Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County (BGCLC) has been awarded $149,915 through the Larimer County Workforce Innovation Grant. This grant will help the organization expand workforce development opportunities for youth in Larimer County by revitalizing their previous Junior Staff program for youth ages 16-18 and offering paid internships for young professionals.
Prior to COVID-19, BGCLC offered a Junior Staff program for youth ages 16-18 that were already attending Club regularly. Through this program, youth were taught job-seeking skills such as resume writing, and interviewing, as well as on-the-job skills, including group management, food service, and basic building maintenance. This program is backed by an educational curriculum that includes learning diversity, equity, and inclusion skills. This grant would provide the necessary funding to relaunch this program for Club members.
In addition to the Junior Staff program, BGCLC will introduce a paid internship program that would specifically build upon skills for those in advanced degree programs or those interested in youth development careers. While they currently facilitate unpaid internships, this grant would allow them to transform their unpaid internships into paid internships, allowing for a more equitable path for anyone to learn these skills. The goal of this program is to give future professionals an opportunity to learn specialized skills without having to give up a regular income to do so.
The Larimer County Workforce Innovation Grant is supported by the Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development department. The goal of this grant is to help solve workforce challenges by financially supporting innovative solutions.
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County (BGCLC) is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Club environment is a safe place, staffed by trained professionals, offering premier youth development programs to youth ages 6-18. BGCLC provides services in Fort Collins, Estes Park, Loveland, and Wellington and serves over 2,500 youth annually.