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Boys & Girls Club Advances Building Plan State of the Art Facility Will Serve More Youth and Teens
The Boys and Girls Club of Schenectady took a step closer to fulfilling its vision for the new, state-of-the-art Quackenbush Park facility with a grant from The Schenectady Foundation. The Foundation has committed $125,000 in support of the construction project. The new 37,000 sq. ft. youth development facility will serve children and teens residing in the Hamilton Hill and Mont Pleasant neighborhoods.
The new facility will accommodate young people ages 6-18, and provide space designed to serve 250-300 youth per day. The previous Boys and Girls Club home, at 400 Craig Street, served approximately 100 youth per day. The facility is part of an intentional focus to promote the Teen Career Development Initiative, dedicated to helping teens develop a positive vision for their future.
“We are so excited to bring a much-needed new state-of-the-art youth development facility to the families residing in Hamilton Hill and Mont Pleasant. This commitment truly demonstrates to the young people that the community cares about their immediate well-being, development, and future success,” stated Shane Bargy, Executive Director at BGCS.
Modern technology will be provided through two learning centers bridging the digital divide for the neighborhoods’ young people. This facility will provide the technology to allow teens to explore career options, do homework, conduct research, and communicate with others. Many of the club’s members do not have regular access to new technology, which can greatly impact their ability to succeed.
In addition to the technology labs, a 4,000 sq. ft. Teen Center will be constructed based on the ideas and concepts of surveyed youth in the community. “Empowering teens by including them in the design and decision-making when the site opens is critical” stated Bargy. The immediate goal of the Teen Center is to draw many of the disengaged teens away from the streets and into a safe location where the Teen Center Development Initiative can be fully implemented.
“We’re excited by the prospect of seeing innovative programming in the new facility,” said Robert Carreau, executive director of The Schenectady Foundation. “Youth have told us that they want and need more safe spaces to congregate, with opportunities to explore their interests in technology and the arts.”
To learn more about the BGCS Quackenbush Park facility project, click here.
