Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
Family Resources

Click here to learn more about our open Club locations and to register your child:
Register here

Our Boys & Girls Clubs staff compiled a multitude of useful resources for the benefit of Club families, from information related to the COVID-19 virus to helpful online learning opportunities for Club members to enjoy.

  • Family Resources
    • Member Mask Policy – Due to Milwaukee’s mask mandate, as well as Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee’s commitment to the health and safety of our Club members and staff, masks are now required inside all Clubs. This applies to all children aged 3 and up, and adults. Children should arrive at Club with a mask. If your child does not have a mask, BGCGM staff will be happy to provide one. Additionally, we ask that all parents and guardians wear a mask during drop-off and pick-up, even while outside the Club. Together we can slow the spread of COVID-19. If you have any questions, please contact your Club manager.
    • COVID-19 Information & Best Practices – Our staff has curated information to help you navigate day-to-day life during COVID-19.
    • COVID-19 Health & Safety Protocols document – We invite you to view our COVID-19 Health & Safety Protocols document to see how we’re maintaining safe practices as we welcome our members back to our Clubs.
    • Talking to youth about Coronavirus | Hablarle a sus hijos sobre el COVID-19 – This guide helps parents and guardians navigate the difficult topic of discussing COVID-19 with children.
    • Qualifying Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Members Can Access Free Or Discounted Internet – With more people working and studying from home during the COVID-19 outbreak, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is partnering with Comcast to help connect Milwaukee’s youth with free internet access. Qualifying households will receive 2 (two) free months of Comcast’s Internet Essentials WiFi service, which is normally available to all qualified low-income households for $9.95/month plus tax. To find out if your household qualifies, go to www.internetessentials.com/covid19 to apply before June 30, 2021.

      Families can cancel service after two months with no obligation. Families can also purchase a computer from Comcast for $149. For more information, go to www.internetessentials.com/covid19 or call 1-855-846-8376.

      Additionally, Spectrum is offering discounted internet service to qualifying families, including a free internet modem and optional in-home Wi-Fi service for $5/month plus tax. The offer is not valid for current Spectrum subscribers. For more information and to see if you qualify, go to https://www.spectrum.com/browse/content/spectrum-internet-assist

      Note: BGCGM is not recommending or endorsing these efforts, this information is simply being shared as a potential resource.

    • Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program – Does your family need help paying your energy bill during this challenging time? The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program assists Milwaukee County residents by providing a one-time annual payment* to make your heating and electric bills more affordable. Click here to see if you qualify.
  • Education Resources

      Education

    • MyFuture – MyFuture is a web platform that enables kids to engage with program content, learn new skills, earn recognition and share media with peers. Programs include: Computer Science, Digital Literacy, Leadership, Lyricism 101, Media Making, Positive Club Climate, SMART Girls, Ultimate Journey, Visual Arts, and Healthy Habits.
    • Milwaukee Public Library – Milwaukee Public Library offers online tutoring seven days a week through the Brainfuse database. The service offers “one-to-one homework help, state-aligned skills building, test preparation, and writing assistance for students of all ages, from elementary school to college studies.

      • Story Time

    • Scholastic Learn at Home – Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own or with their families. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin!
    • Storyline Online – A great collection of stories being read aloud by famous actors and actresses. What a way to get kid’s attention!
    • Story Time From Space – This website has amazing books being read aloud from space by astronauts!!! How cool is that?

      • Printable Packets

    • Education.com – This website has a packet for kids in Kindergarten-5th grade that can be downloaded and printed. It has five days of activities.
    • Curriculum Associates – This website offers free packets for math and literacy for grades K-8. Each packet has enough content to last approximately one month.

      • Additional Family Resources

    • Lakeshore – This education-based company is offering over 1,000 free resources for families including writing prompts, flash cards, and craft activities.
    • Reading Rockets – This website offers free educational resources including themed adventure packs for families.
    • Ivy League Courses – This website is a compilation of free online learning for our older kids or adults.
  • Sports & Recreation Resources

      Sports & Recreation

    • Tap Dance Instruction – Take an online tap dance class and learn the basics from a pro!
      A Note From the Pro: I’ve been a dancer basically my whole life, and I’ve been teaching dance for just about half my life now. I am a member of JorsTAP Chicago, the only current all female tap dance company in the Windy City. So, I’m super excited to give you guys a little twist and a different style of dance – Tap! But, I’m a huge fan of fusing dance styles together – learn a bit about this style (or explore it a bit more if you’ve already trained in it) and then throw in whatever other styles into the mix to make it your own! YOU DON’T NEED TAP SHOES! Socks in the kitchen, Nikes on the driveway, all are perfect!

      Here’s the assignment – If you’ve never tap danced before, watch the first video. If you’ve got a bit of training, you can skip it if you want to.

      Then, you have two options:
      1) make up your own rhythm or combo using some of the basics in the first video, or if you’ve got any other tap moves in your bag, throw them in!
      -or-
      2) learn the combo from Video 2 and Video 3. There’s a more basic song choice, or there’s a trickier song choice with faster tempo and more intricate rhythm.

      Have fun! And don’t forget – Make it your own!
      Video 1 | Video 2 | Video 3

    • Learn How to Play Chess – Our friends at First Move Chess are offering the online portion of their curriculum for free until August 1st, 2020. The program was designed for 2-4 graders, but can be used with older kids, or younger kids if an adult is available to assist with reading.
      Each lesson takes about 20-30 minutes. Lessons 1-10 cover the basics of chess and target thinking skills like visualization, pattern recognition, thinking ahead, and analyzing. Lessons 11-20 cover some chess tactics and special moves along with more thinking skills like logical reasoning, problem solving and decision making.

      To access First Move:
      1) Go to www.firstmovechess.org
      2) Click LOG IN in the upper corner
      3) Click REGISTER now (under the SIGN IN button)
      4) Fill in the boxes
      5) The School/Site Name: HOME- BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS
      6) The District/Program Name: FIRST MOVE CHESS
      7) The ACCESS CODE is: QRDCEKFX
      8) Click REGISTER, you are signed up and ready to learn!

Meal Distribution Program

Three of our Clubs are distributing free meals for kids every Friday. Any family can pick up a week’s worth of food (21 meals and 21 cartons of milk) for each child 18 and younger in their household from the following Clubs.

No identification necessary. Club membership is not required.

Locations

  • Don & Sallie Davis Club (1975 S. 24th St, Milwaukee, WI 53204)
    2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. or while supplies last
  • LaVarnway Club (2739 N. 15th St, Milwaukee, WI 53206)
    12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or while supplies last
  • Mary Ryan Club (3000 N. Sherman Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53210)
    12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. or while supplies last