THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF WASHINGTON

COUNTY
The Boys and Girls Club of
Washington County,
Tennessee is much more
than a drop-off point for
students at the end of the
day.
I love this place because
its really popular, said
six-year-old Natalia.
East Tennessee State Universitys Student United Way attended the
Boys and Girls Club during the week of March 15, involving a total of
24 volunteers from the university. They learned about the positive
influence that the organization has over the youth.
Ive learned to respect my teachers and peers, said Sarava, a
seventh grader from Liberty Bell Middle School.
Each day begins at 3 p.m., when the
children arrive on the Boys and Girls
Club van. A frenzy of activity
ensues, each student moving to a
different area of the club based on
age. Thus begins power hour, a
time devoted to homework and
studying. Volunteers and staff
members alike are on hand to offer
their wisdom in all subjects of study.
However, some of the most
important lessons that the students
have learned are unrelated to academics.
Ive learned that its important to take care of my brother and sister,
said Cory, a first grader at North Side Elementary School.

Following power hour, members

begin to rotate throughout each
room of the
building, engaging in various activities that are both educational and
fun. The gymnasium is always noisy, with children playing tag,
basketball, and duck-duck-goose.
I like gym because I love basketball, said Michael, an 11-year-old
from Jonesborough Middle School. I get to work on being on the JV and
varsity
teams for school.
Every
where

hour the students transfer to a new room

they are able to engage in different activities.
Other areas include the art room, computer
lab, and game area. A teen room gives
middle school students their own space to
congregate, and the learning center is
designated for structured, educational
lessons taught by the staff.
Ive learned a lot about becoming a vet,
said fifth grader Jaythan.

Most of the members attend the Boys and

Girls Club on a daily basis, including vacation
from school. The summer program enables
the students to go on field trips where they
swim, hike, and volunteer at Dominion Senior Living of Johnson City.
Regardless of the time of year, fourth grader Ayden sums up the most
important virtues that the members learn while at the Boys and Girls
Club.

Ive made lots of new friends here, and Ive learned to be nice to other

people.