Boys & Girls Clubs of America had its beginnings in 1860 with several women in Hartford, Connecticut believing that boys who roamed the streets should have a positive alternative, they organized the first Club. A cause was born.
In 1906, several Boys Clubs decided to affiliate. The Federated Boys Clubs in Boston was formed with 53-member organizations - this marked the start of a nationwide movement.
In 1931, the Boys Club Federation of America became Boys Clubs of America.
In 1956, Boys Clubs of America celebrated its 50th anniversary and received a U.S. Congressional Charter.
To recognize the fact that girls are a part of our cause, the national organization’s name was changed to Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 1990. Accordingly, Congress amended and renewed our charter.
2006 marked the Centennial year of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as we celebrated 100 years of providing hope and opportunity to young people across the country.
Today there are over 4,300 Club locations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, plus domestic and international military bases. Over 4.8 million children have been served.
The Bryant Boys & Girls Clubs began as the Bryant Youth Association after a group of community leaders through our local Chamber of Commerce determined we needed a youth program for children to go after school and during the summer. They hired a director (Mrs. Passmore) in 2004 and began the After School Program in September at the Bryant Elementary/Middle School campus. After a lot of hard work and community support, we were granted a charter from Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2005. In 2015, our board and staff stepped out on faith and answered the call for a Club at Davis Elementary School. It was an instant success and we are continuing to make a positive difference in our communities. We are extremely proud of the amount of success we have and the positive impact we have made in our community and more importantly, the young people we serve.