✨ Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area is energized and ready for 2026! | | | | |
Because of supporters like you, young people found:
✨ A safe place to go after school – 94% feel as safe—or safer—at the Club than elsewhere
🍎 Healthy, nutritious meals – 95% say eating healthy is important
💙 Caring mentors – 95% say the adults at the Club truly care about them
🤗 A welcoming environment – 90% feel safe being themselves at the Club
As we step into 2026, we’re excited to build on this momentum together, continuing to enhance programs, expand opportunities, and create even stronger outcomes for every young person we serve.
| | 🤝 Meet Jonathan Carrol: Empowering Club Youth Through Workforce Development | It’s National Mentoring Month, and we’re proud to kick it off by spotlighting Jonathan Carrol, our new Director of Workforce Development. | | | | |
Jonathan brings a deep commitment to young people shaped by years of hands-on leadership. As a previous Club Director at Pioneer Crossing Elementary Boys & Girls Club, he cultivated a safe, welcoming environment where kids felt seen, supported, and encouraged to thrive.
This past summer, his work with teens in the NextGen Academy program ignited an even deeper passion for helping young people uncover their strengths and imagine what’s possible.
“That experience shaped my approach to this work and continues to motivate me to create opportunities that empower youth to pursue futures that align with their strengths, interests, and goals.”
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Now, Jonathan is looking ahead to 2026 with a bold vision for Club members: expanding access to meaningful career exposure that reflects Austin’s evolving workforce. By sparking curiosity early, nurturing interests over time, and empowering youth to explore futures that truly inspire them, he’s helping ensure our members don’t just dream big—they see a path to get there.
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| | 🏫 Club Members "Ace" their Academic Success through Texas AIM Program | | |
As part of our Academic Success pillar, the Texas Academic Innovation and Mentoring (AIM) Program, in partnership with Sylvan Learning, offered Club members the Ace It! program, providing small-group instruction in reading and math. Through this hands-on academic support, Club youth are building strong skills, growing in confidence, and staying on track in school.
Together, this partnership ensures Club youth are not just keeping up, but thriving academically! 💫
| | 🎣 Members Having Reel Fun in Fishing Program | | Overton Boys & Girls Club, with the leadership of Club Director Chris Olivio, proudly launched its Foundations of Fishing program in the summer of 2025 and recently celebrated its first field trip of the school year. Inspired by strong interest from Club members, the program introduces youth to fishing techniques, local fish species, and hands-on outdoor learning—while building patience, perseverance, and a deeper appreciation for the natural world. | | | | |
The trip sparked excitement to keep learning, especially for Club member Ruby, who proudly shared after catching her first fish, “Now I’m ready to catch bigger ones!”
Club members are eager to return to the water and continue building their skills and deepening their love for fishing through the Foundations of Fishing program throughout the school year.
| | 🚲 Rolling into 2026 with Raising Cane’s Bikes | | | | |
Raising Cane’s generously donated 100 bikes to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area youth during a festive winter celebration! UT Austin Longhorn Football Player Grayson Littleton joined the fun, spending time with the kids as they handpicked their very own bikes, many receiving their first-ever. Each Club member also went home with a helmet and an activity kit to keep the excitement going.
📺 FOX7: 100 Bikes Donated to Club kids from Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area
| | 💫 Na’Siah’s Inspiring 2025 Youth of the Year journey | | 💙 Finding Family & Community at the Club | | | | |
On Giving Tuesday, CEO Zenae Campbell joined our 2025 Youth of the Year, Na’Siah Martin, for a KVUE interview with anchor Yvonne Nava to highlight Na’Siah’s inspiring journey with Boys & Girls Clubs and how our programs empower youth to thrive.
“I found a family and community that I can really trust,” Na’Siah shared, reflecting on what the Club has meant to her.
📺 KVUE Austin: Meet the Boys and Girls Club of Austin's 2025 Youth of the Year
| | 📣 Club Teens Advocate for Mental Health and Safer Communities | | 🌟 Celebrating Our 2025 Board Additions | | Welcoming our new Board of Directors who joined in 2025: | | | | |
Liz Gilman
Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting at Jackson Walker
Matt DeLorenzo
Managing Director in Communications, Media & Technology at Accenture
Rudy Sengupta
Vice President and General Manager of Test and Analytics Software at Emerson
Michael Grimes
Founding Partner of Imperium Public Affairs
Renae Alsobrook
Founder and Managing Partner of Ranahaus
Mike Dunn
Senior Vice President of North American Finance and Operations at Dell Technologies
| | Together, our new board members bring knowledge, energy, and heart to Boys & Girls Clubs, and we’re thrilled to have them champion great futures for Austin’s youth as we step into 2026! | | 🛷 Club Kids Sleighed all the Way to Holiday Fun with Oracle | | Oracle led a magical Sleigh Day at Home Club, bringing together 50+ volunteers to create a festive experience for more than 180 Club youth. Volunteers guided rotations at activity stations—from ornament-making and cookie decorating to sports and a hot chocolate and pizza station—blending holiday fun with mentorship, teamwork, and connection. | | We’re deeply grateful to Oracle for their ongoing support and for helping make the holiday season brighter for our Club members! | | 🌮 Giving Tuesday was a Day of Giving to Remember! | | |
Tacala Companies’ leadership joined us at the Club to present a $100,000 Community Grant from the Taco Bell Foundation to support education and workforce development.
Teens enjoyed tacos with Tacala leaders while gaining hands-on guidance in career skills. They practiced interview readiness, tackled real-world scenarios, and even teamed up to create their own product pitches and commercials — all with mentorship and support from the Tacala team.
We’re so grateful for partners who show up, invest in our youth, and make learning fun!
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MLK Day - BGCAA Clubs and Offices Will Be CLOSED
Clubs and headquarters will be CLOSED in observation for MLK Day. We will resume regular Clubs programming on Tuesday, January 20.
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