By Dayo Adebawo, Spelman College guest contributor
A visit to the Harland Club revealed a wide variety of activities and opportunities for its members. Basketball, music making, cheerleading, and arts and crafts, are just a few of the many activities Harland encourages its members to explore.
Tatam, a 13-year-old teen Club member, detailed the many opportunities available for each member and how instructors are a crucial part of keeping the magic going. One such instructor is Teen Director Vincent Blake, a Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) graduate who helps lead many of the art initiatives.
Tatum also explained that over the course of 2022 and 2023, Club members have taken field trips to Clark Atlanta University, SCAD, and Kennesaw State University, where they had the opportunity to explore options for college and careers. These trips are key to helping the Club kids with their Character & Leadership skills, one of the priority outcome areas of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA).
Additionally, fun activities include trips to a zombie-themed escape room, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, and the movies.
Kearra Carlisle, a lead youth art program instructor who has been at Harland for almost two years, also talked about the different trips the members go on.
“A lot of kids think Black college isn’t possible, and they haven’t seen it,” said Carlisle, who went on to explain how these field trips to different campuses can show them just how much is truly possible, and further encourage them to pursue Academic Success, another priority outcome area.
Already, this upcoming summer is packed with many activities for the kids and teens to enjoy and explore, so look forward to what they do next!