In partnership with local Industries, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast is closing the opportunity and job readiness gap by preparing youth for success in their first job and helping them develop a plan to pursue the career of their dreams.
Essential Skill Development
At local Clubs, formal and informal learning experiences build skills that support social-emotional development, such as:
Employability Skills & Certifications
Clubs empower teens to prepare for life and work through virtual and in-person programming such as:

Career Exposure
Community business partnerships allow Clubs to provide opportunities for teens to explore careers that align with a young person's passions and talents, such as:
Work-Based Learning
Community business partners understand that teens need opportunities to apply their skills and gain real-world experience. Teens can work with these partners to complete:
Provide an uplifting and secure environment
Connect youth with mentors and support
Help students stay on track academically
Continue to build foundational, transferable skills for life and work
of BGCGC members graduate form high school on-time with a post-secondary plan
of members state they know the steps to take a explore a STEM-related career
of members expressed an interest in STEM, compared to 27% of peers nationally
teens participated in Money Matters financial literacy programs.
youth have been helped to secure a job through BGCGC workforce development programs.
teens participated in Career Launch workforce readiness programming.
MIT-trained architect and founder of the WonderWindow, Mark Issacs, heard about the extraordinary work of the BGCGC MakerSpace in his hometown of Bay St. Louis, MS. After a Club tour, Mr. Issacs selected the Hancock County Unit of BGCGC to partner with and create an innovative production model for his windows.
Mr. Issacs now serves as an Entrepreneur-In-Residence, teaching teens to assemble his patented energy-efficient windows. Through this program, the Teen Makers have produced over 500 WonderWindow prototypes that have been sent to architects and construction companies across the country, all while being paid a livable wage.
This Way ONward provides structured training and valuable work experience for people aged 16+, giving young people new life skills and confidence that supports their overall growth and employability. This summer, teens participated in an internship program at their local Old Navy stores and three were chosen for paid part-time positions.
"The Club gave me opportunities to showcase my leadership skills and have hands-on experience with workforce development. The Club believed in me. This took off a lot of pressure when it was time for me to take the next step toward my future career."
Jaden has been a Club member for 6 years. While attending the Club, he became interested in the karate classes that were offered on Fridays. In no time he became an assistant karate instructor, inspiring other Club members to follow in his footsteps. Jaden participates in the ROTC program at his high school, where he takes pride in following in his mother's footsteps.
Always supportive and willing to help, he became a Junior Staff member in the summer of 2019. The next summer, he completed an internship at the University of Southern Mississippi. At the completion of his internship, he wrote a paper on previous work experience that prepared him for this opportunity, all of which he credits to his time at the Boys & Girls Club. Jaden plans to be a Mechanical Engineer for NASCAR.
A funny and rambunctious child growing up, Colby enjoyed attending the Club to play sports and hang out with his friends. Then, as soon as he turned 15, he applied for his first job as a Junior Staff member. Colby had the opportunity to help inform teen programming, emcee the Youth of the Year luncheon, and be featured in a music video produced in the B.G.C.G.C. Blue Entertainment Music Production Studio!
The Club’s S.T.E.A.M. MakerSpace is where Colby helped hone his passions and sharpen his skills. In the Pass Christian Unit’s MakerSpace, sponsored by Mississippi Power, Colby was introduced to 3-D printing and CAD Design for the first time. This is where he discovered he could make his engineering ideas come to life by designing parts for his mechanical endeavors.
Colby graduated high school in May 2023 and went on to complete a summer internship with Club partner Mississippi Power before attending a lineman certification course at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (M.G.C.C.C.). Because of his training at the Club, Colby was no stranger to the CAD system when he was required to use it during his post-secondary training and education. He quickly rose to the top of his class and graduated in December 2023 before securing his first job as a full-time lineman at 18 years old.
From a young age, Tatiana C. knew she had a talent for singing and songwriting. A lifelong Club member, Tatiana found that the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast Studio Blue was a place where she could hone her skills and show off her talents. The Club supported her gift, helping to open doors for performance on stages locally and nationally.
Most recently, Tatiana was featured on Tony Award winner and Broadway’s “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom Jr.’s new album. She co-wrote his song “Show Me” and was asked to join the song as a featured vocalist. The song has millions of streams and can be downloaded or streamed on Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora.
When she is not in California recording, Tatiana is employed as a studio coordinator for BGCGC, where she enjoys sharing her love for music and teaching club kids how to write and record their own songs.
CareerLaunch encourages Club members to assess their skills and interests, explore careers, make sound educational decisions and prepare to join our nation's work force. Club staff or volunteers help teens build their job-search skills and job readiness by using the CareerLaunch Facilitator Guide and working with teens individually or in small groups.
Money Matters teaches teens how to set goals, budget, save, and invest. Young people practice their financial decision-making skills through fun, engaging, digital tools, and games. Teens who complete Money Matters show improved financial management skills, including saving money and sticking to a budget.
Junior Staff assists Club members ages 16-18 in exploring a career in youth or human services. Young people prepare for future roles as human services professionals by participating in career development acitivites, discovering the importance of community service, building customer service skills and completing a Club apprenticeship.
The STEAM Maker Studio is a collaborative place where youth develop fine motor skills and have the freedom to explore at their pace. Spaces are furnished with equipment such as 3-D printers, laser engravers, t-shirt heat presses, Cricut machines, Mac computers, robotics kits, sewing machines, CAD software, and more.
Blue Entertainment Studios provides members with hands-on training and teaches them how to fully operate a recording studio, produce music and videos and sharpen their skills as a song-writer and vocalist using custom STEAM-based electronic music equipment and curriculum.
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Mailing Address
P.O. Box 2804
Gulfport, MS 39505
Program Services Office
11975 Seaway Road, Ste A160
Gulfport, MS 39503
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