LEWISTON — Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine was chosen among 75 clubs nationwide to pilot a new program this summer by Boys & Girls Clubs of America called Brain Gain, a program to help prevent the summer learning loss that puts club kids at risk.
Summer is a critical component of the Great Futures program and provides a great opportunity for the clubs to have an impact on the community’s youth. While kids gear up for school to begin, as many as 50 club members from Lewiston/Auburn, Portland and South Portland have been participating in this eight-week program, which recently ended at the Lewiston/Auburn club.
Brain Gain was created with goals to eliminate summer learning loss for members, build effective partnerships with schools, assure that members transition through middle school to high school on track to graduate and assure that club staff have the skills and resources to implement expanded learning programs.
BGCSM hired a chief professional officer two years ago, Karen MacDonald, who formerly served as vice president of program and youth development services with BGCA for more than 10 years. MacDonald helped developed many of the programs on the national level that local clubs are now able to implement for kids and teens.
Locally, MacDonald spearheaded the Brain Gain pilot program last spring for program staff to bring creative and fun programs for members participating in Brain Gain in Lewiston/Auburn and Greater Portland.
The initial version of Brain Gain comprises of 18 weekly modules with fun, themed activities for elementary and middle school students. Club members work in teams to solve challenges issued at the beginning of each week and develop engaging, hands-on projects along the way.
Club locations offering Summer Brain Gain programming are BGCSM’s Auburn/Lewiston Clubhouse, 43 Second St., Auburn; the Portland Clubhouse, 277 Cumberland Ave.; and the South Portland Clubhouse, 164 Broadway.
BGCSM has five locations in Portland, South Portland and Auburn, and serves more than 2,600 children and teens in Southern Maine. The annual membership fee is $5, including daily programs during the summer. Hours, member ages and programs vary per clubhouse. Visit the clubs online at www.bgcmaine.org.
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