Mentor (youth: Mesa)

COMMUNITY PARTNER

Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley

ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP

Duties

Interns assist staff in providing specialized programs and fun activities such as daily physical activity, high tech computer labs, arts and craft, dance, music, tutoring, and field trips.

In our After School Program, The Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley  provides character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness and recreation programs to at-risk youth, ages 5-14 years old.

The limited budget of each club allows for some full time employees and part time employees to oversee the program areas, plan and develop programs and to solicit the involvement of interns who can provide for the special needs of individuals and small groups.

Also seeking qualified indivduals to assist with multimedia and social meda. Working in Adobe Photoshop and Premire a plus.

Population served

Our Club is bordered on three sides by 3 of the highest priority zip codes identified by Magellan, the new Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Maricopa County. These problems are also very much in evidence in 85210, where the Club is located. These priorities are based on needs and services of the county’s Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) clients.  It is one of the most impoverished areas in Mesa, in a historically high-crime, low-income redevelopment area.  Mesa United Way’s Ready to Learn Research Paper from 2002 cites recent School Ability Test Scores from second graders in Mesa Public Schools that show that Mesa’s scores have fallen below the national average and continue a decade-long decline in the readiness of our children to learn.  Some of the statistics drawn from the 2000 census confirm the needs that continue to dominate the area.  According to the census there has been an increase in youth 0-19 of 32% which makes it one of the areas in Maricopa County that has a higher than average growth in this age level.  Mesa’s 36.6% increase in the Hispanic population was higher than the average in Maricopa and Arizona in general (25%).  The number of renter occupied housing also continued to increase and was rated at 52.7%.  High School Graduation or GED certification of the resident population was at 25.4%.  Only a third of Mesa’s children live with both parents in one household.

Community need/impact

After School Programs, particularly those serving economically disadvantaged youth, are needed to provide creative and recreational outlets while fostering personal development and life-long learning. The Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development found that “What young people do with their time outside the classroom has a tremendous impact on their present and future well-being.” During this time, youth tend to engage in the highest levels of health-harming behaviors. These problems are very much in evidence surrounding our Mesa Club which is bordered by 3 of the highest priority zip codes identified by Magellan, the Regional Behavioral Health Agency. These priorities are based on needs and services of the county’s Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System clients. These problems are also very much in evidence in the Club’s zip. It is one of the most impoverished areas in Mesa, a historically high-crime, low-income redevelopment area. Our programs provide a continuum of care during the after-school hours of 3:00pm-7:00pm and offer opportunities for youth to develop and sustain enriching and healthy lifestyle activities that will divert them from negative behaviors.

Offered at low or no cost, we follow a youth development strategy that has been proven effective in guiding youth through personal, educational, and social development, allowing large numbers of youth to fulfill their potential and become positive, value-oriented and productive citizens.