COVID-19 updates from BGCTNV

Knox County update as Knox County Schools shift to online learning

Posted 12/09/2020 by BGCTNV

🛑 In the event that KCS goes Red district wide, Boys & Girls Clubs of The Tennessee Valley will be open in all Knox county sites, including community schools for virtual learning, opening at 7:00 am and closing at 6:00 pm.

🍏Morning snack and lunch are provided.

🆕 Boys & Girls Clubs will also be accepting new registrants for our Virtual Learning Club.

➡️ Parents should call 865-232-1117 for more information.

November COVID-19 Impact Report

Posted 12/07/2020 by BGCTNV

• 17 Clubs open
• 1,294 new members, many of whom are children of essential workers. For a total of 2,658 members served. We are working with UT Medical Center, Blount Memorial Hospital, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to provide childcare for their employees.
• MESH:Our Member Emotional & SocialHealth program works to:
  • Promote social and emotional development; including competencies like teamwork, self-awareness, coping strategies,  self-control, empathy, and  perseverance.
  • Our MESH Team has directly served 337 Club members.
  • During the COVID-19 response we have continued these efforts with activities including:
    • Character Club that focused on skills like teamwork, patience, trustworthiness, communication, and friendship that help build resiliency in youth.
    • Fitness Club which promoted conversations about physical, mental, and emotional wellness.
• 154,170 Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks served to Club members.
• 1,329 Family food boxes provided for our members and their families for the weekend.
• Effective programs to keepClub members actively engaged in learning and career development when they might not be otherwise. Our College & Career Readiness Initiative provides academiccounseling and support, as wellas career exploration activitiesand camps. Including: Pipeline, YouthForce, Tennessee Tutoring Corps, and Trio Talent Search.

Download our COVID-19 Impact Report

October COVID-19 Impact Report

Posted 11/09/2020 by BGCTNV

• 17 Clubs open
• 1,294 new members, many of whom are children of essential workers. For a total of 2,658 members served. We are working with UT Medical Center, Blount Memorial Hospital, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to provide childcare for their employees.
• MESH:Our Member Emotional & SocialHealth program works to:
  • Promote social and emotional development; including competencies like teamwork, self-awareness, coping strategies,  self-control, empathy, and  perseverance.
  • Our MESH Team has directly served 331 Club members.
  • During the COVID-19 response we have continued these efforts with activities including:
    • Character Club that focused on skills like teamwork, patience, trustworthiness, communication, and friendship that help build resiliency in youth.
    • Fitness Club which promoted conversations about physical, mental, and emotional wellness.
• 141,325 Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks served to Club members.
• 1,215 Family food boxes provided for our members and their families for the weekend.
• Effective programs to keepClub members actively engaged in learning and career development when they might not be otherwise. Our College & Career Readiness Initiative provides academiccounseling and support, as wellas career exploration activitiesand camps. Including: Pipeline, YouthForce, Tennessee Tutoring Corps, and Trio Talent Search.
• The Tennessee TutoringCorps was a resounding success, ensuring our members maintained their academic levels in math and language arts.Club participants completed program pre-testing, demonstrating an average of 33% in math and 34% in language artsin terms of National Percentile Ranking. After thecompletion of the program, Club members post-testedand showed an average of 43% in math and 42% in language arts in terms of National Percentile Ranking, demonstrating a dramatic increase in academic level and skill development.

Download our COVID-19 Impact Report

Providing Opportunities for Success During COVID-19

Posted 11/07/2020 by BGCTNV
Reading is a critical skill for success throughout life. Research has shown that students who develop strong reading skills at an early age are much more likely to graduate from high school and seek postsecondary education and training. Reading itself is one of the most commonly and intensively used skills among all types of jobs across the entire economy, including jobs that require no education or training beyond high school.

Reading also plays a key role in the development of soft skills, such as critical analysis and effective communication, which are profoundly important for success in work and life. Currently, only 34.7% of Tennessee’s third graders are reading proficiently. Students who cannot read at grade level by the end of third grade very rarely catch up in later grades. This lack of reading skillscompounds as they grow older. For example, children who are not reading at grade level by the end of third gradeare four times more likely to drop out of high school.

When schools closed at the start of the pandemic, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley knew that it was imperativeto continue to work with Club members to maintain their reading and language arts levels. We forged ahead with newand innovative programs, such as the Tennessee Tutoring Corps, to help guide our members in the absence of school.With schools back in session, we now focus on our core academic programs in order to provide Club members with opportunities to improve their reading skills, and ensure they are proficient in reading by third grade through programs such as Rookie Readers, Power Hour, Project Learn, Summer Brain Gain, and 21st Century.

In Power Hour, Clubs work with members to increase their reading skills. Youth have access to hundreds of books to read so that they can meet accelerated reading goals and complete nightly reading logs for their classroom. Members have staff and tutors available to help them meet their goals for school, by helping them practice fluency and sight word recognition. In addition, members use websites like Study Island and Exact Path to reinforce reading skills.

Project Learn is a comprehensive program strategy based on research showing that students do much better in schoolwhen they spend their non-school hours engaged in fun, but academically beneficial activities. Through Project Learn, Club staff use all the areas and programs in the Club to create opportunities for these high-yield learning activities, which include leisure reading, writing activities, discussions with knowledgeable adults, helping others, homework help and tutoring, and games that develop young people’s cognitive skills. Project Learn has been proven to boost the academic performance of Club members.

With the daily challenges posed by COVID-19, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley remains committed to adapting to the “new normal” and working to provide Club members with a safe environment that also sets them up for success in life through creative programs and caring staff.

August COVID-19 Impact Report

Posted 9/08/2020 by BGCTNV

• 17 Clubs open
• 964 new members, many of whom are children of essential workers. For a total of 2,328 members served. We are working with UT Medical Center, Blount Memorial Hospital, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to provide childcare for their employees.
• SEWI: The SEWI team has directly served 218 Club members. Our Social & EmotionalWellness Initiative works to:
  • Promote social and emotional development; includingcompetencies like teamwork, self-awareness, coping strategies, self-control, empathy, and perseverance.
  • During the COVID-19 response we have continued these efforts with activities including: Character Club that focused on skills like teamwork, patience, trustworthiness, communication, and friendship that help build resiliency in youth. Fitness Club which promoted conversations about physical, mental, and emotional wellness.
• 110,088 Breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks served to Club members.
• 867 Family food boxes provided for our members and their families for the weekend.
• Effective programs to keepClub members actively engaged in learning and career development when they might not be otherwise. Our College & Career Readiness Initiative provides academiccounseling and support, as wellas career exploration activitiesand camps. Including: Pipeline, YouthForce, Tennessee Tutoring Corps, and Trio Talent Search.

Download our COVID-19 Impact Report

Serving Youth at Clinton Elementary School

Posted 8/17/2020 by BGCTNV

We are delighted to announce Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley has collaborated with Clinton City Schools to operate an after-school program at Clinton Elementary School. The new Club opened on August 17 and will help meet the needs of the community, which saw its after-school program capacity cut in half due to COVID-19.  The Club utilizes various areas of the school, and serves members a nutritious snack each day. In addition, staff provide members with homework help, to ensure they stay on track with their education, which is critically important after missing almost three months of school last school year due to the pandemic.

BGCTNV Virtual Learning Club

Posted 7/1/2020 by BGCTNV

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley (BGCTNV) is providing a safe place for kidsto complete their Knox County School work, with internet access, supervision from staff,and alternative activities during their scheduled daily breaks.

• Available for kids in grades K-8
• Halls/Powell Club and Haslam Family Club University
• $90/week, limited scholarships available
• Monday – Friday, beginning August 17, 2020
• 7:00am-3:00 pm, members must be in attendance by 8:00.
• Kids will be grouped in pods of no more than 9 kids with dedicated staff member(s)
• Lunch and snack Included
• Daily physical activity provided
• Safety protocols
• Twice daily temperature checks (Upon arrival and midday)
• Hourly sanitization of learning spaces and equipment
• Hourly hand washing for all kids/staff
• Masks required for staff and kids

There will be a limited number of spots available and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Registration will begin on August 3, 2020.

For more information, please email virtuallearning@bgctnv.org or call the Haslam Club at 865-232-1214 or the Halls/Powell Club at 865-232-1218.

Club policy update:

Posted 7/1/2020 by BGCTNV

Continue to practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet from other people. NEW – Because social distancing is not always possible in the Clubs, in an abundance of caution, beginning July 1, 2020 BGCTNV will require all staff wear a mask onsite and encourage club members to do so as well.

Continue to practice CDC suggested guidelines for hand washing:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60%alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Continue to thoroughly clean all high touch surface areas throughout all our facilities. At all sites, we will remind all staff and visitors with information daily about social distancing. Actively educate our employees and members about updated COVID-19 prevention strategies.

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BGCTNV is waiting on confirmation from our  local public health authorities; however, a member of one of our Clubs has tested positive for  COVID-19. This member was asymptomatic.

BGCTNV is already taking extensive measures to protect our staff and members, and will continue to monitor the situation and continually adjust to best protect all our constituents.

The affected Club will be closed for the week, and a deep cleaning sanitizing will be performed. All staff members are being tested for the virus.

COVID-19 Response at BGCTNV

Posted 6/30/2020 by BGCTNV

16 Clubs are open to children of essential workers:

1. Haslam Family Club University: 6 am – 6 pm
2. Regal Entertainment Group Teen Center:6 am – 6 pm
3. Halls/Powell: 6 am – 6 pm
4. Vestal: 7 am – 6 pm
5. Northridge Crossing: 7:30 am – 6:00 pm
6. Middlebrook: 7 am – 6 pm
7. Montgomery Village: 10 am – 6 pm
8. Walter P. Taylor: 10 am – 6 pm
9. Western Heights: 10 am – 6 pm
10. Northwest Middle:7:30 am – 6 pm
11. Norwood Elementary:7:30 am – 6 pm
12. South Knoxville Elementary:7:30 am – 6 pm
13. Lonsdale: 7:30 am – 6 pm
14. Ft. Craig (Blount County): 7 am – 6 pm
15. Loudon County: 6 am – 6 pm
16. North Anderson County: 7 am – 6 pm

436 new members who are children of essential workers. For a total of 1,800 members served. We are working with UT Medical Center, Blount Memorial Hospital, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to provide childcare for their employees.

69,134meals or snacks served. Serving breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack to Club members.

450 family food boxes provided for our members and their families for the weekend.

Effective programs to keep Club members actively engaged in learning and careerdevelopment when they might not be otherwise. Our College & Career Readiness Initiative provides academic counseling and support, as well as career exploration activities and camps. How our College & Career Readiness Initiative serves our Club members:

• Online and Virtual College and Career Counseling: 750 curriculum recipients
• Virtual College Tours – 40 members touring 21 schools (Austin Peay, Western Kentucky, Carson Newman, Pellissippi State, ETSU, MTSU, Howard University)
• Internships: 58 interns
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Day in the Life of a Scientist
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory  – Virtual Tour
• Tennessee Tutor Corps: 72 tutors and 543 members
• Safety & First Aid Training: 8 participants
• Career Exploration Camps: 40 participants
• Google Certifications: 40 participants
• Virtual YouthForce University
• Cosmetology Camp
• Culinary Arts Camp
• Welding Camp
• Engineering Camp
• Criminal Justice Camp
• Futures Fair

Total members served: 2,450

*Statistics are based on services and programming from March 13 – June 30, 2020.

Download our Impact Report

COVID-19 Response at BGCTNV

Posted 5/08/2020 by BGCTNV

How our Clubs are responding during the COVID-19 pandemic. The way we’re carrying out our mission may have changed, but our mission has not.

Download our Impact Report

Thank you for your support. These are a few of the programs that your donations support in our Clubs and how they positively benefit our members.

COVID-19 has changed our lives in such a short time. While all of our lives are impacted, some are affected more than others. With schools out and essential workers hard at work, childcare is a critical need for these families. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley has eight Clubs, in four counties, open 10+ hours a day to care for the children of essential workers. With safety as our top priority, Clubs are operating on a 9:1 ratio and will continue to adjust based on CDC and Knox County Health Department recommendations.

8 Clubs are open to children of essential workers

• Haslam Family Club University: 6 am – 6 pm
• Regal Entertainment Group Teen Center: 6 am – 6 pm
• Halls/Powell: 6 am – 6 pm
• Vestal: 7 am – 6 pm
• Northridge Crossing: 7:30 am – 6:00 pm
• Ft. Craig (Blount County): 7 am – 6 pm
• Loudon County: 6 am – 6 pm
• North Anderson County: 7 am – 6 pm

We have plans to reopen 3 public housing sites on May 18th to continue to serve children of essential workers and to welcome back our regular members.

VBDC

Our Virtual Blue Door Club is open to help keep our members engaged and on track with weekly updated content.

SEWI – Our Social & Emotional Wellness Initiative works to:

Promote social and emotional development; including competencies like teamwork, self-awareness, coping strategies, self-control, empathy, and perseverance.

• During the COVID-19 response we have continued these efforts with activities including:
• Creating Glitter Bottles that can be used as a tool to practice deep breathing and mindfulness.
• Making and sending gratitude cards to first responders, Club Staff, and other essential workers.
• Art therapy projects to identify protective factors, and conversations about managing frustrations and other challenging emotions.

The SEWI team has directly served 83 youth across our Clubs with focused programming.

Meals for our Members:

• 17,956 meals/snacks served, including breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack to Club members.
• 450 Family food boxes provided for our members and their families for the weekend.

New Members

We are serving 52 new members who are children of essential workers. We are working with UT Medical Center, Blount Memorial Hospital, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to provide childcare for their employees.

YAI

Our Youth Arts Initiative is offering virtual, digital, and on-site programming for our members.

Programming

Effective programs to keep Club members actively engaged when they might not be otherwise while utilizing the academic resources from local school systems.

Coronavirus in Tennessee: State Department of Human Services paying for child care for essential workers

Posted 4/17/2020 by BGCTNV
Contact Ruby Lowe at (865) 232-1117 or via email.

Download application

The state Department of Human Services announced Friday that parents who work as essential employees will be able to access child care at no cost until June 15 as a way to help during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID-19 Essential Employee Child Care Payment Assistance program is designed to help
support essential workers so they can stay on the job during the emergency.

To be eligible for either program, parents must be employees of a health care entity, law enforcement, first responders (EMS, fire departments, etc.), corrections officers, military, activated National Guard, human and social services workers, postal workers, transportation employees, restaurant workers or grocery workers.

After approval, TDHS will make arrangements to pay for child care at the TDHS licensed program where the child is currently served.

Summer Registration (School’s Out) is delayed

Posted 4/01/2020 by BGCTNV
Summer registration that would normally have begin on April 1, is delayed until further notice due to the pandemic. We will keep you updated as we know more. Thank you.

Given the safer at home order, BGCTNV will be offering our services exclusively for essential employees beginning March 24.

Posted 3/24/2020 by BGCTNV
⁣⁣
✳️𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴:⁣⁣
• Haslam Family Club University (957 Irwin Street): 6 am-6 pm⁣⁣
• Regal Entertainment Group Teen Center (967 Irwin Street): 6 am-6 pm⁣⁣
• Halls/Powell (1819 Dry Gap Pike): 6 am-6 pm⁣⁣
• Northridge Crossing (3916 Carus Street): 7:30a m-6:00 pm⁣⁣
• Ft. Craig (Blount County): 6 am-6 pm⁣⁣
• Loudon County: 6 am-6 pm⁣⁣
• North Anderson County: 7 am-6 pm⁣⁣
⁣⁣
🍴𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘒𝘊𝘋𝘊 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝟷𝟷:𝟹𝟶𝘢𝘮 – 𝟷𝟸:𝟹𝟶𝘱𝘮:⁣⁣
• Montgomery Village⁣⁣
• Walter P. Taylor⁣⁣
• Western Heights ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
To further ensure that we are in-line with health experts and our governing bodies we will not allow for parents to enter the building. Instead you will have a staff member that will greet the family outside with a sign-in sheet for the parent to sign as the child enters the building. Likewise, in the evening the parent will call the front desk and we will have a staff to walk the child out and provide the sign-out sheet for the parent to sign.

Coronavirus in East Tennessee: Boys & Girls Club expanding hours, asking for support

Posted Saturday, 3/19/2020 by WATE

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley is expanding hours and services trying to meet the needs of its members who are away from school and need alternative childcare options during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

All clubs are open with hours of at least 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and serving breakfast, lunch and a snack to nearly 500 kids.

The club expects its expenses to grow as the number of children they serve increases, putting a strain on its resources.

The nonprofit will be packing 150 family meals to send to club members’ families and 50 families of Emerald Youth Foundation members. Faith Promise Church is covering the expense of the meals.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley is also working with UT Medical Center and offering expanded services to their employees.

The club also plans to ramp up its academic resources for students in Knox County Schools as the school system shifts to an online learning format.

“This increase, combined with a postponed set of spring fundraising events and slower grant reimbursables, will strain our organization’s already tenuous cash position,” the club stated in a press release. “We have a significant community need that we have to help meet and are best positioned of any organizations locally to do so.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley Committed to Continuing Services During COVID-19 Crisis

Posted Saturday, 3/14/2020 by BGCTNV

As area school closures are announced, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley plans to continue service to provide crucial services to those that will continue to work during the COVID-19 crisis.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley knows our services are crucial to children and families in our community. We meet many essential needs of our families, including providing meals, educational support, and a safe space. Thus, we are committed to continue services in our Clubs during this situation,” Bart McFadden, President & CEO, said. “For now, we will continue to be open with regular hours at all sites. This will allow parents of our members to continue working regular hours and enable us to continue to meet the needs of our kids and keep them actively engaged in positive activities. We will aggressively monitor the ongoing situation and continue consultation with medical professionals to make any necessary adjustments as this evolves.”

“The decision by the Boys and Girls Clubs to remain open during a time when many institutions including schools are closing is a bold step by a strong management team to better serve the students, parents, families and the community of Knoxville. In part, the decision is based on using Ionogen’s non-toxic sanitation and disinfection products which are extremely powerful against all viruses, including COVID-19. Combined with proper training of staff, the Boys and Girls Clubs are providing facilities that are safe and have been effectively disinfected against COVID-19. Ionogen is proud to be a partner in this effort,” adds Bergein F Overholt, MD -Chairman, Board of Ionogen.

Adjustments to provided services may be required as conditions change, but all possible efforts will be made to support community needs.

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How to talk to your child about COVID-19

Posted 03/11/2020 by Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Parent Resources

As the world is turning its focus on understanding what COVID-19 is, and ways to prevent viruses like it from spreading, it is also important to take time to talk with your child or teen about the spread of viruses and the best ways to protect themselves. Remember, the age of your young person matters, so it is important to give them the facts in ways that they can understand.

In times of uncertainty it is very important to reassure the young people in your life and thoughtfully talk to them about what is going on.

First, hone up on your knowledge. Review the CDC guidelines for healthy habits. Prevention, stopping a problem before it becomes a problem, is the ultimate goal.

Tips for talking to kids about COVID-19:

• For older children, ask them what they’ve heard about COVID-19 and what questions they might have. Gauge their level of knowledge and help them sort fact from fiction.
• It is a parent, or positive mentor’s job to help young people feel safe and secure. Reassure young people if they are worried, that they are safe. It’s important that kids are not asked to support their caregivers concerns or worries.
• Share with them what you know and what you don’t know. Help them understand that scientists are studying the virus every day and are learning more. Be sure to create opportunities for more conversations as more information is understood about the virus.
• For younger and older children, one of the best things you can do is reinforce healthy hygiene habits. Ask them: What do we do now to stay healthy? What could we do more of? What can we do better? Here is some prevention guidance from the Centers for Disease Control to protect yourself and your family.
• Don’t forget to try to make it fun! Especially for younger children, focus on healthy habits and make up a game to reinforce them. For example make-up a contest for coming up with a new fun song to sing every time they wash their hands (that lasts 20 seconds).

Preventing the spread of viruses is important every cold and flu season, and especially now. Continue to follow guidance from the CDC and local health departments in your community to stay up to date.