Expanding its Reach
At the intersection of access and opportunity
Words by Sam Lauron Photos by Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area
New Boys & Girls Club flagship facility will provide East Austin youth with increased access to after-school programming.
Every weekday between 3-7pm, more than 105,000 Austin-area youth are left unguided and unsupervised due to the lack of free or affordable after-school programming. Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area (BGCAA) seeks to resolve this challenge with the development of their new flagship campus in East Austin. On April 17, BGCAA broke ground on the new 10-acre campus that will feature a 32,000 square foot Home Club and will allow the organization to serve an additional 1,000 youth in East Austin in addition to the 11,300 they are currently serving in Travis and Bastrop counties.
Located near the intersection of Ed Bluestein Boulevard and Manor Road, the new campus will act as a flagship facility and serve as the home to both youth programs and BGCAA administrative offices.
The Sheth Family Campus, named after Adria and Brian Sheth of The Sheth Sangreal Foundation who made a multi-million dollar donation to the organization, will be able to support a wide range of programming with its features that include a STEM learning center, library, labs, art studios, teen center, and indoor and outdoor athletic facilities. With the administrative offices also being housed on campus, the BGCAA team will have the ability to actively participate and directly oversee programming. “We’re there on site and can tangibly see what’s going on and be part of everything that we’re doing,” says Misti Potter, CEO of BGCAA. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, [and] I miss being in the club,” she says of being closer to the programs and activities.
There are currently 33 shared club sites in the Austin area, but the Sheth Family Campus will be the first and only freestanding space that BGCAA will own. “I’m excited about the opportunities that it’s going to bring to the kids,” Potter says enthusiastically. “It’s a game changer for Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area.”
Set to open in early 2019, the grand opening isn’t the only thing Potter is anxiously awaiting; the major impact the campus will have on Austin-area youth is a driving force in her anticipation. “It’s not the opening day that I’m so much excited about,” says Potter, “it’s five years from now when I get to see the kids and how they’ve grown through the program.” She adds, “I’m excited for today but even more excited for what it holds for the future.”
You can learn more about the Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area and the development of the Sheth Family Campus here. To volunteer or get involved with BGCAA, visit bgcaustin.org/get-involved.
Contact:
Phone: (512) 444-7199
bgcaustin.org
Social: @bgcaustin
