Programming- Power Hour

Programming 

The Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club (BCBGC) became the big 2-0 in 2019. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Club has partnered with the Montrose Daily Press on a special project; to bring to the readers of the Press an article each week to highlight various aspects of the Club and show the impact it has had in Montrose & Olathe. The readers will get insight from current parents, former Club kids, current Club kids, past Club staff, and more. So join us each week as we show why “Great Futures Start Here!”

My brothers and I are first generation college graduates in our family. Since I was very young, my parents have always been advocates of the importance of getting an education and continuing to learn throughout life. This encouragement from my parents and constant support has helped shaped me into the person I am today. Because of that, it is my goal to spread that encouragement and support of continual learning to the kids of the Club. So in today’s article, I am going to talk about the Clubs homework help time called “Power Hour”.  

The Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club is the only Boys & Girls Club in Colorado with a mandatory Power Hour. The Club dedicates a full hour every day to helping kids with their growth and education. We separate our kids by grade and have them go into a classroom. For some of our younger kids, who do not have homework as part of their curriculum yet, we have staff read books to the kids. If the kids have already completed their homework at school, we have them read from our library of books. Each grade has a dedicated staff person to help with any questions or concerns the kids may have. 

Now, let’s be honest, Power Hour is not the kids’ favorite activity (I think we can all relate to that looking back on our school days). When we survey the kids on their favorite things to do at Club and what they would like to see change, most say less Power Hour and more general play time. However, it is not just the kids’ decision on what they do at Club. When we survey the parents, they say that Power Hour is their favorite activity of the kids. While the rest of the Club activities are fun and educational, parents love that their kids’ homework is finished when they come home. This means when they are home, it is family time, which is also an important part of youth development and needs to be fostered. Furthermore, it allows for additional learning amongst the kids. If one kid is having trouble with say a math problem, another kid who might understand that is available, along with staff, to help get to the answer. So Club kids, Power Hour is here to stay! 

I will end with the importance of the Club on education; just the Club itself with no extra bells and whistles. In a study done by Larimer County, youth who attend a Boys & Girls Club, on average, have one letter grade higher than their peers. Youth who attend the Club also have better social emotional skills than their peers. I am proud to be a part of an organization that sends kids out into the world with additional knowledge and skills that will help them have great futures. 

Bud Taylor is the Executive Director for the Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club (BCBGC) and had been for the past two years. Prior to that, he was a BCBGC kid, junior staff member, and board director. Feel free to contact Bud Taylor by e-mail at btaylor@bcbgc.org or visit the Club’s website for more information, www.bcbgc.org.