Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell

Our Youth of the Year judges have the important task of choosing the candidate who best represents leadership, service, academic excellence, and a healthy lifestyle. These dedicated community leaders have narrowed down eight amazing candidates to four finalists and will select one Youth of the Year. We're so grateful for their time and support in helping shape the future leaders of Lowell. Let's meet our 2025 Youth of the Year judges! Ineabelle Dominguez: Chief Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Officer, Lowell, MA With 22 years at Lowell District Court as a probation case specialist and cultural diversity ambassador, I?eabelle Dominguez joined City Hall in 2023 and works to create a more inclusive workforce and better serve the city’s diverse community. Fluent in English and Spanish, Dominguez has co-facilitated DEI training at Middlesex Community College and organized cultural diversity events. She holds a diversity and inclusion leadership certificate from Cornell University and a degree from MCC. Raised in Lowell, her family moved from Puerto Rico to the mainland U.S. in 1960. Tara Hong: State Representative,18th Middlesex District - Lowell, MA State Representative Tara Hong has been actively involved in the Lowell community since high school. His experience includes working with local nonprofits and political campaigns, gaining insight into key issues and necessary improvements. He volunteered and worked full-time at CMAA, educating the Khmer and Southeast Asian communities on civic engagement. He also collaborated with CBA and Lowell Alliance to provide resources and worked as a substitute teacher in Lowell Public Schools, supporting student growth. Robin Jones, Arbella Insurance Foundation Robin Jones is the Executive Director of the Arbella Insurance Foundation and has nearly two decades of experience as an independent nonprofit consultant. She is dedicated to supporting social impact organizations and has helped many enhance their capacity and create impactful narratives. Robin holds a B.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University and has served on various nonprofit boards, such as Boston Children’s Museum and Tenacity. She resides near Boston with her husband and three young adult kids. Cesar Arboleda, Co-Owner of LaBelle Winery, NH Born in Medellin, Colombia, Cesar Arboleda immigrated to the U.S. at age seven, where his parents worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for their children. After graduating from UMass Lowell, he built a career in IT before leaving the field in 2008 to assist Amy LaBelle in establishing a world-class, state-of-the-art winery in NH, LaBelle Winery. As co-owner, he oversees cellar operations, sales, and wine production, driven by his belief that world-class quality can be achieved anywhere. Cesar grew up in Lowell and attended The Club as a child and currently lives in Amherst, NH with his wife Amy and two sons.

Youth of the Year is the Boys & Girls Club of America's signature leadership development program that aims to create a new generation of leaders. The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell is honored to present our four Youth of the Year Finalists who inspire us all with their devotion and commitment to our community. The candidates are busy honing their interviewing, speech writing, and public speaking skills as they prepare for their interviews with our esteemed panel of judges. The judges are tasked with determining the YOY winner on March 20th. The winner will receive a $1000 scholarship and participate in the regional competition and if they are selected to move on to the National Level, the winner will receive a $50,000 scholarship! The Club is so proud of all our extraordinary finalists and wish them the very best!?

We are excited to announce that the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell is the proud recipient of @BGCA.Clubs’s The 2024 Champion for Youth Award for our dedicated advocacy around issues impacting our local youth! We are honored to be ranked among the top 10% of Clubs nationwide to receive this award as we inspire and empower the next generation! Every day we strive to make sure the young people at the club have access to experiences or opportunities for success in life as we work towards our Club goal of ending generational poverty. Please join our Advocacy Network to make your voice heard: https://bit.ly/CFCSignUp #GreatFutures #ClubAdvocate #WhateverItTakes #boysandgirlsclub #championforyouth Jim Clark Jenna Kapp Joe Hungler

Please meet Jaleabel, Lensge, Diani, Hadassa, Eva, Justin and Korey - the artists who created this year's mural entry for the Lowell Winterfest Youth Mural Competition! The mural topic was 'A Day in the Life' and staff member Aaliyah led the kids through a series of questions to help get the creative juices flowing - such as "What is our everyday routine? Where are the places we go? Who do we interact with?" By combining those responses they produced an amazing mural they can all relate to. Thank you to Mosaic Lowell for donating all the supplies! ?? You can vote for the "People's Choice Award" which showcases the amazing murals in the competition. We hope you cheer on our artists to keep their winning streak alive! Voting is open until 2/23: https://lnkd.in/ew6XTVmN #mosaiclowell #lowellwinterfest #mural #boysandgirlsclubofgreaterlowell #vote #artist

As part of the Photography Club curriculum, Tech Lab Lead Jesslie Cruz has introduced a lesson on "Portraits and Headshots". Not only are the kids learning new photography, lighting and software techniques, but they decided to set up a photo booth, for all Club members and staff, to put these new skills to use. Jesslie explains, "Portrait photography enhances visual literacy and teaches how to observe and work with body language, expressions, and lighting - essential skills for anyone considering a career in photography. Although professionalism is one goal, it is also about helping members develop technical skills and expressing their unique artistic vision. While it’s important for them to understand how to use camera settings properly, I wanted to ensure that each photo they took encouraged self-expression and creativity all while having fun." By setting up a photo booth, the kids are also developing skills in leadership, logistics, communications, and customer service. What better way to practice new techniques than to have some fun with them?

Take a look at the progress being made on the Teen Center! We have come a long way from the concrete pad that was installed many months ago. Infrastructure, steel walls, a full second level and now the roof are bringing this space to life! C.E. Floyd Company, PBC has worked through a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions to keep this project on track and the Teens are so excited to watch this promise come to fruition. The new Teen Center will support up to 250 members per day, which will be a significant increase. The Center will focus on work development programs, career and college readiness as well as provide dedicated quiet spaces for homework etc. Investing in our youth is the best investment we can make towards our mission of ending generational poverty in Lowell. For the community's support of this extremely important endeavor, we are incredibly grateful. ??

The Club just experienced a fantastic win-win situation! UniFirst Corporation hired Best Corporate Events? to organize a team bonding experience. However, it was only when UniFirst arrived for their event that they found out they would be building and donating six bikes to our Club. The bikes were delivered and Shirley Pimentel, our Youth Development Director, organized a raffle to give them away. Rafael, Scarlett and Kai won the first 3 bikes and the next day she raffled off the other three to Kaique (who immediately started crying out of excitement!), Alice and Anthony S!!! Having a bike is a significant boost to a child's independence and access to opportunities like school, running errands or being with friends. It provides a sense of freedom, a fun way to exercise, and the ability to participate more fully in their community and daily life. Thank you UniFirst and to all who help make a difference in a child's life! #greatfuturesstarthere #communitysupport #BGCGLowell #lowellma

Imagination and visualization are some of the strongest tools children have. The 8-13 year old members of our Club recently finished a project that encouraged them to think about their short- and long-term goals. Staff guided them in making vision boards to illustrate their visualizations—a powerful tool that promotes self-care and allows kids to experience the power of their dreams for the future. Jadalee (9) said the clothes and?perfume represented on her board are things she will give herself when she's older because right now she barely has what she wants. Mylah (9) commented that the vision board helped her feel like she could imagine herself?accomplishing these goals and Calvin's (10) dream and goal is to become a basketball player and own a sports car.

May 1900 - The Sun News introduces the Lowell Boys' Club to the community. In this article, Superintendent of the Club, J.H. Stewart shares a bit about the purpose of the new organization, expectations and goals for the youth attending, and gives the author an inside look at a typical day at the Club. Below is a link to a transcription of the article. It is interesting to note how similar some aspects of this brand new organization is similar to today's Club, and how things have changed over the years. Read the transcribed article here: https://lnkd.in/eJjfkaMj #lowellboysclub #125thanniversary #historyoftheboysandgirlsclub #clublove

Our annual tradition at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell is to host a Holiday Auction to raise significant money for Club programming. At this year's event we raised over $445K to help provide necessary resources for the youth of Lowell. We want to extend our gratitude and thanks to Greg and Yesenia Joseph for being "Champion of Kids Sponsors" - Yesenia is a past staff member and staunch advocate in our community, and we are grateful she continues this support!