Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Alaska
In the vast expanses of our nation's largest
and northernmost state, reaching out to youth involves unique
challenges. First, there's the geography: Club professionals have
to fly, not drive, to most locations. Then there's the incredible
diversity of the state's population: while the majority of residents
are non-Native, the three main Native groups - Eskimos, Indians and
Aluets - represent 196 tribes.
"The challenges tend to be greater in our
Alaska Native communities," explains John Oates, chief executive
officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska. "Alcohol,
drugs and particularly suicide - we are tackling these issues head on."
The Clubs offer a blend of traditional Boys & Girls Club
programming, such as drug and alcohol prevention initiatives, and cultural
activities, including drumming, dancing, singing and carving.
In 2002, the Clubs served 20,000 youth, including non-Native
young people. But kids aren't the only ones active in the Clubs; they have
also become extremely popular among adults in the communities they serve.
"The challenges tend to be greater in our
Alaska Native communities," explains John Oates, chief executive
officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska. "Alcohol,
drugs and particularly suicide - we are tackling these issues head on."
"We have learned that Boys & Girls
Clubs are an opportunity for elders and parents to teach kids
about their culture," continues Oates. Including elders,
parents and tribal leaders in the Club program "weaves
Native American culture into the very fabric of the Clubhouse
environment," he said.
Oates thinks that the Boys & Girls Club approach makes
Clubs especially effective in addressing difficult matters.
"We raise the bar of hope and expectations for these
kids," he says. "We let them know we are there for
them, that we have expectations of them and that we'll help
them succeed. When Boys & Girls Clubs are filling minds
with all these hopes, kids feel that and develop expectations
for themselves.
"We are driven by the vision of saving these kids lives
- literally," concludes Oates.
The Suicide Wall
When the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southcentral Alaska launched
an outreach program for Native youth, they began in the Tyonek
village. The tiny, remote community had been plagued by alcoholism
and a terrible teenage suicide problem, averaging more than
one such death every year. The problem was so bad that tribal
elders constructed a Suicide Wall to list the names of the
young victims.
Since the Boys & Girls Club opened in 1993, not one child
has taken his or her own life, and the Suicide Wall has been
removed. Today, every youth in the village is a member of
the Club, and names are now being added to the Youth of the
Month Wall, which recognizes positive contributions by the
young people in the village.
"We teach them that life and success are journeys, not
destinations," says John Oates, chief executive officer
for the Clubs. "If you do that, there is no room for
thoughts of suicide."
Read previous Club Spotlights:
Boys & Girls Club
of Aha Macav Mohave Valley, Arizona
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