BGCA Native Services offers a wide variety of training opportunities all over the country for Club professionals. Check out some of our upcoming events and professional development opportunities!
Native Week of Advocacy
BGCA’s Native Week of Advocacy is a focused week of in-district advocacy for Native Boys & Girls Clubs during the month of October, kicking off on Indigenous Peoples Day. As part of this week, our Clubs are able to meet locally with leaders at all levels, including Members of Congress who are in-state due to Congressional recess, Federal or State Agency Officials, State lawmakers, local or school officials and Tribal leaders. These valuable engagement opportunities provide Native Club professionals with the platform to advocate for Native youth on their local level.
- October 9-13, 2023
Native Learning Events
BGCA Native Learning Events provide opportunities for Club youth development professionals to network with others in their region, and to learn strategies and techniques to better serve the youth in their communities.
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Northeast/Southeast | Nashville, TN | April 19-20, 2023
Maine, New York, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Alabama, South Carolina - Southern Plains | Tulsa, OK | May 23-24, 2023
Oklahoma, Kansas - Midwest | Mystic Lake Casino, MN | August 23-24, 2023
Michigan, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska - PacWest/Southwest | Las Vegas, NV | September 20-21, 2023
New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Hawaii, American Samoa, Nevada - Northwest/Rockies | Coeur D’Alene, ID | September 27-28, 2023
Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Oregon
2024 Native Summit
The 2024 Native Summit, organized by BGCA Native Services, provides an opportunity for CEOs, Board Members and Tribal Leaders to gather, learn and grow together, share in each other’s culture, and attend relevant sessions. The Summit is designed to help Native Clubs develop stronger, more sustainable organizations that most effectively meet the needs of their communities.
- November 12-14, 2024 | Chandler, AZ
BGCA National Conference 1-Day Native Track
Save the date for this year’s 1-Day Native Track at the 118th annual BGCA National Conference. Through facilitation of networking, learning and exchange of opportunities; this session will provide Native Club staff with the opportunity to share their goals, aspirations and what they hope to gain as professionals in the Movement.
- May 14-17, 2024 | Atlanta, GA
Trauma-Informed Network
Through BGCA Native Services’ Trauma-Informed Network, Club are invited to deepen their understanding of trauma through an 8-month capacity building experience and grow in their ability to implement trauma-informed practices. During sessions, Club staff will receive professional development opportunities, support with from Native Services, peer consultation and 1-1 coaching with subject matter experts.
Virtual Native Resiliency Conference
The Virtual Native Resiliency Conference will include three days of presentations, interactive team-building workshops and planning sessions. This event is made possible through BGCA Native Services’ ongoing partnership with the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine and the Carl Fellowship Program present the Stories of Reclamation and Recovery Conference, a collaborative teaching and learning experience designed for CEOs of Boys & Girls Clubs on Native Lands.
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TBD
Native Youth STEM Event
Join us for an amazing one day virtual STEM event for middle and high school youth. This exciting occasion will not only promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but it also comes at a crucial time when our communities are seeing immediate, short-term and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the area of learning loss. This virtual opportunity will ignite passion and motivate young people attending Boys & Girls Clubs on Native Lands. Special guests, leading innovators at The Boeing Company and Verizon Wireless will share their experiences as Native professionals. They will talk about the companies they work with and share the contributions of Natives in STEM related fields. Participants will learn about and how to access scholarship and grant opportunities by the American Indian College Fund. This event will take place on BGCA’s free, safe and accessible MyFuture platform, which will be packed with fun and safe exploratory activities. We look forward to you joining us as we celebrate National Native American Heritage Month by recognizing Native contributions to STEM through our Native Youth STEM Event.
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TBD
Virtual Native National Days of Advocacy
BGCA Native Services is now bringing all Native Club advocates and leaders together for a Native Services Virtual National Days of Advocacy (NS-NDOA). Together, we will be asking Congress and the Administration to help us strengthen the cultural identity of Native youth through programming and initiatives that promote positive youth development and ensure that hundreds of thousands of Native youth — now and in the future — will achieve their dreams.
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TBD
National Training Initiative (NTI)
The National Training Initiative (NTI) is designed to provide opportunities for every Boys & Girls Club to have their own certified trainer(s). Embedding certified trainers within organizations will allow them to conduct their own professional development trainings and collaborate with other local organizations to host learning events. Key benefits for Clubs: Trained facilitators who will deliver high-quality trainings for Club staff, as well as training additional facilitators in their local organizations and regions; More facilitators in the field, making it easier for Clubs to get the training their staff needs; More professional development opportunities to cultivate the strongest Club professionals possible; New and enhanced facilitation techniques to help increase organizational capacity, enhance program quality and improve the Club Experience for youth and teens.
Native ALP
The Advanced Leadership Program (ALP), provided by BGCA, is a learning experience that provides Boys & Girls Clubs leaders and their teams with the necessary tools to teach and develop leadership capacity in their organization. ALP is designed to provide new concepts, benchmark best practices, and provide real time coaching.
- Date and location to be determined
Native AP
Advancing Philanthropy (AP) is designed to guide Clubs in building a sustainable development model centered on the creation of a maintainable culture of philanthropy. The Advancing Philanthropy program provides an opportunity for Clubs to increase resource development in a transformative way.
- Date and location to be determined
Native Advisory Committee (NAC)
The Native Advisory Committee (NAC) provides leadership and insight on Native history, traditions, values and culture that will help establish and refine BGCA’s systems and methods of service to assure the greatest benefit for Native Clubs. NAC meetings will take place:
- Virtual Meeting Date – TBD
