The Club moved in conjunction with the closure and pending sale of Stivers Aquatics Center and the Center for Health and Learning, where the Club was formerly housed. Although the Center is a large building, most of that is taken up by the pool, and space for the Club was limited to only one dedicated room and a couple of shared spaces. The Norton location offers multiple rooms exclusively for the Club, which Pearson says will better meet the needs of the wide range of youth served and support them in staying with the program longer.

[PHOTO: Erica Pearson]

“We're really trying to grow young people through childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, giving them all the tools they need to be successful and be the best version of themselves to reach their full potential,” Pearson says. “We try to foster a growth mindset in all of our kids, and we want them to be comfortable in this environment and get the benefits of this positive atmosphere as long as possible.”

The Writing Center and computer lab which used to occupy the first floor of Norton have moved to into the Weeks-Townsend Memorial Library.

After-School 

During the school year, the Club provides K-12 care and programming from 2:30-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Homework help, recreational activities, guest speakers, socio-emotional learning, career readiness, field trips, transportation home within three miles, and hot dinner and a nutritious snack are all included free of charge to families. Additionally, Knox Middle School, G.R. Hampton Elementary, Central Elementary, Jesse D. Lay Elementary, and all three schools within Barbourville Independent Elementary, Middle, and High Schools all provide bussing to the Club.

[PHOTO: Club kids enjoy an activity in the Norton building]

New in the Norton space, kids will have access to a room especially for arts and crafts. It is also ideal for those who prefer a quieter environment. Also new, they will eat dinner in the student dining hall, about an hour before the college students do. 

Teens 

Another new feature of the Norton building is a room especially for teens. Although teens are welcome to be part of the after-school program, Pearson says they start to feel like they are “aging out” of it by high school and really crave their own space. Coining it the “workforce readiness teen lounge,” Pearson envisions the Norton room as a place for teens to explore their talents and entrepreneurial ideas. 

Summer Camps

Over summer break, the Club offers seven weeks of low-cost camps for ages 5-15 with a different theme each week. Camp hours are from 10-4, Monday through Friday, with extended care hours available. Breakfast and lunch are provided each day, along with a variety of recreational activities, and weekly field trips to match each theme.

“We try to keep the kids active and get them to some places that they might not otherwise get the chance to visit,” Pearson says, noting that campers recently went to the Pinball Museum of Corbin during Decades Week.

[PHOTO: Club kids at the Pinball Museum of Corbin]

In-School

In addition to all the programming offered on Union’s campus, Boys & Girls Club staff also bring their research-based curriculum into the local schools on a weekly basis. Positive Action and Smart Moves are two specific programs designed to help children learn about and develop healthy habits, set goals, and be empowered to make positive choices. Mental health and addictions prevention are woven into all the programming. 

Pearson says they focus on going into the schools that don’t bus to the Club. Last year they brought the curriculum to every grade in Girdler Elementary, and next year they will be covering Lynn Camp Elementary.

Last year, for instance, the Club partnered with Olive Branch Ministries to train and employ Union students in trauma informed care. The students got an enriching learning experience along with service-oriented employment to add to their resumés, while giving the kids mentors to look up to and bond with.

[PHOTO: Club kids and staffers enjoy a tie-dye activity on the shaded lawn beside Norton during a recent summer camp]

The Union Club is one of nine sites that fall under the umbrella organization of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Appalachia (BGCApp). An innovative model championed by former Union president Dr. Marcia Hawkins and BGCApp CEO Kateena Haynes, it was only the fifth college-based Club in the country when it opened in 2017. 

Union’s Club has proven to be such a successful, synergistic model that it has helped many other institutions of higher education to follow suit. Dozens of college-based Clubs are now in operation across the United States, including the brand new BGCApp site at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical School in Hazard.

Programming and activities at all Clubs in Appalachia and beyond are guided by the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America: “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” To ensure that all children have access to these services regardless of family income, Clubs rely on grants and donations for funding.