During the month of February, The Boys & Girls of Chester has been highlighting our various historical figures in sports, STEM, and business by showcasing how the very programs our youth learn and explore every day at BGCC are possible by the amazing men and women who made history. By highlighting these historical figures, our youth are able to experience history in an interactive way.
What is Black History Month?
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.
BGCC Sports - Baseball
⚾ At the Boys & Girls Club of Chester, our sports program exposes our children to various sports. We choose to highlight one of our youth's and American's favorite pastimes, Baseball, in celebration of the legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson!
Jackie Robinson was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era. Robinson broke the color line when he started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947
BGCC Gaming Program
One of our youths' favorite activities at BGCC is our gaming program. Our gaming program is a combination of video game playing and design that introduces gamers to the world of creating and beginner coding.
We want to highlight Gerald “Jerry” Lawson, an engineer known for pioneering home video gaming. In the 1970s, Lawson designed one of the earliest game consoles, the Channel F, and also led the team that invented the game cartridge, a defining innovation in how games were made and sold.
BGCC STEM Program
STEM is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. At BGCC, we provide various STEM programming, from Robotics to Computer programming, with a diverse group of teachers and scientists who work with our youth to provide an inside look into the fun of STEM and the many careers it offers.
We wish to highlight Charles Richard Drew, a physician. Dr. Drew developed ways to use and preserve blood plasma that helped save lives during World War II and later became the model used for blood banks. Known as the "Father of the Blood Bank," Drew is also credited with the first bloodmobile and organized America's first large-scale blood bank.
BGCC Youth Development & Leadership
The Boys & Girls Club of Chester exposes our youth to multiple careers through various interactive programs. From workshops, on-site visits, panel discussions, mentoring, and more, the BGCC youth to get experience diverse career options from Tech, Medical, business, and so much more.
African Americans have played a profound role in shaping the U.S. business landscape. We celebrate Black History Month by honoring the many great trailblazers in business & innovation. Technological innovations like the traffic light, automatic elevator doors, and even caller ID all sprung from the minds of creative black luminaries. In 1821, Thomas Jennings became the first black patent holder to be credited for the prototype of modern dry cleaning. In 1906 Madam C.J. Walker created a hair-care line that will later gain her recognition as the first self-made female millionaire.
Learn more about our youth programming and the amazing things our youth do by visiting us online.