Thirteen St. Charles County Youth Selected for Junior Youth of the Year Program

St. Charles, MO, October 26, 2022

Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County (BGCSTC) recently kicked off the 2023 Junior Youth of the Year program. Each year, Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation honor one local youth as the Junior Youth of the Year. Participants are outstanding Club members, 10 to 13 years of age, who exhibit exceptional leadership skills, academic achievement, and outstanding service to their Club and community.

“Our Junior Youth of the Year program is one of my favorite Club programs,” shared Karen Englert, Chief Executive Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County. She continued, “Over the months we see strong mentoring relationships develop with community volunteers and watch our pre-teen Club members step up in new ways. They find their voice, set goals, and work to achieve them.”

Club youth are nominated by Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County unit leadership based on their Club participation, emerging leadership skills, and overall character. This year thirteen Club members have been selected to participate between the O’Fallon and St. Charles units. The multi-month program requires Club participants to engage in weekly sessions from October through January. Junior Youth of the Year participants write essays, create resumes, and deliver speeches to a panel of judges. Competitions occur at each Club site and then a final competition is held to select the overall Junior Youth of the Year who will represent BGCSTC at the state competition in April. Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County’s 2022 Junior Youth of the Year representative, Salena J., went on to earn the statewide title.

Locally sponsored by FORVIS and nationally sponsored by Toyota and Mondelez International the Junior Youth of the Year program provides opportunities for local youth to gain essential career and life skills and increase their confidence. Club youth become motivated to seek opportunities for leadership and to act as responsible citizens and change agents.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County:

For 70 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County (BGCSTC) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs daily during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character & leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Through annual summer camps, after-school programming, and community events, BGCSTC serves children ages 6-18 across St. Charles County to enable them to become responsible, caring and productive citizens. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Charles County on BGCSTC.org, Facebook, and LinkedIn.