Mission & Impact

The mission of Boys & Girls Club of Detroit Lakes and Perham is "​to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” 

The clubhouses in Detroit Lakes and Perham accomplish this mission by providing outstanding before and after school, preschool, teen and summer programming to  children ages 3 and up. Programming is structured, meaningful, and relevant and is designed to build self-esteem and help children develop and succeed academically, socially, and civically.

​We provide each child who visits our Club with four key principles:

Sense of BELONGING

When young people know they are welcome and feel that they fit in and are accepted, they feel safe and happy.

Sense of POWER & INFLUENCE

When young people know that their opinions are heard and valued, they develop their own voice and can be confident about sharing it with others.

​Sense of USEFULNESS

When young people know the satisfaction of doing something of value for others, they feel valuable.

​Sense of COMPETENCE

Young people feel proud and confident when they acquire new skills, know they can do something, and do it well.

We know that the level of impact a Club has on its young people depends on the success it has implementing the following elements. Our professional, trained staff strives to make sure that these are a part of each and every day for all of our members:

• A Safe & Positive Environment. The Club is a safe haven where members feel physically and emotionally secure at all times.
• Fun. The Club facility, staff, and programs offered create a welcoming, positive environment that allows members to engage in play, enjoy their play time, and be happy and eager to come to the Club.
• Supportive Relationships. The Club ensures that every young person feels connected to one or more adults and has friendships with peers.
• Opportunities & Expectations. Club staff and programs consistently communicate the expectation that every child has the potential to excel, be productive, and succeed at the Club and in life.
• Recognition. The Club takes every opportunity to recognize and validate Club members’ achievements and accomplishments.

Our programming is focused around a tool called the Formula for Impact. Generally, the Formula for Impact means that when we combine young people who need us most with an outcome driven Club experience that the result will be priority outcomes. The outcomes we work hard each day to provide to our members include:

• Academic Success. We want our members to graduate from high school ready for college, trade school, the military, or employment. To accomplish this, we offer homework help and tutoring (e.g. Power Hour, Targeted Services, Boosters) and curriculum-based programming (e.g. Goals for Graduation, Career Launch, etc.). We believe that good communication and partnerships between Club members, parents, Club staff, and schools will help our children progress academically.
• Good Character & Citizenship. We want our members to be engaged citizens that get involved in the community. We want them to register to vote and model strong character. By offering Club members opportunities to learn and contribute (e.g. Torch Club, Junior Staff, partnerships with 4-H, activities at local senior living facilities, clean-up days, etc.), we help them find ways to engage with others in a way that is meaningful to them.
• Healthy Lifestyles. We want our members to adopt a healthy diet, practice healthy lifestyle choices, and make a lifelong commitment to fitness. Many of our programs and activities (e.g. SMART Moves, Goals for Growth, Money Matters, Triple Play, Krazy Kids Cooking, etc.) are geared toward helping our members develop social skills and healthy habits that will help them be healthy and successful.

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