The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington follows a Youth Development Strategy that ensures all members to be exposed to experiences that contribute to a positive sense of self-esteem.

This is done by developing:

A Sense of Competence

A feeling that each child can do something well and will be respected by his or her peers and those they respect. The challenge of applying this part of the Youth Development Strategy is to find ways to assure children (even the least talented) that they can do something well.

A Sense of Usefulness

A feeling that each child has something to contribute and the opportunity to do something of value for other people. This can be accomplished by having children take responsibility for tasks, such as cleaning up, handing out supplies, keeping records, or by having the group do community service

A Sense of Belonging

A feeling that the child fits in and is part of the group.

A Sense of Influence

A feeling that the child has a chance to be heard, listened to, and can influence decisions. This can be very open-ended for older children. For younger children, it can mean being given a choice as to what activity the group will do first.

As this strategy is fully implemented at the Boys & Girls Club, the youth’s self-esteem is enhanced and an environment is created to help them achieve their full potential.