Description
The Boys & Girls Clubs has a long history in Scranton. Our Club was founded in 1899 as the Boy's Industrial Association. The BIA was located in the basement of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. From its inception, the organization was non-sectarian and inter-racial in membership and administration. In 1906, we joined a growing federation of youth organizations which later went on to become the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In 1926, the organization moved into larger facilities at the corner of Mulberry Street and Adams Avenue and was dedicated with a new corporate title, "Boys' Club of Scranton". The organization continued to grow and thrive in the city.
In response to social developments and recognizing a strong local need for services for girls, the club opened its doors to girls in a pilot program in 1981. That first year, 225 girls became members and the program was a huge success. In October of 1985, we changed our name to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Scranton. In 2000, the organization once again expanded services, locating extension sites throughout Luzerne County. In response to this regionalized approach, we changed names again to be more reflective our new service area. We became the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeastern Pennsylvania. In 2006, our organization was honored at the National Centennial celebration of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for being one of the fifty founding members in the country.
Since 1899, many things have changed, but many more have remained the same. Our mission has always been the same. We seek to "inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens".
Today, some 1,000 boys and girls, ages six to eighteen years old, take advantage of the programs, activities, and services provided by our agency at our full-service Central unit in Scranton and our extension sites throughout Luzerne County and in lower Lackawanna County.
