1. Boys & Girls Clubs of Council Bluffs Roosevelt Elementary 21 st CCLC

2.  Kindergarten and 1 st grade ◦ Usually 5-7 years-old  2 nd and 3 rd grade ◦ Usually 8-9 years-old  4 th and 5 th grade ◦ Usually 9-11 years-old

3.  Pros ◦ Peer to peer mentoring ◦ Ability to harness the naturally competitive nature of youth ◦ Diverse experiences among youth can inspire and influence each other ◦ Increased sense of community among the Members

4.  Cons ◦ Bullying ◦ Embarrassment of older Members by being “shown up” by younger Members ◦ Lack of challenges for older/higher achieving Members ◦ Different skill levels and sets make facilitating programs to address needs of all students difficult ◦ Requires great deal of modification for staff planning to encompass all Members

5.  Planning ◦ Being divided by grade allows staff to focus on age- appropriate enrichment ◦ Allows for better controlled homework time and assistance with fewer distractions ◦ Better facilitates long term projects inline with school/state standards ◦ Creates a superior environment for state assessment preparation ◦ Affords more age specific goal setting ◦ Boosts confidence of all Members

6. ◦ Allows Members to work with Members of their school day classrooms on school projects ◦ Permits the facilitation of Clubs within the Club that match the interests and skills of Members ◦ Members are able to develop age-appropriate social skills ◦ Uninterrupted homework time ◦ Promotes individual interests/identities among siblings

7.  Youth leadership opportunities ◦ Torch Club  Youth leadership curriculum designed by BGCA  Affords 9-12 year-olds opportunities to serve Club and community  Special events for Younger Members

8.  Classroom teachers report greater independence among 21 st CCLC Members in K-2.  Fourth and fifth grade students are nearly all now reading at grade level and those who aren’t showed pronounced growth in SRI scores.  Second and third graders are better able to complete long term projects than their non- CCLC peers.