Youngsters play a game of air hocket at the Boys and Girls Club, a place for learning and fun. Photo by Meaghan Kirk Welch

By Meaghan Kirk Welch
View Staff Writer

They arrive with smiles and giggles, eager to start an afternoon of fun. The school day is over, but the time for learning through laughter is just getting started. First things first—a nutritional snack satisfies ravenous after-school appetites. Students, ages 6 to 13 from Cibolo, Kendall, Curington and Fabra Elementary, are finding the Boys and Girls Club the best place to go when the school day ends.

“I love it here!” said Marley, who is a burst of energy after a full day of kindergarten.

After snack time, it’s on to Power Hour, where students receive help with homework or engage in “high-yield learning activities” including crossword puzzles, Scrabble, Monopoly, listening to books on tape, guided computer time and “other things that are making them think,” according to Jenny Smith, Boerne and Fredericksburg area executive director of the Boys and Girls Club.

“They won’t be still for long, though,” said Moore, who explained that after Power Hour, students are on the move as they rotate through a selection of fun, educational and physical activities “designed to help kids make good decisions” until parents arrive at 6:30 p.m. Arts, crafts, music, athletics and challenging games keep minds actively learning and bodies busy through a program designed to build a positive self-image.

Nick, a first-grader can’t wait to spend all day at the club this summer.

“I brought him here during Spring Break and he had such a good time that he convinced me to let him come here after school,” said his mother, Linda Sandoval.

“It’s perfect for me, being a single mom,” she said. “I know he’s safe and having fun in a good program while I work,” she explained. “Plus the price is right.”

Membership to the Boys and Girls Club is $10 a year. During the summer, the club offers a special all-day program with an added supply fee of $20 per week.

“Every day here is a good day!” exclaimed Maria, a third-grader, as she played air-hockey for a few minutes before parent pick-up.

The Boys and Girls Club, with a ratio of 15 students to one adult, has full-time professionals trained in youth development who act as positive role models and mentors, said Moore of “the popular quality program.”

“For the entire summer, kids are provided a fun, safe place to go from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. with two field trips per week,” added Smith.

Staff members are already beginning to make plans for the summer which so far include excursions to Sea World, Fiesta Texas, local state parks and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, along with ice skating, swimming and trips to the movies.

For more information about the Boys and Girls Club, contact Jessica Moore at (830)249-1030, (210) 882-9812 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .