Blog

At the end of February, leaders from Boys and Girls Clubs across Washington State joined nearly 350 Club leaders from across the country for our annual National Days of Advocacy in Washington, DC.

We had the privilege of meeting with our state’s congressional delegation to express appreciation for their leadership, emphasize the importance of investing in youth, and discuss how we can continue working together to strengthen our communities.

At Boys & Girls Clubs of America, our mission is to help all young people, especially those who need us most, reach their full potential. We are proud to provide safe, inclusive, and positive environments with caring mentors that support academic success, strong character, and healthy lifestyles.

We are grateful to the following leaders, and their staff, for taking the time to meet with us and for their continued commitment to youth in Washington State:

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen
U.S. Representative Kim Schrier
U.S. Representative Emily Randall
U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse
U.S. Representative Adam Smith
U.S. Representative Michael Baumgartner
U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene
U.S. Senator Patty Murray
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell

Your partnership matters, and we’re proud to advocate alongside you for the young people and families we serve.

Thank you to Bright Star Lottery for creating engaging tech spaces for our youth!

The Chehalis Club of Boys & Girls Clubs of Lewis County and the Tenino Club of Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County opened their brand-new Afterschool Advantage Technology Labs. The Chehalis Club’s Lab is outfitted with an interactive smartboard, 14 LEGO STEAM Kits and 10 laptops. The Tenino Club’s Lab now has desktop computers, furniture, a TV, cabinets, fresh ceiling tiles, and more. Both labs aim to help young people learn about technology, giving them safe spaces to explore these skills for their present and their future.

From January 20th to 22nd, Clubs across Washington traveled to the capitol for State Days of Advocacy. Club organizations spoke with their respective legislators, thanking them for their support of our youth. Some organizations brought along their teens to experience State Days of Advocacy, meet their legislators, and discuss how much the Club has positively impacted their lives.

We’re grateful to be able to do this each year and thank all our legislators for participating!

Teens and staff mentors from Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin, Boys & Girls Club of Lewis County, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County recently gathered in Ellensburg at the Lazy F Camp and Retreat Center for a hands-on weekend of Youth of the Year preparation and fun. This Youth of the Year retreat has been going on for about 10 years now.

Teens arrived Friday evening and participated in ice breakers to got to know one another, to become more relaxed around each other. Then they played games and set goals for themselves. The rest of the weekend was a mixture of more fun and games but also in-depth preparation for their organizations’ Youth of the Year events which are coming up. Some organizations had already had their events and so their youth prepared for the Washington State Youth of the Year, set to kick off in late March. This retreat involved speech prep and delivering their speeches in front of each other, hearing feedback on said speeches, and refining them. Teens also engaged in mock interviews to test their interview skills. This was a way to improve their presentation amidst judges and the audience alike.

The weekend ended for the youth at noon on Sunday, but many memories and bonds were formed. Now the teens will head to their respective organizational Youth of the Year events and from there, the winners will head to the 2026 Washington State Youth of the Year.

It all started about 30 years ago when philanthropist and travel writer Rick Steves purchased property in Lynnwood and then donated it to the next door neighbor, Trinity Lutheran Church. Approximately 15 years later, the church partnered with another organization with the goal of providing services to the community. Now, the new Lynnwood Neighborhood Center is finished being constructed. In the building, six nonprofits have offices: Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, Latino Educational Training Institute, Cocoon House, ChildStrive, Korean Community Service Center, and Center for Human Services.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County has moved their Edmonds Club to the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center while the Edmonds Club building undergoes construction. The old building will be demolished to make way for a 16,000 square foot facility which is about three times the size of the current building. The new building will also include a full-size gym, games room, tech lab, childcare, etc. Youth from South Lynnwood will also be welcomed at the new Club. Construction is expected to be completed by the summer of 2027, which is when they are expecting to serve youth at the new facility. Currently, the Edmonds Club unit director, Ken Cooper, has been shuttling Club members from schools all around the community to the new Club in the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center. The community–and our Club members–are excited about the new Neighborhood Center. It’s a symbol of what can happen when community leaders come together with the same vision–helping their communities grow.

Thank you to Rick Steves and all the community partners that were involved in this project. Edmonds Boys & Girls Club members will not lose valuable services or access while their new building is being constructed because the Lynnwood Neighborhood Center is set up to accommodate youth.

Thank you to Qualstar Credit Union for their continued support. Qualstar not only provides generous financial contributions throughout the year, but also plays an influential role in our annual Youth of the Year celebration. Beyond that, their team gives their time, talent, and treasure by showing up for our Clubs, celebrating alongside our youth, and helping meet critical needs during the holiday season.

We were grateful to recently welcome them to our Kirkland Club in King County and look forward to many more visits and meaningful connections ahead. Thank you for helping us serve and uplift incredible youth.