All Roads Head Toward Success at Boys & Girls Clubs LA Harbor

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor (BGCLAH) launched the Pathways to Success initiative to ensure that every aspect of the club’s programming is geared to inspire kids about their futures. Through the initiative, kids work with staff to design a roadmap that will guide and encourage them to identify goals that will help them get to where they want to go. “Our kids need to know that there is a path for them after high school. Whether they want to go to college or straight into the workforce, their dreams are well within reach,” BGCLAH Chief Executive Officer Mike Lansing says.

The Club has made substantial investments in their Pathway initiatives to provide support for their young people, no matter their goals. Their highly successful College Bound Program has a 99% graduation rate, with over 96% of seniors pursuing a higher education. Additionally, over $102 million in federal financial aid and scholarships have been distributed through partnerships to graduating seniors to help limit the amount of college debt after graduation. 

Paralleling their College Bound program, their Career Bound and Workforce Development programs empower young adults on their journey towards achieving success in the workforce. They provide essential soft skills training and actively immerse these youth in various local industries, trades, real estate, culinary trades, banking, thriving sectors of business, and more. These programs also give young adults the opportunity to be paired with paid internships in their chosen fields, which offers them practical experience and the chance to earn valuable certifications.

While Boys & Girls Clubs is a national organization, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor has a special significance. It is the oldest on the West Coast – founded in 1937 – and the largest in L.A. County. The Harbor branch alone has 23 Club sites from Gardena to the Harbor, serving upwards of 2,400 youth a day. This year, the Club will be expanding to serve even more youth at their 24th site, the Cheryl Green Boys & Girls Club. This new facility, strategically located in a neighborhood of high need, is poised to serve kindergarten to 12th grade students, aiming to provide comprehensive support and opportunities for personal growth, mentorship, and development.

Pathways to Success runs through the entire fabric of the organization. Kids interested in higher education can, from an early age, join the College Bound program, where they receive one-on-one case management to prepare them for college. For kids who want to jump straight into the workforce after high school, the Career Bound program sets students up for apprenticeships and internships that can lead to good-paying jobs.

“We want all of our youth to see that they have a future and to know they can achieve whatever it is they want,” Lansing says.