After years of effort, the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee has announced that a club is finally coming to Clarksville.
Clarksville's youth will soon have another place to learn, have fun and receive mentorship as the Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee expands to Clarksville next summer.
Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, who was behind the push for a new location in Clarksville, said efforts to open a Boys & Girls Club in the city began more than a year ago.
"After months of community engagement and a comprehensive needs assessment process, done in collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, it is clear there is a strong need for a Boys & Girls Club in the Clarksville area,” Glynn said.
When community leaders came together to support a club in Clarksville, the organization began to fall into place with the help of Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden, Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts' offices and Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools and Task Force chairperson Deidre Ward.
With the work of the Task Force and GCMT, with the support of BGCA, a Club in Clarksville is now in the works.
“We are incredibly enthusiastic about this expansion," said BGCMT's CEO Eric Higgs. "Our goal is to provide the youth and families of Clarksville with resources, support, and opportunities that set them on the path toward a great future.”
Ward, who has also been instrumental in developing the expansion agreement, expressed similar excitement about the Club and the positive impact it can make on area youth and families in Clarksville.
"I am super excited to work with BGCMT," Ward said. "Our task force put in hundreds of effort hours and submitted numerous reports to get us in the place we are now, starting our very own BGC here in Clarksville. Thank you to BGCMT and our entire Clarksville team."
As a grandfather of 11 and mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, Glynn said he wanted to make sure the expansion happened to benefit the youth of Clarksville.
"It only made sense that I do what's right and get this thing where it needed to be so that we can obviously keep our community kids where they need to be, which is having something to do, having a place to go, having the mentorship they need," Glynn said.
Although the Boys and Girls Club isn't expected to open until the summer of 2025, the organization is already making its mark on the community.
Community involvement commences
Last week, the Boys and Girls Club hosted a Code Academy at Kenwood Middle School for children eight to 18, teaching them coding and app design fundamentals through a hands-on learning experience.
“It’s thrilling to be bringing a Boys & Girls Club of Middle Tennessee Clubhouse to Clarksville,” said Susannah Shumate, Chief Development Officer of the organization. “We are eager to serve the young people of Montgomery County, and we’ve already started with our recent Code Academy. It is our mission to enable all young people – especially those who need us most – to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.
"We look forward to doing just that in the Queen City.”
For Glynn, seeing the Club one step closer to opening and not just the subject of conversations, is one step forward in taking care of the next generation.
"I ran on taking care of the community, taking care of our kids, and making sure our kids have what they need because they are our people," said Glynn. "If we don't take care of them now; we're not leaving them with the things they need to be successful going forward."
The Boys & Girls Club will hold Town Hall meetings in Clarksville this summer, continuing until the new Club officially opens.
These meetings will offer residents the chance to learn about the plans for the Clarksville location and share their ideas and support.
Kenya Anderson is a reporter for The Leaf-Chronicle. She can be contacted at kanderson@gannett.com or on X at kenyaanderson32. Sign up for the Leaf-Chronicle to support local journalism at www.theleafchronicle.com.
Most Popular
Comments / 0