Please reach us at meiler@bgccooke.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Boys & Girls Club of Cooke County is a 501c3 non-profit youth development organization that provides a safe and supportive environment for young people to develop and grow.
When schools out, Clubs are in! We provide after school and summer programming as well as holiday camps.
Our after school program follows the GISD calendar as far as the program start & end date. We are open for the majority of the school out days and closed for minimal holidays. We do a week shut down after each school year and summer program to reset our facility and staff.
After school days & times:
Monday - Friday
3:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Summer days & times:
Monday - Friday
7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
School Holidays & Off Days:
7:30 AM - 6:30 PM
All young people between the ages of 5 and 18 are welcome to participate in Boys & Girls Club of Cooke County programs. Youth aged 5 must be in kindergarten or a rising kindergartener for the summer program. Kindergarteners must have attended a previous program such as daycare, pre-k, etc.
All youth who attend school at GISD are able to ride the school bus to the Club. Please complete the transportation form on the GISD website to secure transportation to the Club. Walnut Bend ISD will transport students to the Club as well.
We do not have options for transportation from other school districts, however, if your child is able to make it from their school to us, they are welcome to attend!
At Boys & Girls Club, we pride ourselves on our incredible staff. All program staff are visible with BGC branded shirts and ID badge. All staff receive our extensive hiring processes including annual background check, reference checks, orientation, comprehensive training program (abuse prevention, procedures, trauma informed practices, etc), and continuous quality improvement. Our staff to youth ratio is a mandated 1:20, however, we often operate at 2:20.
Our fees are greatly reduced for our families. In addition to the reduced fees, we also offer Financial Assistance and we encourage our families who need additional support to apply.
After School fees:
$100 per month
$40 per month - Financial Assistance
Summer Camp fees:
$50 per week
$20 per week - Financial Assistance
Full Payment Discount available - $350
Financial Assistance Full Payment Discount - $130
Discounts must be paid in full by the start of the summer program
No child will be turned away from our program due to inability to pay. Please reach out to us if you need additional assistance.
You can request the financial assistance application in-person at 315 N Denton or by emailing us at support@bgccooke.com. Please allow up to 48 hours for the approval process.
To qualify for assistance you must provide one of the following documents:
Registration can be found at www.bgccooke.com or can be completed in person as well.
Boys & Girls Clubs focus on four priority area outcomes:
All youth in our programs receive a safe, inclusive environment, meaningful programs & experiences and supportive relationships.
These priority areas align with what we provide every day such as: STEAM, social recreation, social emotional learning, entrepreneurial learning experiences, outdoor play, special guests, 4-H, eSports, Lego robotics, 3D printing, arts & crafts, and so much more!
No. On full days, youth will receive breakfast, lunch and snack. After school, they receive a snack and dinner.
For the safety of all youth and due to grant compliance, we do not allow outside food or drinks (water bottles are allowed but must stay in cubbies) If your child has allergies or dietary restrictions, please get with our Program Director, Eleanor Overbey, to discuss next steps.
A smile and good attitude! We provide everything our Club kids need and that includes electronics. Please keep all electronics at home - including cell phones, smart watches, tablets, etc. If electronics are brought, we require youth to leave them at the front desk and they are kept safe by a staff member. This policy is for the privacy and safety of all youth.
Please feel free to call the Club at any time to check in or speak with your child, 940-665-6527.
Our facility is extremely safe, and we are continuously working to improve the safety we provide. All our doors are always locked, and guests must be granted access via our front desk. We have cameras in every space that is occupied by children and they are continuously monitored. We receive an annual external safety assessment conducted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Safety team, which reviews our facility safety as well as our internal policies, procedures, background checks and more. Employees are well trained in all emergency procedures, drills, weather response, fires, intruders, first aid and CPR, illnesses, etc.
Youth safety is our #1 priority.
We serve a large range of youth and realize that all stages of development differ. To best support our youth and their safety, youth are split into groups based on their current grade in school. On our youth side, children are split into a kinder, 1st grade, 2nd/3rd grade group A & B and 4th. On the tween/teen side, they are in 5th grade and up and split into 3 groups in the summer time based on grade.
All of our programs and activities are carefully planned by our program staff and are developmentally appropriate for each group. Youth also follow a rotation that allows them to see each area of the Club weekly at a minimum. Our rotations are an hour long and youth are supervised to each roatation.
Our primary method of guidance is to focus on and reward positive behavior through the use of ceremonies, praise, and other methods of recognition. However, in order to ensure participant safety and maintain a positive environment, staff will redirect negative behaviors and navigate them to a positive direction. Any members who exhibit inappropriate behavior will be disciplined appropriately depending on the offense. The below steps may be utilized with you and your child to assist in carrying out the established policies and practices of the Boys & Girls Club of Cooke County Program.
Please be sure to report any issues to Leadership Staff immediately. We ask that if parents hear of any issues, incidents or concerns, they alert Leadership immediately so we may take appropriate action.
Boys & Girls Club of Cooke County
315 N. Denton, Gainesville, TX 76240
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