A center dedicated to supporting teen's wellbeing and futures is making its way to Kauaʻi through the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaiʻi.
The new location will allow the BGCH’s existing club, which has a growing waitlist of more than 100 keiki, to focus on elementary and middle school-aged kids.
Tina Albao, the BGCH Kauaʻi director of development, said teenagers are often overlooked in care settings because they're grouped in with younger kids, or thought of as young adults. But Albao said that they are a distinct group who deserve age-appropriate care.
“Teens need to be able to feel like there's a place where they belong, where they can be who they want to be. You see it happen at the club, and it's just magical,” Albao told HPR. “I think teens a lot of the time aren't allowed to dream. They're like, 'OK, you're at the age where it's time for you to grow up,' but part of the dreaming process helps them design what they want to do later on.”
BGCH specializes in providing a safe space for youth during after-school hours, where it provides services such as substance-abuse resources, peer support, college and career pathway guidance, and workforce development.
Club officials believe these hours are crucial for keiki, who are sometimes left with no supervision when they leave campus, meaning they could face food insecurity, lack of homework help and mental health struggles on their own.
The new clubhouse is in the design phase, with the hope of having the center up and ready in 2029. Albao said what makes this project unique is that a lot of the brainstorming is being done by the very kids who will use the space in the future, adding that ideas like basketball courts, game rooms, dance floors and gyms have all been thrown out during the planning process.
“Their heads are just lighting up with ideas,” she said. “I think it's really important to get them involved and find out what this can do for you, what this can do for your community, and what this can do for your legacy.”
The land and building, which used to house the Garden Island Newspaper, come from The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.
Organizers stated the organization needs to raise $6.5 million for the project through government funding, private foundations and individual support.
BGCH President and CEO Paddy Kauhane said she hopes the same feeling of trust and safety will be carried into the new location.
“The clubs are often second homes to the kids, and when they come to the clubs, there's such a level of trust between them and our employees,” Kauhane said. “We understand there’s food insecurity, we understand there’s social emotional wellness needs. When they're not afraid to tell us the challenges they're facing, we can tailor the programs to make sure we're supporting them.”
