An opportunity for young community leaders to link and inspire positive change here in their own city. A place to encourage to them to be their own person, stand for something and be a misfit!! Featured speaker Divine Bradley as featured in "The Hip Hop Project” (2006) Ralph Lauren G.I.V.E. campaign, The Maury Povich Show. Mr. Bradley is also the founder of Team Revolution a non-profit organization based out of Brooklyn, New York. Sessions will be centered on topics like the importance of being a giver, expressing your individuality, why community service matters and creating opportunities by becoming entrepreneurs.
Helping us with Media Safety is so big that we're giving away trips to the National Keystone Conference and cash prizes!
In our "Caption This!" contest, insanely incredible prizes are up for grabs for 15 Club teens that help us in spotlighting Internet and media safety! Insane like a free trip to to the 2012 National Keystone Conference for you and an advisor. AND even more -- a cash prize of up to $500!
But here's the skinny: Club teens are asked to submit an original slogan that communicates awareness and educates other teens -- in 10 words or less! -- about any of five important Internet and media safety topics -- cyberbullying; password protection and online information sharing; sexting; Web chat safety; and cell phone recycling.
See those images scrolling by above? Use them as your inspiration! Be sure to download your own copies of the flyers to help you come up with your slogans! 
Download Contest Flyers
Submit entries through midnight Jan. 31, 2012! It's as easy as:
1) Read the complete contest rules*. Download Contest Rules
2) Download the entry form and save it to a computer. 
Download Entry Form
3) Fill it out completely and then email it to contests@myclubmylife.com to have your entry counted!
The top 10 entries in each category will move on to final judging. Three teens will be chosen as finalists in each category -- that's 15 of you who will be rewarded handsomely! $500 will be awarded to the grand prize winner in each caption category! $350 will be awarded for second prize and $200 for third place. Insane, huh?
But there's more! As an incentive, entries received by midnight on Dec. 15, 2011, will be entering into a random drawing to win one of five $25 gift cards. And a second random drawing will be held in January for those entries submitted by midnight on Jan. 15, 2012, for five more $25 gift cards!
The winning slogans will be used in a series of professionally produced posters that will be revealed at the 2012 National Keystone Conference in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition -- besides all that cash and free trips -- the five grand prize winners will be recognized on stage in front of the National Keystone Conference audience for a job well done!
The slogans will also be used on T-shirts and distributed to your fellow teens at the National Keystone Conference. Posters will then be mailed to all Clubs as part of promotional efforts to generate excitement about Internet Safety Month events. Your clever slogans will keep showing up and paying off!
And most importantly, you will help us spread a very vital message about the importance of media safety! Got a saying that strikes back against cyberbullying? Or highlights the dangers of sexting? Say it in 10 words or less and win!
Get to captioning now! Caption This -- and win!
*Be sure to read the COMPLETE contest rules and instructions, and share the information with your advisor. Remember -- incomplete entry forms will be disqualified. Don't let that happen to you!
Win a free full-tuition scholarship to University of Phoenix and a Kimberly-Clark back-to-school survival kit! Find out how, below.
Are you an inspirational mom who is longing to get your college or graduate degree? The Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Kimberly-Clark are waiting to hear from you. The Most Inspirational Mom is a joint venture between BGCA and Kimberly-Clark, as part of the Family PLUS initiative. The search is designed to celebrate moms everywhere and provide three deserving moms the opportunity to pursue an undergraduate or master’s degree from University of Phoenix. BGCA Alum and University of Phoenix graduate Lucille O’Neal is the ambassador for the Family PLUS program. She recently launched the Most Inspirational Mom search, which runs through January 19, 2012. The search is designed to encourage nominations (or self-nominations) for mom’s who inspire their children, family and community.
Encourage Club Teens to Take Anti-bullying Oath for a Chance to Win
Actress Keke Palmer recently launched the
Put A Stop To Bullying Now! oath project to encourage teens to write an anti-bullying plan. The deadline is
Dec. 20. Club members could win a pair of tickets to her upcoming movie
JoyFul Noise and a personal call from Keke!
10th Annual National
Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals
The Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals Celebrate 10 years!
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is pleased to present the 10th annualClub Tech National Digital Arts Festivals, sponsored by Microsoft and Comcast. The newest festival category, Game Tech (only for teens ages 13-18), is sponsored by AMD Foundation. This year, youth members can compete in up to five different challenge projects and teen members can compete in as many as six, based upon the festival category. This allows your members to show where their creative passion lies by entering any or all of the festival categories:
Photo Tech (photo illustration) -The submissions period has culminated.
- Music Tech (electronic music making) -The submissions period has culminated.
- Movie Tech (digital movie making) -Submissions Due Feb. 14, 2012
- Digital film making
- Digital animation creation
- Design Tech (graphic design) -Submissions Due Mar. 13, 2012
- Game Tech (computer game design, teens only) -Submissions Due Mar. 13, 2012
How Club Tech Impacts Members
Kids and teens look to their Boys & Girls Club for support in conquering the day-to-day challenges they face, including those at school. BGCA's Club Tech program helps teach computer skills to Club members, giving them a competitive boost in school and in life. Learn more about Club Tech through this public service announcement, generously sponsored by Microsoft and Comcast, and narrated by Courtney B. Vance, Tony Award winning actor and former Club kid! Watch the Club Tech: GREAT Futures Start Here PSA. View the 2nd Spot Here
5 Simple Steps to Digital Arts Festival Participation
Step 1: Register Online
Go to https://digitalarts.bgca.net and complete online Festival registration. You must provide a valid e-mail address for the person who will upload artwork for regional judging. Only registered Clubs can submit artwork to regional Festivals.
Step 2: Create Artwork
Following the project guidelines, have members use the skills and techniques acquired in your technology center to create their submissions. It's advisable to have members begin creating artwork two to three months in advance of submitting their final projects.
Step 3: Host Local Digital Arts Festival or Judging Event
Following guidelines, host a local Digital Arts Festival. Local judges will choose one winner from your Club in each age category to advance to the regional Festival. Please note most festival categories are single member competitions. Group projects are permitted in the movie category only.
Step 4: Upload Artwork to Festival Website
Following guidelines and dates provided on the timeline, upload artwork to the Festival website, https://digitalarts.bgca.net. Log-in credentials are created at the time of registration.
Step 5: Wait for Regional and National Festivals Results
Regional winners are announced on www.bgca.net and the Festival website once they are chosen. Do not contact regional or national staff for results. Regional Festival winners automatically advance to national Festivals; Club staff does not need to take any action. National winners are also announced on www.bgca.net and www.myclubmylife.com once chosen.
Contacts
For more information, contact Christine Kotula, Director, Technology Programs & Training, or LaVerne Postell, Club Tech Coordinator, at digitalarts@bgca.org.
Resources to Support Your Parents During the Holidays
The holidays are a perfect time to introduce families to new, healthy snack choices and easy, fun exercises. The Triple Play Parents Game Plan is a great resource to
help your parents, volunteers or any adults associated with your Club support a healthy lifestyle at home
. Find Out More...