Introduction
Working in the social field has always been my desire from childhood. Inspiring and fulfilling the lives of vulnerable children and families across our communities is what satisfies my heart. I would like to do my second practicum at the Boys and Girls Club of Calgary. The organization is passionate about helping kids and families in Calgary to access education, shelter, and employment, among other services. Being the organization, I would like to do the second practicum at, I must look at its profile to familiarize myself with their history, the programs they provide, their mandate, and funding sources. The paper is, therefore, going to focus on the history, mandate, funding sources, clientele, qualification, and scope of practice, among others.
History
Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary (BGCC) is a charitable organization founded in 1939. The organization changes the lives of the vulnerable children, youth, and families through providing safe places for shelter and other programs geared towards meeting the needs of our community. The organization focuses on encountering community issues such as discrimination, homelessness, intergenerational trauma, and hunger in schools.
Organization’s Mandate
Boys & Girls Clubs is mandated to transform the lives of vulnerable children and young adults together with their families in the community. The organization is committed to provide safe places at the same time offer services and programs meant to meet the diverse and evolving needs of the community. The organization is mandated to serve kids by developing their confidence, enhance their skills and experiences that are key for their success in life.
Vision Mission and Values
Vision
The organization’s vision is to create a world where every young person has the relationships they need to grow up well and thrive.
Mission
BGCC looks forward to providing safe and supportive space where children and youths can easily learn, overcome their barriers, build healthy relationships and improve their confidence for successful lives.
Values
The organization values inspiration and it aims at transforming very many lives of people in the community. Besides, it values leadership and working together with other will partners to better the community. It also anticipates and embraces change thus making it very flexible to adopt to any changes they might come across. Lastly, the organization values creating a positive difference in someone’s life (“About | Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary”, 2020)
Funding Sources
The organization being a charity and community based organization, it gets most of its funding from donors, well-wishers and fund raising (“Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary”, 2020).
Governance Model
The organization adopts a Board Governance Model to run. Being a non-profit organization, it has voluntary board of directors who offer national leadership and direction for the organization. The board directors work closely to ensure they make crucial decisions that enhance sound financial planning and stewardship. They are also key supporters when it comes to fundraising for the organization. The Board of Governance comprise of top offices such as Felix Wu (the Chair), Thomas Cliff (Vice Chair), Becky Penrice (Vice Chair Calgary AB), David Mather (Treasurer/ BGCC Foundation Chair) Holly Toupin (Secretary). Its directors include Michelle Banik, Gordon Floyd, Sarah Midanik and Rachel Barry among others (“Board of Directors – Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada”, 2020).
Programs and Services Offered
BGCC offers a wide range of programs and services to children, youths and families. The programs include;
- Youth Housing and Shelters
- Community Clubs and Experiential Learning
- Indigenous Initiatives
- Education and Youth Employment
- Community Based Care & Support
Youth Housing and Shelters
This program offers a comprehensive support system that help youths to permanently end their homelessness experiences. Through the program, youths between 12-17 and are at risk of homelessness are offered temporary shelter.
Community Clubs and Experiential Learning
The program involves clubbing and camping activities that emphasizes learning and discovery. Besides, the program enhances individual’s well-being, health, physical literacy, creative expression, socio-emotional competencies and leadership development among others.
Indigenous Initiatives
The initiative offers two programs (The Iiyika ‘kimaat Program and the 4Rs Youth Program) that helps Indigenous children, youth and families with a wide variety of needs. For instance, through the programs, one is able to access community information, social and emotional support, cultural connections among others thereby enhancing their confidence, self-esteem, identity, leadership skills and knowledge.
Education and Youth Employment
The program consists of Early Childhood programs and activities that help the children to start their education at an early age. The programs are both for the children and parents to help them learn parenting strategies, early literacy, and socialization among others. The organization also offers other educational programs that enables both the children and the youth to be successful in their educational journey. Besides, BGCC through this program impacts in youths skills such as punctuality, interviewing, customer service and application skills which makes them have upper hand when it comes to employment.
Community Based
The program provides a safe and supportive environment by offering individual support to meet the unique needs of both the young people and their families thus ensuring they succeed and become active participants in the different directions of their lives.
Description of Clientele
BGCC generally targets the vulnerable in the community. Their programs and services cuts across all the individuals in the community, from homeless children, youths, adults. They also target indigenous families and youths and parents.
Programs Goals and Objectives.
The organization’s programs mentioned above are rolled out to attain social, cultural and economic objectives.
Socially, programs such as the Youth Housing and Shelter aims at providing urgent or temporary shelter to homeless youths. Besides, the community club’s programs through camping aims at promoting positive connection to community and family.
Economically, programs like Education and Youth Employment aims at improving the lives of children and youths by offering educative programs that enables them acquire skill making them competent and getting jobs to better their lives and that of the economy.
Culturally, the Indigenous Initiatives have programs that aim at enabling individuals to develop a positive sense of identity that makes them proud of their cultural heritage and traditions.
Qualifications and scope of Practice
A child care and youth worker at BGCC should have a degree accredited by the National Children and Youth Agency or a post graduate level qualification. The work should also have relevant experience in the career. Besides the specialist qualifications and experience, one should possess the ability to keep up to date with the law and how it affects children and youths. An individual should also have good communication skills, organization skills resilience and reliable.
BGCC Child and Youth care professionals or workers provides psycho-social interventions as the main method of creating change in the lives of the vulnerable children, youths and families.
The child and youth care workers also develops a therapeutic relationship within their environment.
They provide services that encourage and foster the development of healthy children, youths and families within the community. Lastly they provide services related to the daily living and healthy development of children, youths and families for whom their services are provided.
Relationship between the Organization and other Community Programs
The organization just like any other community programs focuses on creating a better and strong community. It targets vulnerable children, youths and families in the community. The programs it offers like education are in a way in line with other community programs that aims at enlightening individuals in the community. Besides, just like other programs rolled in the society to create cultural awareness, its Indigenous Initiatives strives to make people aware and proud of their cultural beliefs and traditions in the community.
Data Collection and Documentation approaches
BGCC does its data collection using intake package to have basic knowledge about the child /youth, their needs, health and safety and appropriate notification in case of emergencies. Through the data collected, the organization is also capable of compiling anonymous statistic report for agency annul reports, report to funders among others (Boysandgirlsclubsofcalgary.ca., 2020).
Confidentiality and Accountability
BGCC embraces high confidentiality in its operations. The organization is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information of its employees, members, donors and other stakeholders. It values the trust of the people it’s working with and of the public. The personnel at BGCC are only allowed to access client’s personal information based on their need to deal with the information for the reasons for which it was obtained. Besides, it uses services requiring password protocols and encryption software to protect the personal and other information received. Lastly it consistently reviews its privacy practices for various activities (“Privacy | Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada”, 2020).
Cultural Considerations
BGCC’s programs and services values and respects diversity. It acknowledges cultural heritage and spiritual beliefs of its clients. Besides, some of its activities through the Indigenous initiative is geared towards impacting their clients to uphold a positive sense of their identity and be proud of their cultural beliefs and traditions (“Community Clubs PARENT WELCOME PACKAGE”, 2019).
References
About | Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary. Boysandgirlsclubsofcalgary.ca. (2020). Retrieved 24 May 2020, from https://www.boysandgirlsclubsofcalgary.ca/about/.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary. Charityintelligence.ca. (2020). Retrieved 24 May 2020, from https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/843-boys-and-girls-clubs-of-calgary.
Board of Directors – Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. Bgccan.com. (2020). Retrieved 24 May 2020, from https://www.bgccan.com/en/who-we-are/our-team/board-of-directors/.
Boysandgirlsclubsofcalgary.ca. (2020). Retrieved 24 May 2020, from https://www.boysandgirlsclubsofcalgary.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Clubs-kid-Intake-Package-Sept.pdf.
Privacy | Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. Bgccan.com. (2020). Retrieved 24 May 2020, from https://www.bgccan.com/en/privacy/.
Community Clubs PARENT WELCOME PACKAGE. Boysandgirlsclubsofcalgary.ca. (2019). Retrieved 24 May 2020, from https://www.boysandgirlsclubsofcalgary.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Clubs-Parent-Welcome-Package-Sept..pdf.