Serving Youth with Disabilities

Exclusion hurts.

Young people with disabilities are one of the most marginalized and excluded groups. Every year, kids are excluded from schools and their communities due to a lack of understanding and unfounded fears. Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Kids Included Together (KIT) are working together to open more opportunities to children with disabilities – and supporting BGCA’s broader goal of creating safe, positive and inclusive environments for all children and youth – by providing inclusion training, coaching and resources to support staff members at local Clubs.

To encourage inclusive practices, our Club staff have access to:

On-site training at Clubs with highly experienced and engaging trainers on key topics like inclusion basics, disability-specific or behavior-support strategies – all with hands-on activities. 

Online training via the KIT Online Learning Center which allows Club staff to learn on their own time – anywhere, anytime and on any device.  

Coaching and counseling over the phone with the KIT Inclusion Support Center, which is staffed with friendly, experienced coaches who help Clubs with challenges or questions and follow up with written strategies.

Tools and resources that Club staff need, like webinars, checklists, tip sheets, booklets, videos and much more – to ensure that all youth are included in a high quality Club Experience. 

Policy and standard guidance to develop sustainable policies and standards of inclusive practice.