Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County Named STEM ‘Center of Innovation’ for Youth

From Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County:

Raytheon is establishing its first six ‘Centers of Innovation’ at Boys & Girls Clubs affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations and at Clubs that support military families. Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County is thrilled to announce they will receive one of these world-class transformations.

The centers are being funded through the company’s multi-year commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The first six centers will open in the fall of 2015 at five locations in the United States and one abroad:

– Boys & Girls Clubs of South County, Chula Vista, Calif., serving the families of Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach

– Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas, Killeen, Tex., serving the families of Fort Hood

– Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntsville, Ala., serving the families of Redstone Arsenal

– Harford County Boys & Girls Clubs, Aberdeen, Md., serving the families of the Aberdeen Proving Ground

– Andrews Air Force Base Youth Center, Md.

– Ramstein Air Base Youth Programs, Germany

The centers will be fully outfitted with modern technology, and will offer full-time expert mentors to lead Club members in projects that apply the principles of science, technology, engineering and math. Club members will use technology such as 3-D printers, high-definition video conferencing and other tools to brainstorm ideas and collaborate on community improvement projects.

“We are honored to be selected to be a Center of Innovation for STEM programming. We can’t wait to see how this facility will impact all the youth we serve, but especially the military youth in our community,” said Susan Ciavolino, STEM Education Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County. ” Our military families will find it to be a great resource for their children and teens. All kids deserve great futures, and the Center of Innovation will inspire our youth to be creative and passionate about projects they design and build themselves. It’s going to be great!”

On average, military families move six to nine times before their children graduate high school – about three times more often than civilian families. Boys & Girls Clubs of America aim to bring consistency and continuity to their lives; the Club atmosphere provides continuity for military children, whether living on or off a military base.