston

Monica Verplank

Marve and Nancy Engle

Joel Vogelzang

Kathy Fearnley

Paul Voss

Carla Flanders

John and Phyllis Wahlberg James & Nancy Waters Alena Zachery-Ross and Quinton Ross

Fred and Char Franczek Fund of the CFFMC Robert & Jill Garrison Rhonda Geneva

Matt Kolkema

2016 Annual Report 11

2016 INDIVIDUAL DONORS CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

Teri Gust

Susan and Mark Langlois

Joseph and Judith Rahrig

John Halpin

Cindy Larsen

James and Paula Rice

Gary & Anita Hasper

William Loxterman

Zabrina Santiago

Amy Heisser Timothy and Nancy Hicks Carla Hill Roger Hoffman Mark Hoofman Richard Jr and Holly Hughes Janet and Paul Hunter Stuart and Helen Jones Donald & Angelica Kalisz Barbara Kammeraad Kurt and Jenny Kammeraad Judith Kell Jack Kennedy Diane Krasnewich Paul & Patricia Ladas Kenneth Lahey Charles Langeland

12 2016 Annual Report

Rose Madl Cindy Mazurek Nora McKee Marilyn Meinhardi Doug and Tressa Melching Christopher & Jennifer Michaels

Dave Sipka Vance and Deb Smith Brenda Sprader Donald and Dolores Swanson Bryce & Martha Tallant Jack and Julie Timmer

Michael Morea

Thomas & Elizabeth Tuttle

Robert Morse

Marlene Van Wingerden

Donald Munski Lucia and Thomas Nalley Gary Nelund Linda & Frederick Nicles Geoffrey Nolan Patrick Nolan Henry Perri Gary Post C. Bruce and Shirley Privacky

Michelle and James Vanderkolk Jennifer and Paul VanderWall Greg and Wendy VanWoerkom Patricia Werly Warren Wickland Jane Witt Jane Wright John & Judith Zarimba

A tremendous THANKS to our many supporters in 2016! If we have inadvertently omitted your name from our lists, please let us know.

ADVOCATE Below $120

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

Bonnie Adamczak

Esther Block

Debi and John (II) Bultema

Philip Adams

Jon and Jane Blyth

Jeff and Pam Alexander

Kim and Eric Bourdo

Brian and Mary B. Rigo Burdo

Gary and Suzanne Allore

Brenda Bouwman

Roger and Marilyn Andersen

Brenda Bozik

Harvey and Mary Anderson

Kathryn and Douglas Brehm

Susan Anderson

Diane Brickley

Steve and Rhonda Antekeier

Deb Bringedahl

Irene Baker

Roger and Barbara Jo Brink

Ronald and Sherri Balaskovitz Gayle Bristah

Joseph and Angela Bush Carol Butzer Maureen Campbell Suzanne Carl Jim and Margaret Cavender George & Deborah Chmelar Robert Christie Dr. Christie Ruth Clark

Kevin and Patricia Baldus

J. Walter and Lana Jean Brock

Fredric and Marilyn Balgooyen

Vicki Broge

Donald and Nancy Crandall

Michael and Sharon Banka

Marilyn Brooks

Diane Cunningham

Douglas Bard

Richard & Elaine Brothers

Jeanne Cutler

Mary Martha Barnett

Ronald and Nan Bruskotter

G.L. Bates

Dana and Claudia Bryant

Todd and Jennifer Czarnopys

Karla Bates

Michelle Buchanan

Sheryl Becker

Michele and Daniel Buckley

Frank and Susan Bednarek

Kay Ann and Robert Buckmaster

Nancy Bierenga

Shirley Buikema

Judith Cohen

Lowell and Ellen Dana Elizabeth Danigelis Tammy L. Bates Davison Kurt Deford Daniel and Mary Deitz

2016 INDIVIDUAL DONORS ADVOCATE Below $120 Molly and Robert, JR DeLong Beverly Demarr Robert and Olga DeVoursney Julia Donahue Marietta Driscoll Clara Egeler Peggy and Craig Elliott Daniel and Rose Emmons Ann Erler William & Mary Lou Eyke Marian Fagan James & Jaqueline Fisher Lenore Fonstein Marilyn Forton Robert & Ruth Fountain Merita Fowler Bridget and Dale Fox Cheryl Fox Julie Franczek L.M. Frey Robert Fritsche

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

Charles and Mary Fritz

Daniel and Kelly Harris

William and Ann Funk

David and Janet Harris

William & Marcia Garrigan

Marjorie Harrison

Evelyn Geile

Jenny Hart Locke

James and Susan Geisler

Sandra and Theodore Haveman

John and Martha Gerencer Beverly Geyer Janet Giberson Molly Gillhespy James & Jeanette Goorman Judith Gould

Linda Hawes Mary Hegedus Thomas Heimler Michael and Mary Hendon Larry & Roxanna Herder

James Graves

Barbara and John Hermanson

Shirley Green

Timothy Hichue

Ruth Grinbergs

Brad & Janice Hilleary

Kenneth and Kelly Griswold Robert and Eileen Grunstra Ladon Gustafson Susan and Gerald Hagans Harold and Shelly Beth Hall Kimberly Hammond Clara & Robert Harrell

Roberda Hilleary W. Richard Jr and Brenda Sue Hilt Lari Hines Susan Holkeboer Robert and Kathy Hoogstra Jane and Daniel Horton

A tremendous THANKS to our many supporters in 2016! If we have inadvertently omitted your name from our lists, please let us know.

OTHER Below $120

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

Marcia Hovey-Wright

Donald and Sharon Jones

Robert and Pamela Lascko

Anna Hunt

Linda Kaare

Laura Lauinger

Ellen Hurley

Dick, M.D. and Lynn Kamps

Frank and Judith LeCompte

Brian Inglat

Thomas and Debra Kane

Joe Legros

Paul and Karen Jackson

Philip Kelly

Dacia LeRoux

Stephen & Debra Jackson

Donald and Heather Kettler

Shane and Jessica LeRoux

Robert and Janet Jacobs

Paul and Gina Kittle

Timothy Lipan

Donna Jacobsen

Kathleen & Ingram Kleaveland

Holly Lookabaugh-Deur

Michael and Joan Jados S.P. Jaekel Joel and Kathleen Jarvis Mark and Lynn Jazdzyk Carol and David Johnson Charlotte Pleiness Johnson Daryl Johnson James and Joanne Johnson Nancy Reagh Johnson

Barbara Klingenmaier Julia Marie Koch Timothy and Lynn Koeppe Wayne D. & Nancy A. Kohley Jill Koster Nick and Susan Kroes Ann M. Kufta Robert and Denise Kwiecien Janet & Joseph Labiak

Patricia Gasiciel and Wayne Johnson

A. Scott and Donna Lachniet

Natalie A. Johnson

Robert Lake

Tom and Pat Johnson

Lois Lange

Annmarie Loy Marianne Lucas Dennis and Virginia Lyons Mike & Sally Mack Stephen and Carolyn Madden Gregory and Barbara Marczak Andrea Masvero Dan and Jackie Matusiewicz Cynthia and James Maurer Renee and Berton May Nancy McCarthy Shirley McIntire

2016 Annual Report 13

2016 INDIVIDUAL DONORS

A tremendous THANKS to our many supporters in 2016! If we have inadvertently omitted your name from our lists, please let us know.

ADVOCATE Below $120

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

OTHER Below $120

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFER MUSKEGON $120-249

Judith McIntyre

Martha Olovson

Charlene Richrdson

Jack and Laura Schultz

Christopher and Jamie Sowa

Vadeene Titus

Ronald and Marilyn White

Bonnie Meengs

Garry and Charlotte Olson

Linda Riehl

Greg & Jane Scott

Margaret Spyker

Donald and Jane Tjarksen

Gloria White-Gardner

Eric and Stacy Mellema

Kenneth and Merilee Otto

Pamela Riley-Barbier

Peggy and David Scouten

Alan Steinman

Tom & Donna Whitehead

Gary and Wendy Merkey

Christine Panyard

Christine Robere

Debra and Grant Sechen

Theodore and Judith Stojak

Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Trzaska

Linda and Charles Meyers

Cindy Parker

Eric and Kathy Rodewald

Darek and Kimberly Senkow

Patti Stone

Roger & Jane Missimer

Gloria-Jean Pataky

William and Patricia Roof

Dr. Eric and Jill Sesselmann

Thomas and Nancy Stone

Linda Mixter

Julie Patterson

Anita Rosenberg

George and Dorothy Strabel

Kantor Morton

Gregory and Terri Sesselmann

Susan Pavlik

Zachary Rowley

Nancy & Richard Peters

Thomas & LuAnn Ruthkoski

Eric and Marisa Peterson

Sheila and Joseph Salisz

Denis and Barbara Potuznik

Jill Sanders

Mary Price

Michael & Catherine Saunders

Alissa and Patrick Mullally John Mullally Anne Munford Janee' Musselman Eilene Nelson David and Julie Neuhaus Jon and Miguelle Newman Linda Norden Barbara Novak-Banta Mark and Jennie Nowak Mary Beth Nowak Mary Oakes Janet Obenauf

14 2016 Annual Report

Joan Sherburn James and Nancy Sheridan Shirley Shlaffer

Kimberly Stuk Kimberly Suarez Timothy and Nancy Susterich Bradley and Korinne Swain

Harrison and Charlynne Sikkenga

Donald and Leanne Swick

John and Sylvia Skallerup

John & Felicia Swirczek

Linda Slade

John and Susan Sytsema

Darlene Smith

Yvonne Szot Sally Tardani

Leora Schillaci

Patrick and Diane Szewczyk Smith

Joan Louise Schmitt

Carolyn Smith-Gerdes Meriden Smucker

Nancy Reschke

Robert and Marcia Schneeberger

David and Norma Reynolds

Joel and Ashley Schnotala

Gary and Elaine Reynolds

Julie and Jack Schugars

Aaron Pulsifer John and Annette Ramirez Judith and Norman Rathbun Julie Raynor Douglas and Jill Recker Faye Redmond

Jane Savidge Meredith & Susan Sawyer Gwendolyn Scheerer

Cheryl Snow Annoesjka Solder

Janet Thomas Joanne Thomas Carol Thompson Sandra and Bruce Thornberg Judith Tierney

Mary Tyler Christopher and Kelly Ufnal Andrew and Kassandra Usik

Katharine Wierengo Melissa Wikman Judith and Richard Wilcox

David & Louanne Utzinger

Frank Craig & Barbara J Wilkander

Dale and Barbara Valentine

Rillastine Wilkins

Michele Vanderlinde

Marguerite & Kenneth Winter

C Dennis and Carole VanderStelt

Richard and Marilyn Witham

William and June Vandonkelaar

Thomas & Deborah Witmer Cynthia and Joseph Wolff

David and Mary Vansolkema Maryann and William Wolffis James and Joy Verboncouer Susan Harrison Wolffis Connie Verhagen

Norma York-Bremer

David and Nancy Vermerris

Bradley & Cynthia Young

Kathryn Walson

Diane and James Zechlinski

Bonnie Webster

Linda Zolman

Nancy Wells Gerald and Roxie Zehnder Westgate

0% 0%

89% 89%

87% 87%

90% 89%

89%

52%

51%

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CLUB EXPERIENCE 90%

87%

87%

66%

57% 66% 66%

The central principle of our Formula for Impact theory of change continues to be supported by analysis of data from NYOI: By providing a highquality Club Experience, Boys & Girls Clubs increase their positive impact on young people.

57% 57% BGCA partnered with the Search Institute in

2004-05 on a comprehensive study that aimed to identify core Club practices that are instrumental to fostering high-quality youth development. The research yielded 62 strategies and hundreds of practices. These were ultimately synthesized into Five Key Elements for Positive Youth Development and became central to our federation’s theory of change and approach.

40%

39%

A regression framework was used to determine the effects of Club Experience on various outcomes, while controlling for member characteristics. Club members who rated their Club Experience highly were compared to Club members who did not rate their Club Experience as highly. Among regularly attending Club members, defined as those who attended the Club on average once per week or more in the past six to 12 months, some key statistically significant findings follow.

45%

44%

Older Teens (16 and Older) with an Optimal Club Experience Are:

43% 52% 52%

42% 51% 51%

more likely to volunteer on a monthly basis

41%

57%

45% 45%

35% 44% 44%

34% 43% 43%

33% 42% 42%

32% 41% 41%

less likely to get into a physical fight

66% 57%

31%

21% 39%

0% 0%

30% 28% 27% 39% Over time, BGCA developed NYOI member survey 39%

26% 35% 35%

25% 34% 34%

24% 33% 33%

23% 32% 32% 40%

22% 31% 40% 31% 39%

more likely to be on track to graduate from high school

0% 0%

20%

16% 25% 25%

24% 24%

23% 23%

13% 22% 22% 30%

21% 30% 21%

11% less likely to ever28% skip school 27% 28% 27% 26%

0% 0%

An Optimal18% Club Experience 19% 17% Drives 16% Positive Outcomes Members 16% 19% 18% for17%

5%

13% 13%

20%

11% 20% 11% 19%

questions that are designed to capture members’ perceptions of the Club Experience. The questions relate to the Five Key Elements of Positive Youth Development. BGCA scores the responses to these questions to identify how many members are having an optimal Club Experience and how many are not.

19% 28% 28%

18% 27% 27%

17% 26% 26%

BGCA has examined the relationship between members’ Club Experience and the outcomes they achieve. The latest findings highlight the importance of two components of the Formula for Impact: the Five Key Elements for Positive Youth Development and regular attendance.

19% 18%

18% 17%

more likely to expect to attend college

17% 16%

5% 5% 2016 Annual Report 15

57% 66% 57%

52% 51% Youth (Ages 9 to 12) with an Optimal Club 40% 39% Experience Are:

Younger Teens (13 to 15) with an Optimal Club Experience Are:

42%

more likely to volunteer on a monthly basis

41%

likely to smoke 31% 40%40% 39%39%less marijuana 42%

30% 34% 42% 41%

21%28%

less likely to consume alcohol

45%

41%

27% 26% 31% 34%

35% 34%34% 42% 41% 25%

17% 16%16% 20%20% 19%19%less likely18% to get into 21% 31% a physical fight 21% 16%

more likely to be physically active five or more days per week

16 2016 Annual Report

44%

24% 31% 21%

5%

more likely to believe that school 43% 42%30%42% 41% 41% work is meaningful 28% 27%

33%

more likely to be on track to 32%20% 31% 31%19% 17% 18% graduate high school

23%

22% 21%21%

13%

11%

2

1

How BGCML Applies Our Youth Development Principles The Five Key Elements for Positive Youth Development are crucial to an optimal Club Experience.

When Clubs create an optimal Club Experience, they:

Provide a safe, positive environment The Club sets clear boundaries and rules that provide structure for activities, define acceptable behaviors and consequences for inappropriate behavior, and are well understood and consistently reinforced by staff. Members feel physically safe from harm because the Club is a safe haven that minimizes risk and proactively addresses internal and external threats. Members also experience an inclusive place that is free of judgment and bullying. Youth learn to be empathetic and caring because the adults in the Club consistently model these traits. Members thus feel emotionally safe.

Provide access to fun and a sense of belonging Clubs offer programs, activities and experiences that are engaging, build community and promote collaboration. Members have fun for the sake of having fun, because they are kids. Fun is a means of breaking down boundaries and building trust. Fun and play are vehicles for learning. Fun is essential to youth development work.

Members experience a family-like environment, a home away from home, a community that is grounded in a shared identity and the common goals of succeeding and giving back.

Thus, members develop a sense of belonging.

Provide access to supportive relationships Staff members proactively cultivate and maintain personal relationships to ensure that every young person feels connected to one or more adult staff and forges friendships with peers. Staff members demonstrate warmth, encouragement, caring, appreciation, acceptance and proper guidance in their ongoing interactions with Club youth. Members learn how to build healthy relationships with adults and peers based on trust and mutual respect.

Members thus experience adult support.

Provide meaningful opportunities and expectations Club staff expect members to develop a strong moral compass, have concern and empathy for others, delay gratification, try new experiences, and pursue personal goals. Staff members consistently communicate and reinforce their belief in young people’s potential and character.

Staff also provide young people with opportunities to reflect and learn when they show a lapse in judgment.

Club members in turn learn to be accountable to themselves and others.

Members thus experience high expectations.

Provide formal and informal recognition Staff acknowledge young people’s innate strengths and talents.

Through authentic gestures and words of praise, staff positively reinforce members’ efforts and persistence and celebrate their progress and successes. Staff commend members’ good decisions and choices.

Clubs showcase members’ achievements on Club walls and bulletin boards or during assemblies and special events. Members thus experience validation and recognition.

2016 Annual Report 17

How the Club Experience and Its Components Predict Positive Youth Outcomes Staff Expectations

Physical Safety

Emotional Safety

Sense of Belonging

On track to graduate high school Did not skip school

Fun

Overall Club Experience

This chart highlights the relationship between specific Club Experience components and outcomes for members of various ages. These insights should prove particularly useful to Club professionals who wish to target their efforts to improve program quality. Key findings are:  The Club Experience component that has the most predictive power is physical safety.

It matters for all of the age groups and for multiple youth outcomes.

Expect to attend college

 The optimal Club Experience predicts the most positive outcomes for teens and younger teens.

Concern for community Volunteered off site*

 These findings about the importance of the Club Experience apply to members regardless of their gender, ethnicity/race and family income.

Did not physically fight*

 Each component of the Club Experience is predictive of at least three youth outcomes. All components of the Club Experience matter.

Days physically active Did not consume alcohol* Did not use marijuana*

Youth (Ages 9-12)

Younger Teens (Ages 13-15)

Older Teens (Ages 16 and Older) * These outcomes were only measured for teens age 13 and older.

18 2016 Annual Report

Certain staff practices lead to an optimal Club Experience; in turn, an optimal Club Experience plus more frequent attendance lead to positive member outcomes.

An Optimal Club Experience and High Engagement Lead to Deeper Impact Members who have an optimal Club Experience and high engagement, meaning that they attend the Club two or more days per week, achieve better outcomes than other members who do not meet these two criteria. This holds true across all three of BGC priority outcome areas. For example, 43 percent of members who attend often and have an optimal Club Experience indicate they cope with challenges well, while only 26 percent of all other members indicate they can do so.

The key take-away from BGCA’s ongoing study of the Club Experience: Certain staff practices lead to an optimal Club Experience; in turn, an optimal Club Experience plus more frequent attendance lead to positive member outcomes.

In 2016, BGCA disseminated its Club Experience findings to local Boys & Girls Club professionals through many inperson and webinar training events. BGCA also provided all Club organizations with a research to-practice brief, What Works for Building a Great Club Experience.

The brief compiles many replicable strategies and tactics from Clubs that use the staff practices that have emerged as important for building an optimal Club Experience. BGCML professionals and volunteers have accessed the brief, benefiting from its findings.

BGCA continues to provide training, consultation and resources to enable BGCML to create the bestpossible, high-quality Club Experience for the young people of Muskegon. As our research efforts continue, BGCA will use the data to identify more high-performing Clubs and collect and share additional promising practices that BGCML could replicate.

Moving forward, BGCA is consulting with the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality to build a continuous quality improvement framework for local Clubs. This work is essential in order to foster cultures of learning that use data to inform decision-making, align professional development experiences to promote research based youth development practices, and drive high-quality programming for our Muskegon Youth Members.

2016 Annual Report 19

CLUB MEMBERS ACHIEVE POSITIVE OUTCOMES Developing Globally Competitive Graduates

Just as regular attendance is necessary for members to achieve the maximum benefit of their Club Experience, young people must regularly and consistently attend school to progress toward high school graduation and achieve academic success. While the national graduation rate reached a record 83 percent during the 20142015 school year and achievement gaps are

slowly closing over time, academic outcomes continue to be significantly lower for young people of color or who come from low-income families.

These demographic discrepancies also appear in school attendance records, with youth of color and youth who are from low-income families attending school less frequently than their same age peers.

Percentage of BGCML Members Who Are on Track to Graduate Decreases with Age, Yet Their Expectations to Graduate Increase Ages 10 to 12

89% 88% 88%

Ages 13 to 15

On Track

20 2016 Annual Report

Expectations to Graduate

100%

SCIE

NCE

TECH

NOL

OGY

ENG

INEE

RING

MATH

EMA TICS

Sc Te En Ma Acknowledging the critical relationship between school behaviors and academic success, BGCA uses a composite indicator made up of several other NYOI education-related indicators to better understand the extent to which Club members are on track to achieve high-school graduation within four years. Members are considered to be on track to graduate on time when they: 1) progress to the next grade level in school within at least a year of the expected timing, 2) report grades of mostly As and Bs, 3) do not skip school, and 4) expect to graduate high school.

Mentoring programs can help address this disconnect between behaviors and expectations, as young people who have a positive relationship with a supportive non-parental adult are more likely to build the skills and confidence they need to achieve their goals. BGCML Power Hour program, offered at our Nelson Site After School is designed to support members’ on-track-tograduate behaviors. Club staff like Ms. Jamaesha & Ms. Kristina, alongside volunteers provide members with individual and small-group homework support, tutoring and high-yield learning activities, encouraging them to become selfdirected learners. Power Hour provides explicit activities that are closely aligned with the schools of our members and therefore designed to improve academic outcomes and graduation rates.

Engaging Club Members in STEM

In addition to basic academic skills and performance, BGCML recognizes that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education is critical to the future success of America’s young people. Between 2014 and 2024, the number of STEM jobs, such as computing, engineering and advanced manufacturing, is projected to grow 17 percent, as compared to a 12percent growth rate for non-STEM jobs. Despite incredible local efforts in Muskegon County too few elementary, middle- and high-school students are interested in and adequately prepared for STEM subjects. This is especially true for youth of color and girls.

Youth are not coming to these spaces to rehash school. The OST space can complement or supplement school, but it cannot be ‘School 2.0.’ We must ensure that OST learning environments are spaces to inspire and engage youth.

Youth don’t fail in creating. At the end of the day, we are inspiring and engaging youth to create something beautiful from their minds. When youth leave the OST space, they were able to communicate, collaborate and think critically through a process of creating. When we put this all together, that’s how we get innovation that we know is needed.

In an effort to continue closing the opportunity gap in STEM, BGCML provides Clubs and members with access to programs, activities and resources to build STEM knowledge and interest in STEM careers. BGCA's updated My.Future platform allows our Clubs online access to up-to-date technology education program materials and implementation tips. For younger learners, DIY STEM is an engaging, hands-on, activity-based program that connects youth to scientific theories and principles they encounter in everyday life.

It focuses on topics such as energy and electricity, engineering design, food chemistry, aeronautics, robotics and sports science. In addition, we have partnered with Arconic, House Foundation, Boys Scouts, 4-H Tech Wizards and Muskegon Area Career Tech Center to expand our youth’s exposure to STEM.

2016 Annual Report 21

12th-grade Club members are almost twice as likely to be interested in a STEM career as 12th graders nationally.

Club Members in the 2016 Graduating Class Across the Nation Show More Interest in STEM Careers Than Their Peers Nationally, Especially Among Girls Boys

Girls

57% 50% Club Members

22 2016 Annual Report

44% 16% Peers Nationally

100% 89%90%

90%

89%

87%

89% 87%

87%

Preparing Members for College and Careers Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation work to ensure that members leave the Club with a plan for the future. Clubs strive not only to help young people succeed in high school, but also to equip them with the tools and knowledge to be college and career ready. By spring 2016, 69 percent of the 1,200 12th graders who attended Clubs across the nation at least once per week had already applied to a postsecondary school, with most reporting that they applied to more than one type of school. More specifically, 78 percent of these 12th graders applied to a four-year college or university, 60 percent applied to a two-year college, and 30 percent applied to a vocational or trade school. This data shows that the majority of older members seek a variety of postsecondary education opportunities.

66%

87% 66%52%

51% 57% 66%

42% 57%

41%

52%45% 51%44% 66% 57%43%

45% 52%44% 51%43% 52%

Keystone Club Teens’ Career Aspirations

52%

51%

42% 51%

41%

The NYOI data shows that 31 percent of 12th graders across the nation are not immediately pursuing additional education after high school graduation, meaning there is likely a great need for and interest in building workforce development skills. BGCML programs such as CareerLaunch and Money Matters help address these needs, providing members with opportunities to assess their skills and interests and explore careers, as well as learn financial literacy skills that will be critical for their personal and professional success. BGCML continues to actively pursue local business partners, such as ADAC Automotive, Arconic, Eagle Alloy and SAF Holland, and educational institutions to expose our youth to various career opportunities in Western Michigan.

a 2016 survey of Club teens across the nation who participate in the Keystone Club 42%35%Inleadership 41% 34% 33% indicated 32% 31% 44%45% 43% 45% 42%34% 39% program, respondents their top career interests.

57%40% 52%35% 44% 51% 43% 41%33% 42%

32% 41%

31%

32%25% 24% 39% 40% 31%30% 39%

Entertainment/Arts 21% 43% 23% 45%28% 22% 44% 35%27% 34% 33%25% 32%24% 26% 35% 42% 34% 41% 33% 31%23% 32%

22% 31%

21%

Business/Corporate 21% 22%30% 28% 13% 11% 33% Service/Government 27%19% 26%18% 24% 23%24% 22% 16% 32% 20% Public 13% 35% 34%17% 31%23% 21% 28% 27% 25% 26% 25% 22%

21%

11%

Medicine/Healthcare

Encouraging teen participation in leadership development programs, such as Keystone Club for teens 14 and older, can also support the 21st century skills necessary for workforce readiness.

Marketing/Communications/ 11%19% STEM 5% 18% 19%20% 17%18% 25% 16%17% 24%16% 23% 13%5% 21%13% 11% 26% 28% 27% 22% Media

18%

17%

16%

5%

13%5%

11%

11%

2016 Annual Report 23

In 2016, BGCA administered a special survey to Club teens who participate in the Keystone Club program. Of the more than 1,200 Keystone Club members who completed the survey, just over half reported having strong job search (63 percent), written communication (58 percent) and public speaking (51 percent) skills. While this is positive, it may also indicate a need for additional opportunities to help Club teens build the soft skills that have been identified as critical for workplace success, such as interpersonal, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Developing 21st Century Leaders As declared in BGCML's mission statement, we are committed to developing productive, caring and responsible citizens. Young people who

regularly engage in community service are more likely to achieve optimal social, emotional, health, academic and career outcomes throughout their lives. More specifically, as a result of participating in service-learning opportunities, youth are more likely to build positive relationships and work collaboratively with others from diverse backgrounds, apply the knowledge and skills they gain to improve their school performance, and increase their involvement in activities that shape community and society.

Club Teens Volunteer More Than Teens Nationally, and More Serve as They Get Older

68%

12th Grade

57%

10th Grade

49%

8th Grade

Teen Club Members 24 2016 Annual Report

Teens Nationally

39% 34% 27%

BGCML Club Members Show Concern for Others and Their Community Feel they have a civic responsibility to care for others

88%

Feel they have a civic responsibility to care for the community

88% 2016 Annual Report 25

BGCA teens are almost twice as likely to volunteer at least monthly than their peers nationally.

In 2016, almost 21,000 Club teens reported their levels of volunteering over the past year.

The data show that 74 percent of regularly attending teen members volunteered in the community at least once in the previous 12 months, with 51 percent volunteering on a monthly or weekly basis.

These findings are especially encouraging when we compare Club teens to teens nationally.

Child Trends periodically analyzes data from the University of Michigan’s annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey and reports national trends in adolescent volunteering. As shown in the chart on page 16, both NYOI and 2014 MTF data demonstrate that the rate of teens volunteering at least once a month increases with age. This trend makes sense given the inclusion of volunteering and community service requirements for high school graduation.

More importantly, the data show that regularly attending Club members in eighth, 10th and 12th grades have significantly higher volunteering rates than their same-grade peers in the general population. Club teens are almost twice as likely to volunteer at least monthly than their peers nationally.

To deepen our understanding of Club members’ attitudes related to good character and citizenship, the NYOI member survey also examines members’ concern for others and communities. Almost 45,000 regularly attending Club members responded to these questions in 2016. The results show that 92 percent try to

26 2016 Annual Report

help when they see people in need, 91 percent want to help when they see someone having a problem, and 84 percent believe they can make a difference in their community.

The NYOI survey also asks Club members about different leadership behaviors.

Some 81,000 regularly attending members responded to these questions in 2016. Similar to previous years, a strong majority (90 percent) of members reported that they can stand up for what they think is right, even if their friends disagree. In addition to this, 91 percent reported that once they know what needs to get done, they are good at planning how to do it, and 90 percent said that when they are the leader of a group, they make sure everyone feels important.

These results speak to the benefit of Clubs’ fundamental youth development work, as well as specific programs such as Torch Club, for youth ages 11 to 13, and Keystone Club, for teens age 14 and older. Both of these long-standing small-group programs provide Club members with the consistent guidance of adult advisors and age-appropriate activities to develop critical character and leadership skills. More importantly, both programs focus on integrating service and leadership development into academic plans, career exploration, and health and wellness activities to promote members’ overall success. Members of Keystone Clubs have the opportunity to work toward attending an annual National Keystone Conference.

In a 2016 special survey of Club teens who participate in the Keystone Club program, 78 percent of teens who attended that spring’s national conference reported that participating in the program and attending the conference helped them to develop new leadership skills.

The demands for strong character and leadership skills are increasing in our classrooms and workplaces. Being able to think critically, communicate effectively and collaborate well are necessary skills for young people to navigate the challenges of adolescence and adulthood successfully. In response to the growing need for 21st century

leaders, BGCA has expanded the Youth of the Year program into a comprehensive leadership development program for Club youth ages 6 to 18. Since 1947, Youth of the Year has recognized the extraordinary achievements of our most inspiring Club teens. The new program suite now includes Youth of the Month/Year and Junior Youth of the Year tools and materials for providing year-round, developmentally appropriate activities for all Club members. The new program will expose Club youth to life-changing opportunities and help them build leadership skills that support their academic, career and life goals.

Developing a Healthier Generation More than a third of all young people in the United States are overweight or obese. The overall rate of obesity among school-aged children (17 percent) has remained largely unchanged for more than a decade. The Physical Activity Guidelines

Keystone Club Participants Believe They Have Strong Character and Leadership Skills

83%

Get Along with Others Leadership Ability

79%

Teamwork

79%

See Others’ Perspectives

74% 2016 Annual Report 27

for Americans, adopted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend that youth participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day. Yet, most studies of physical activity among youth show that that they fall short of this recommendation, and girls are even more likely to fall short than boys.

In fact, research indicates that less than 23 percent of girls ages 12 to 15 are meeting that recommendation. In their high school years, fewer girls participate in daily physical activity as they age, so that by 12th grade, only about one in seven girls is participating in the recommended amount of physical activity.

With young people losing opportunities for physical education and recess in their schools, Boys & Girls Clubs provide a safe space to play and take part in team sports. Clubs offer fun, creative ways for youth of all skill and fitness levels to get moving.

BGCA’s 2016 NYOI survey data for regularly attending Club girls ages 12 to 15 shows that 31 percent of them take part in moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, compared with 23 percent of their female peers nationally.

Additionally, more Club girls engage in daily physical activity than do their male peers nationally (27 percent).

BGCA’s NYOI data reflects the trend seen in national data regarding the decline in girls’ regular physical activity as they age. Yet when we look at the most recent data available, we see some

28 2016 Annual Report

interesting differences between high-school-age girls who attend the Club regularly and their peers nationally.

Club girls in ninth grade report engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity on 3.9 days per week on average, compared to an average of 3.7 days for their peers nationally. In the 12th grade, Club girls are physically active an average of 3.6 days per week, compared to an average of 3.1 days for their peers nationally. Simply put, by the 12th grade, Club girls continue to engage in nearly as much physical activity as their ninth grade peers nationally.

In 2016, BGCML worked with partners like Michigan Health Endowment Fund, the Health Project, Kitchen 242, Michigan Department of Education, City of Muskegon & Planet Fitness to increase physical activity and nutrition education for members and their families and provide healthy meals. BGCML, along with 641 Clubs have adopted Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards, benefiting more than 83,000 youth ages 6 to 18 across the nation.

BGCML’s flagship health and wellness program, Triple Play, is being built upon to adopt the latest evidence informed practices to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, build youth capacity in healthy food education and support members’ social and emotional resilience. Also in 2017, BGCML will increase relationships with federal feeding programs to secure additional resources with which to serve more healthy meals and snacks.

BGCML will offer new family engagement programs and resources to enable whole families, not just youth, to improve their overall health and wellness.

By 12th grade, Club members’ rate of abstention from alcohol is 26 percentage points higher than that of their peers nationally.

More BGCML Adolescents Get Daily Physical Activity Than Youth Nationally BGCML girls more likely to exercise daily than girls nationally

44%

BGCML Boys

33%

BGCML Girls

27%

Boys Nationally

23%

Girls Nationally 0%

50%

4.9 DAYS

3.4 DAYS

BGCML

Girls Exercise More Than Girls Nationally (Days Per Week) BGML Girls

Girls Nationally

2016 Annual Report 29

Avoiding Health-Risk Behaviors The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS) is a national survey administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The YRBS monitors health-risk behaviors among youth and young adults. The survey is administered every two years to students in ninth through 12th grades in their school classrooms.

In the NYOI member survey, BGCA uses some questions from the YRBS in order to compare Club members’ survey results with those of youth nationally. In this report, we use 2015 YRBS data, the most current available from the CDC. Since the inception of BGCA’s NYOI survey, Club members in ninth through 12th grades have reported doing better than the YRBS national average on key health-risk behavior measures, including abstention from alcohol, marijuana and cigarette use. The pattern holds when we compare our 2016 data for our high-school-age Club members to the 2015 YRBS national averages.

In our current analysis, BGCA compared regularly attending Club members and youth nationally by grade level. Across almost all

30 2016 Annual Report

health-risk behavior indicators, with each successive grade, the gap between Club members’ abstention rates and those of YRBS respondents widened. In other words, teens who stay connected to the Club as they get older seem better able to resist engaging in high-risk behaviors than do their counterparts nationally.

To illustrate, the chart on the following page compares Club highschool-age respondents in the 2016 NYOI survey to respondents in the CDC’s 2015 national YRBS by grade level on abstention from drinking alcohol in the 30 days prior to taking the survey.

The decreasing percentages in the chart suggest that as high school youth get older, they are more likely to drink alcohol.

But the decrease in abstention rates is much smaller for Club members. So much so in fact, that the difference between Club members and youth nationally widens with each successive grade, and by 12th grade there is a 26-percentage-point difference between the two groups.

BGCML Teens Are More Likely to Abstain from Alcohol Use Than Teens Nationally

BGCML Teens Are More Likely to Abstain from Marijuana Use Than Teens Nationally

The difference is larger for older teens

The difference is larger for older teens

BGCML Members

YRBS Youth

88%

88%

BGCML Members

100%

YRBS Youth

85%

100%

80%

77

%

71% 9th Grade

10th Grade

For several years, we have observed this pattern of larger gaps in abstention rates for our oldest Club members and youth nationally for almost all of the health-risk behavior indicators included in the NYOI and YRBS surveys. Other external and BGCA research has found that participation in quality after-school programing leads to less involvement in health-risk behaviors, among other positive outcomes. Our NYOI data suggests that members who stay involved with their Boys & Girls Clubs throughout their teen years are reaping some of those benefits.

9th Grade

10th Grade

For this reason, BGCML continues its press to increase teen Club membership to 400 teens by 2018. In 2017, we will remain focused on our Year of the Teen strategy. The priorities include building Teen Club capacity, developing more teen programs, increasing teen outreach, and boosting marketing and advocacy across Muskegon County. The 2017 theme will be Year of the Teen Voice, with the goals of giving youth more influence over Club teen programming to improve quality, thus serving more teens and deepening their engagement.

2016 Annual Report 31

KEY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Summer Brain Gain The phenomenon called the “Summer Learning Loss,” the detrimental effect of the summer months on children’s learning, particularly among underserved youth, is well documented and well understood as a result of two decades of research.

Because of inequities in access to summer learning opportunities, low-income youth are less likely to graduate high school and enter college.

BGCML’s Summer Brain Gain program is designed to promote and sustain learning in Club members of all ages during the summer months. During the Summer of 2016 BGCML, in partnership with the City of Muskegon and Muskegon Public Schools offered Summer Brain Gain to hundreds of youth across Muskegon County.

In 2015, Metis Associates conducted a randomized control trial of Summer Brain Gain’s modules for elementary school youth with the intent to measure program effectiveness and impact. Such studies compare outcomes from control and treatment groups in an attempt to show a cause-and-effect relationship between a program and its outcomes, and are critical for establishing an evidence base for a program’s effectiveness. The study found:

32 2016 Annual Report

 Overall, Summer Brain Gain participants experienced no significant losses in early literacy, math or reading. This is encouraging, because research indicates that most youth lose about two months of grade-level equivalent in math skills over the summer months, and low-income youth lose more than two months in reading achievement.  Summer Brain Gain participants in fourth and fifth grades had notably higher gains in math than control group youth, and participants in first through third grades had slightly greater gains in early literacy than control group youth. None of these gains, however, were statistically significant.  The study did not find that the curriculum had a demonstrable impact on participants’ 21st century skills or interest in reading.  Prior Club experience with implementing the program appears to be associated with greater implementation fidelity, completion of program components, comfort with evaluation activities, higher youth engagement and greater growth in early literacy and math.

87% 87%

66%

87%

100%

66%

66% 89% 90% 66% 100%

57% 87%

45%

52%100%51% 57% 52% 39% 51% 51% 57% 40% 87% 52% 66% Matters:90% Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Money Make It89% Count Club youth who completed this program, which Mind, Body and Soul 87% builds skills of 90% 41% 89% 45%the financial 44% management 43% 42% Participants in the Triple Play family of programs, 45% 44% 43% 42% 41% 66% 45% 44% 43% 42% 41% 57% members ages 13 to 18, had an: 52% 30% which51% strive to improve28% the overall27% health of 26% members ages 6 to 18:

35%

average increase in their saving and investing smarts

26% 28% 28%

25% 27% 27%

average increase in their credit and debt savvy

16% 18% 18% 27%

increase 13% in their 11% 17% 40%average 16% 39% 13% 16% 17% budgeting and living within 26% know-how 25% 24% 23%means 13% 22%

17%

34% 45%

33% 35% 35% 44%

32% 31% 34% 57% 33% 33% 32% 31% 34% 66% 31% 18% 43% 42% 20% 32% 41% 19%

24% 26% 26% 35%

23% 25% 25% 34%

22% 24% 24% 33%

18%

40% 17% 28%

19%

35% 25%

42%

41%

engaged in vigorous activity for an hour or more at least five times per week by the end of the study (an increase of 10 percentage points), compared to no change among the control group youth

34%

33%

32%

31%

24%

23%

22%

21%

Improved their eating habits

17%

51%

made improvements to their eating habits, compared to only 21 percent of control group youth

21% 21% 44% 23% 22% 45% 21% 23% 32% 57% 22% 31%

66% 43%

42%

41% 5% 52%

ate breakfast more often by the end of the study, compared to 38 percent of control group youth

57% 11% 34% 21% 35% 11% 45%

33% 44%

32% 43%

24% 35%

23% 34%

45% 22% 33%

44% 21% 32%

35% 23% 25% 13%

26% 11% 25% 39% 16% 27%

26%

25%

13% 24%

30% 18%

27%

26%

17%

28% 5% 16%

20%

19%

18%

17% 5%

16%

Participants with spending money showed significant behavior improvement upon completing the program: 79 percent (an increase of 11 percent) said they started saving money and 43 percent (an increase of eight percent) said they were sticking to a budget plan.

20%

43%

51%

52% 16%

5% 30%average increase 5% in39% their college 28% 5% 40% 16% planning 13% 27% knowledge 20% 5% 30% 19%

44%

Increased time spent engaging in physical activity

52%

31% 42%

13%

11%

51%

52%

51%

Improved their relationships with peers

41%

improved peer interactions by the end of the study, compared with 33 percent of control group youth

43% 31%

42%

41%

34% 11% 22%

33% 21%

32%

31%

24%

23% 11%

22%

21%

13%

11%

2016 Annual Report 33

Making Every Day Count: Boys & Girls Clubs’ Role in Promoting Positive Outcomes for Teens Few evaluations have examined the overall impact youth development programs have on teens, especially during their critical transition from middle to high school. This study of young teens’ entire Club Experience found that youth were more likely to demonstrate greater positive outcomes when they attended the Club at least 52 times per year.

The positive effects were even greater when they attended at least 104 times per year. Young teens who attended the Club more often were more likely to report the following outcomes:

Academic Success n 100% of our Club Members have C grades or higher n 72% of our Club Members have never skipped school n Nelson School Moved from 1% lowest performing school in the state in 2014 to 8% lowest performing schools in the state in 2016. BGCML arrived in 2015. n Greater expectations of graduating from high school or receiving a GED Good Character and Citizenship n Higher levels of community service involvement n Member Participation in Club-Based Community Volunteering 26% Volunteered Once Per Year 5% Volunteered Once Per Month 11% Volunteered Once every 2 weeks 26% Volunteered once every week n More positive social relationships and productive use of out-of-school time Healthy Lifestyles  Increased levels of future connectedness (how much youth think about their future and how their current activities help them prepare for the future)  Decreased numbers of negative peers as friends  Decreased number of times stopped by the police  Lower likelihood of initiation of carrying a weapon, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and sexual intercourse

34 2016 Annual Report

Gang Prevention/Intervention Through Targeted Outreach Compared to their peers, high-risk and ganginvolved youth with more frequent participation in BGCA’s prevention and intervention programs experienced: n City of Muskegon data on Crime rates show that since the BGCML has been open, the Nelson Neighborhood crime rates have decreased n Total Crimes in Nelson Neighborhood Over the Last 3 Years • 2014 - 727 • 2015 - 615 • 2016 - 607 n Only had one BGCML Club member in the juvenile system in the year of 2016. n Fewer delinquent behaviors (stealing less, less likely to start smoking marijuana) n Disengagement from gang-associated behaviors and peers n Decreased number of fights. n 67% of members were not involved nor did they witness a fight over the year of 2016.

%

%

52%

51%

42% 66%

41%

52%

51%

%% %

Project Learn 32% Participants 31% in this 44% 43% 42%Club-wide 41%program, which reinforces and enhances the skills and52%

%%

22% 34%

%%

%

32% 51% 44%

31% 43%

42%



11% 23% 42% 35%

24% 43%

increase in overall GPA

This “booster” program is for teens who have

51%completed the Stay SMART component of the

risk-behavior prevention program SMART Moves.

Participants demonstrated:

41%

Less alcohol use than their peers

 Less marijuana use than their peers  Reduced cigarette use

22% 41% 34%

21% 33%

32%

 Lower overall drug use and increased drug 31% use knowledge

31% 24%

11% 23%

22%

21%

21%

13%



33% 26%

13% 32% 25%

increase in math GPA

22%

increase in spelling GPA

5%

increase in reading GPA

66%

decrease in number of days absent from school

87%

fewer missed school days when compared with non-Club youth



23% 16% 87% 13%



57%



% %

21% 33% 52% 45%



% % %

knowledge young people learn at school, had significantly better academic outcomes than Club youth who did not participate in Project Learn and non-Club youth:

SMART Leaders

11%

11%

45%

44%

43%

52%

51%

42%

41%

2016 Annual Report 35

BE 231-375-5576 BGCLUBMUSKEGON.COM 425 WEST WESTERN AVENUE, SUITE 308, MUSKEGON, MI 49440

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