TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka (BGCT) unveiled plans for the future on Tuesday morning.
For more than 70 years, the BGCT has provided programs for local children and teens. On Tuesday, Oct. 20 the organization hosted its third annual “Rise and Shine” breakfast. The event was not only a way for attendees to step inside the facility and see how children spend their mornings, but also to see what’s in store at the Adams club.
“I wouldn’t be standing here right now if it wasn’t for the Boys & Girls Club,” said Michael Williams, an alumna of the BGCT of Topeka. “I wouldn’t be this way. I would have understood the importance of giving back to a generation that comes before you or comes after you.”
Organizers said the Tuesday event is a chance to reflect on past accomplishments, while showing visitors what the organization has to offer.
“We love being able to not only show the community what we do offer for those youth in the morning but also let them live it for a little bit,” said Torey Burkhardt, director of events and alumni engagement at BGCT. “So, the first part of this morning, as always, 7 to 7:30 is a little bit of a club experience.”
Organizers also highlighted former club members and their experiences with the program.
“It allows everyone to see what it looks like for support at that stage with the Boys and Girls Club,” said Renee Franklin, chair of the Rise and Shine Breakfast. “What it looks like for the future, what it looks like when someone moves into the community and gets to do what they love to do.”
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BGCT CEO Dawn McWilliams announced plans for the Adams location, which the organization calls a teen innovation center. She described it as a bold vision aimed at creating new opportunities for youth.
“This center represents transformative investment in our next generation,” McWilliams said. “A place where innovation meets opportunity, where interest becomes passions. Where skills become pathways, and where young people are empowered to envision and pursue futures that they have may have never envisioned possible. Because when we invest in our kids, we are instantly changing individual lives. We’re changing the future of our community.”
BGCT officials said the center will focus on programming opportunities for teens, including broadcast studios, an art studio and a trade track center, to give youth hands-on experience.
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