Youth at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater
Salt
Lake Get SMART
Training Helps Youth Avoid Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt
Lake is fighting back against the use of alcohol and drugs by teens in our community. With a comprehensive and proven effective curriculum, SMART Moves (Skills, Mastery And Resistance Training), Club staff teach youth about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
“SMART Moves provides us with age-specific curricula that engage the Club staff, parents, and community in a team approach to prevention,” said LeAnn Saldivar, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake. “This program gives our kids the tools they need to make their own decisions and avoid risky situations.”
Over the past year, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake has been conducting the program in Clubs across Salt Lake in 3 age-appropriate groups – SMART Kids, ages 6 -9; Start SMART, ages 10-12; Stay SMART, ages 13-15. Each program is specifically designed with the participant’s age in mind, equipping them with basic life skills, problem-solving and decisions-making abilities and communication skills, all of which boosts self-confidence and self-esteem.
And it’s working. Through a series of pre and post tests, an independent evaluator was able to measure the impact of SMART Moves on the more nearly 350 youth who participated in the program in the past 12 months. Participants in all three age groups showed a statistically significant increase in knowledge about alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. An impressive 99% of SMART Kids participants said they would choose to go home rather than use cigarettes with friends.
Smart Kids participants had a statistically significant increase in self-esteem levels after participation in the program. Start Smart participants were significantly more likely to say they would refuse offers to use alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana after their participation.
Stay SMART participants reported significantly lower 30 day use rates for cigarettes and marijuana, and more participants indicated “no use” at posttest than pretest for alcohol.
“It works because the kids in our Clubs are raised in the SMART Moves program,” said Carrie Francis, Director of Operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake. “These kids start their classes with SMART Kids as young as age 6 and advance through the levels as they grow up. Some even work with staff to teach the younger kids after they graduate from the program.”
“I like this program because it teaches my kids the dangers of smoking, drinking, and using drugs. I just wish someone told me about this when I was in school,” said one parent whose children participated in the SMART Moves program in May of this year.
“The strength in the program lies in the engagement of not only peer mentors, but also the parents,” said Saldivar. “Our SMART Parents program is a vital component to bringing the lessons taught in our Clubs home. We strive to work with parents to provide the support our kids need to help them make healthy choices.”
SMART Moves is funded through a generous grant from Salt Lake County Division of Behavioral Health. For more information on SMART Moves and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake, call 801.322.4411.
Sign up for our Email Newsletter
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake Make Huge Strides in Improving Graduation Rates
Salt Lake City,
Utah – With graduation rates on the decline and dropout rates rising across the state and the nation Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake is working harder than ever to ensure that all kids have the tools they need to succeed in school.
Schools and teachers along with parents and family members are integral to children’s success. However, a third, and often overlooked, crucial piece of the education equation is community-based organizations – such as Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake – that can serve as partners with schools and in providing access to the programs and resources that both youth and families need to succeed. Now more than ever, community partners play a critical role in shaping the lives of our communities’ young people. This is where Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake is uniquely positioned to make a significant difference.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater
Salt
Lake is proud to announce that 98% of seniors who are active Boys & Girls Club members graduated from high school this past week. By comparison, their peers in the Salt Lake City School District have graduation rates ranging from 69% - 73% from 2008, 2009 and 2010 (2011 numbers have not yet been released).* In addition, 38% of the graduating Club members are first generation graduates and 76% have plans to attend college. Even more impressive is that 63% of graduating Club members who attended the Capitol West Club – located in the socio-economically challenged Rose Park neighborhood – received scholarships from various sources in order to assist in their college education.
“We’re so proud of these outstanding young adults in our Clubs,” said LeAnn Saldivar, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater
Salt
Lake. “Many of our Club members come from demographic backgrounds that represent some of the neediest and most underserved youth in the state of
Utah.” Club members grow up in environments with numerous obstacles, including low-performing schools, insufficient role models, and dangerous neighborhoods. 97% of Club members qualify for free or reduced lunches, 86% percent are ethnic minorities and more than 60% are from single parent homes; all factors that indicate that our Club members are at high risk for academic and social failure. “We won’t accept that,” continued Saldivar. “That’s why we have made high school graduation a priority within our Clubs.”
By implementing a strategy called Every Member; Every Year, staff at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake aims to ensure that all Club members progress on time each year to the next grade level. Staff members and Club members discuss the importance of school and high school graduation and members are recognized for academic successes, including homework completion, grade improvement and progression. Staff members provide the tools kids need – such as tutors, computer time, and school supplies and a healthy dose of encouragement and guidance – to help them achieve their academic goals.
An outstanding example of the success of the Every Member, Every Year program is Jesse Enriquez, a member of the Capitol West Boys & Girls Club and 2011 Capitol West Youth of the Year. Jesse, the oldest of three boys, was born in the
United States shortly after his parents emigrated from
Mexico in search of a better life. He is the first in his family to graduate from high school having just graduated from
West
High School with honors and a 3.85 cumulative GPA.
“Academic success hasn’t come easy for Jesse,” said Maren Miller, Capitol West Club Director. “As the first person in his family to attend school in the
United States, Jesse has had to learn everything on his own. Adjusting to the increasing amount of homework and studying required in high school was difficult, yet he worked closely with our staff, utilizing the Clubs tutors and computer labs to help him with his homework.” Jesse is a member of AVID and Gear Up, college preparation programs for first generation students. He has received an engineering scholarship and will attend college this fall, the first in his family to do so.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake helps hundreds of kids like Jesse each day by inspiring them to BE Great.
Ways you can get involved:
- Be a Volunteer: Mentors, tutors, and special skill teachers are essential in making a difference in the life of a child. Click here to learn more about volunteering in our clubs and to download a volunteer application. (link to volunteer page)
- Be a Donor: A gift of $400 sponsors a child for an entire year at the Club, but even a gift as small as $25 can buy snacks, art supplies, sports equipment and more. Click here to donate
- Be Informed: Join our email newsletter list to receive updates about what’s happening in our Clubs, our communities, and more.