Boys & Girls Club of Brookings, Moody County, Yankton, and Vermillion board members and staff met for an Annual Meeting at the Blue Haven Barn in Sioux Falls, on Tuesday, January 24, to celebrate successes, discuss challenges, and honor board members for their elite service to the Boys & Girls Club.
During the Annual Meeting, Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains corporate board member Reece Kurtenbach and Boys & Girls Club of Moody County advisory council member, Kathy Doyle were each named a 2022 Champion of Youth . The Champion of Youth award is bestowed to individuals for exhibiting above-and-beyond service to their Boys & Girls Club, and is one of the highest honors awarded to exemplary board members who have dedicated years of service to the Club, youth, and mission. Reece has diligently worked behind the scenes to ensure the Club remains focused on their strategic priorities and has led many ad-hawk committees and initiatives throughout his 20-year tenure with Boys & Girls Club. Similarly, Kathy was recognized with this award for her years of humble and dedicated service to the Boys & Girls Club of Moody County. Time spent volunteering, preparing for special events, and stewarding community partners has undoubtedly moved the mission of the Club forward.
Two of our advisory council members were presented with the Rising Rockstar award. This award is presented to newer Boys & Girls Club board or advisory council members who have been serving in their role with the Club in their first term. These are volunteer board members who have gone above and beyond in their start with the organization and have made a visible impact within their Club. Dan Sutton , Boys & Girls Club of Moody County advisory council member, and Dr. Jacob Quail , Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion advisory council member, were both recognized for their dedicated service to the Club during their first term as advisory council members.
Lastly, Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Plains Corporate Board President, Scott Ramsdell , received the Gary Isenberg Advocacy Award . This award was presented in honor of Gary Isenberg, a long-serving, passionate, positive, and influential Boys & Girls Club board member who passed away in November 2021. This was the first Advocacy Award to be presented since his passing and recognizes a current board member who displays a similar passion and involvement in the promotion and advocacy for their Club.
LARSON has been a longtime supporter and friend of Boys & Girls Club of Brookings. This month we received a $5,000 donation from the company and its employees, along with an in-kind donation of 75 hygiene packs for our 4th and 5th grade Club members.
LARSON has contributed to the youth in the community in so many ways. When they reached out to discuss the best way to support our youth right now, Jadin Monsen, our Program AmeriCorps VISTA, worked with the Club directors to put together a list of items that would be useful to our members.
The LARSON employee-led IMPACT Committee arranged a “Make A Difference” event where employees worked together to purchase items, including full-size body wash, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and combs, to assemble hygiene kits during work breaks throughout the week. These drawstring hygiene bags were delivered to the Club and distributed to 4th and 5th grade students on Tuesday, November 1. Our members were so thankful for this generous gift and grateful for LARSON’s continued commitment to the youth in our community.
Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion will receive a total of $1.1 million in grant funding over the next five years from 21st Century Community Learning Centers for a partnership with area schools. The Club will work with the Vermillion School District to provide enhanced afterschool tutoring and academic success programming through a program called Club Tutors. Students are referred by their teachers to join this free, afterschool tutoring program, run by Rachel Franks, our full-time Education Director. In October of 2022, the Club Tutors program opened within the Vermillion Middle School and will serve a maximum of 20 students throughout the semester. Club Tutors will expand to the Vermillion High School and Elementary Schools to serve a total of 100 students across the district in the next two years.
“We are so excited to provide this program for families in the Vermillion community,” said Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion Executive Director Savannah Wise. “We are able to give youth in this program more focused academic help and grow the services offered by the Boys & Girls Club.”
As Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion currently operates as a licensed, fee-based site for Austin and Jolley Elementary students, this five-year grant program provides an exciting opportunity to offer extended services to middle and high school students in Vermillion. The Club and Vermillion School District will be in close communication as teachers refer students to the program based on reading and math testing scores, and the tutoring takes place within the school building. Franks, along with additional tutor staff and volunteers, will work with these students to reach grade-level reading and math skills, as well as ensure Vermillion families are closely engaged with their student’s success and are supported with transportation opportunities, mental health services, and healthy food options.
More details about the Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion Club Tutors academic success program will be shared with the schools, teachers, and families the program expands. Stay tuned!
Boys & Girls Club of Yankton and Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services have partnered to provide more access to mental health services for youth and families of the Club. Mental Health is a priority at the Boys & Girls Club, especially as they observe the effects of the pandemic on youth in the community. As the pandemic kept youth in their homes, isolation led to a lack of social interaction during formative years of their childhood. This impact was evident when examining social and academic change as youth returned to a typical day-to-day schedule. Continued partnerships with licensed agencies like Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services are key to combating this social emotional deficit.
Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services has been a consistent partner for Boys & Girls Club of Yankton. The Club has become a common meeting place for Lewis & Clark counselors and youth throughout the school year and summer. Being able to use the Boys & Girls Club site as a meeting place often means guardians do not have to be concerned about transporting their youth to sessions, and meetings can occur more consistently. Lewis & Clark professionals also lead social skills groups at the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton traditional site and Academy programs. These groups focus on teaching and practicing social emotional and positive peer interaction behaviors. “Social skills groups have been instrumental in increasing youths’ ability to interact positively in a social setting and lead youth to success at the Club, in the classroom, and ideally, impact their contributions to the community,” said Koty Frick, Executive Director at Boys & Girls Club of Yankton.
In 2021 when Boys & Girls Club of Yankton received a Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative grant to expand their teen diversion program, Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health was a consistent & supportive partner. A required step in starting the youth diversion program is participating in a mental health evaluation with the youth, guardian, and licensed mental health counselor. Lewis & Clark was quick to step into this vital role and has been successful in setting up additional mental health or counseling needs of youth in this program. This partnership in diversion programming is an expansion upon their previous work with the Yankton and Clay County Teen Court programs also facilitated by the Boys & Girls Club.
“As we continue to see the needs of our youth adapt, we are grateful to have such a strong partner in Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health,” notes Frick. “We are all in this together as we work to provide accessible services, positive experiences, and ultimately great futures for youth who need us most.”
For more information and service options provided by Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services visit www.lcbhs.net or call 605-665-4606.
On Sunday, October 16, Boys & Girls Club of Moody County hosted the Annual Pancake Feed at the Club. This year they served Grandma Virginia’s famous pancakes, eggs with diced ham, coffee, and orange juice. Club members helped serve food, give tours, and clear plates as the community enjoyed gathering and learning more about the Club.
This annual fundraiser raised around $1,300 to go directly towards operations at Boys & Girls Club of Moody County. We are incredibly grateful to all community members that took the time to visit, tour, and support the Club. We served a little over 175 plates of amazing food.
We would like to give a special thank you to Dakota Layers for donating all the eggs used during the event. Thank you, also, to Thrivent Financial for donating $250 to use for the additional groceries and supplies.
Every year we are greeted by nothing but support from the Moody County community. It is obvious that this is a community filled with love and dedication to its youth. Thank you again for visiting the Club! We hope to have just as many people join us for pancakes again next year.
Congratulations Ms. Sakowin! Our very own Jr. Youth Program Staff, Ms. Sakowin, won the title of Ms. Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe (Ms. FSST) earlier this year. Ms. FSST is a pageant style competition where contestants dance and give a speech in front of a panel of judges. The judges base their decision on who represents the tribe well, and Sakowin was crowned Ms. FSST 2022-2023.
Ms. Sakowin started working at the Club as a part of the Workforce Program this past summer. Workforce is a Career Development program with the Boys & Girls Club. Teens receive job experience and weekly trainings in career development related topics. Last summer, these topics included resume writing, interviews, college applications, leadership experience, and job experience. When the program ended in August, Ms. Sakowin chose to continue working at the Club through the school year.
This is Ms. Sakowin’s freshman year at Flandreau High school and she shared she is hoping to make it a great year. She looks forward to representing her community in all she does. After she graduates from high school, Ms. Sakowin plans to attend college for Dermatology.
When asked what she loves about the Club, Ms. Sakowin stated, “You can go to the Club and be yourself, meet new people, and make new friends.”
Ms. Sakowin is a great role model for youth and we are so proud of the impact that she has at the Club. She continues to represent her tribe beautifully and shine in everything she does. Our Club staff is excited to watch her continue to grow and thrive in the community.
We
are pleased to share that Jody Hernandez will be joining our team as the Chief
Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains effective
August 29, 2022. Hernandez has extensive experience in youth programs,
organizational leadership, and the cultivation of strategic relationships. We
look forward to the passion and leadership that she will bring to the
organization.
Hernandez joins us from San Antonio, Texas where she served as Chief Operating Officer for Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas for 12 years. Hernandez also served as Director of Membership Services at Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana and as Director of Fund Development at the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis.
Hernandez also brings prior work experience in the field of higher education, having served as an Adjunct Professor, Youthful Offender Counselor, and Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students at Oakland City University. Her professional background also includes several years in the U.S. Army Reserves, for which she served as a combat medic attached to a M.A.S.H. unit in St. Louis, MO, as well as to a Blackhawk Unit at Scott Air Force Base.
Hernandez is currently completing a dissertation for a Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Development and Design and holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work and Master of Public Administration and Policy Analysis from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
Jody, her husband John, and their daughter Lily look forward to moving to South Dakota and joining the family of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains.
Boys & Girls Club of Brookings, Moody County, Yankton, and Vermillion board members and staff met for an Annual Meeting at the Blue Haven Barn in Sioux Falls, on Tuesday, January 24, to celebrate successes, discuss challenges, and honor board members for their elite service to the Boys & Girls Club.
During the Annual Meeting, Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains corporate board member Reece Kurtenbach and Boys & Girls Club of Moody County advisory council member, Kathy Doyle were each named a 2022 Champion of Youth . The Champion of Youth award is bestowed to individuals for exhibiting above-and-beyond service to their Boys & Girls Club, and is one of the highest honors awarded to exemplary board members who have dedicated years of service to the Club, youth, and mission. Reece has diligently worked behind the scenes to ensure the Club remains focused on their strategic priorities and has led many ad-hawk committees and initiatives throughout his 20-year tenure with Boys & Girls Club. Similarly, Kathy was recognized with this award for her years of humble and dedicated service to the Boys & Girls Club of Moody County. Time spent volunteering, preparing for special events, and stewarding community partners has undoubtedly moved the mission of the Club forward.
Two of our advisory council members were presented with the Rising Rockstar award. This award is presented to newer Boys & Girls Club board or advisory council members who have been serving in their role with the Club in their first term. These are volunteer board members who have gone above and beyond in their start with the organization and have made a visible impact within their Club. Dan Sutton , Boys & Girls Club of Moody County advisory council member, and Dr. Jacob Quail , Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion advisory council member, were both recognized for their dedicated service to the Club during their first term as advisory council members.
Lastly, Boys and Girls Club of the Northern Plains Corporate Board President, Scott Ramsdell , received the Gary Isenberg Advocacy Award . This award was presented in honor of Gary Isenberg, a long-serving, passionate, positive, and influential Boys & Girls Club board member who passed away in November 2021. This was the first Advocacy Award to be presented since his passing and recognizes a current board member who displays a similar passion and involvement in the promotion and advocacy for their Club.
LARSON has been a longtime supporter and friend of Boys & Girls Club of Brookings. This month we received a $5,000 donation from the company and its employees, along with an in-kind donation of 75 hygiene packs for our 4th and 5th grade Club members.
LARSON has contributed to the youth in the community in so many ways. When they reached out to discuss the best way to support our youth right now, Jadin Monsen, our Program AmeriCorps VISTA, worked with the Club directors to put together a list of items that would be useful to our members.
The LARSON employee-led IMPACT Committee arranged a “Make A Difference” event where employees worked together to purchase items, including full-size body wash, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and combs, to assemble hygiene kits during work breaks throughout the week. These drawstring hygiene bags were delivered to the Club and distributed to 4th and 5th grade students on Tuesday, November 1. Our members were so thankful for this generous gift and grateful for LARSON’s continued commitment to the youth in our community.
Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion will receive a total of $1.1 million in grant funding over the next five years from 21st Century Community Learning Centers for a partnership with area schools. The Club will work with the Vermillion School District to provide enhanced afterschool tutoring and academic success programming through a program called Club Tutors. Students are referred by their teachers to join this free, afterschool tutoring program, run by Rachel Franks, our full-time Education Director. In October of 2022, the Club Tutors program opened within the Vermillion Middle School and will serve a maximum of 20 students throughout the semester. Club Tutors will expand to the Vermillion High School and Elementary Schools to serve a total of 100 students across the district in the next two years.
“We are so excited to provide this program for families in the Vermillion community,” said Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion Executive Director Savannah Wise. “We are able to give youth in this program more focused academic help and grow the services offered by the Boys & Girls Club.”
As Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion currently operates as a licensed, fee-based site for Austin and Jolley Elementary students, this five-year grant program provides an exciting opportunity to offer extended services to middle and high school students in Vermillion. The Club and Vermillion School District will be in close communication as teachers refer students to the program based on reading and math testing scores, and the tutoring takes place within the school building. Franks, along with additional tutor staff and volunteers, will work with these students to reach grade-level reading and math skills, as well as ensure Vermillion families are closely engaged with their student’s success and are supported with transportation opportunities, mental health services, and healthy food options.
More details about the Boys & Girls Club of Vermillion Club Tutors academic success program will be shared with the schools, teachers, and families the program expands. Stay tuned!
Boys & Girls Club of Yankton and Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services have partnered to provide more access to mental health services for youth and families of the Club. Mental Health is a priority at the Boys & Girls Club, especially as they observe the effects of the pandemic on youth in the community. As the pandemic kept youth in their homes, isolation led to a lack of social interaction during formative years of their childhood. This impact was evident when examining social and academic change as youth returned to a typical day-to-day schedule. Continued partnerships with licensed agencies like Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services are key to combating this social emotional deficit.
Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services has been a consistent partner for Boys & Girls Club of Yankton. The Club has become a common meeting place for Lewis & Clark counselors and youth throughout the school year and summer. Being able to use the Boys & Girls Club site as a meeting place often means guardians do not have to be concerned about transporting their youth to sessions, and meetings can occur more consistently. Lewis & Clark professionals also lead social skills groups at the Boys & Girls Club of Yankton traditional site and Academy programs. These groups focus on teaching and practicing social emotional and positive peer interaction behaviors. “Social skills groups have been instrumental in increasing youths’ ability to interact positively in a social setting and lead youth to success at the Club, in the classroom, and ideally, impact their contributions to the community,” said Koty Frick, Executive Director at Boys & Girls Club of Yankton.
In 2021 when Boys & Girls Club of Yankton received a Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative grant to expand their teen diversion program, Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health was a consistent & supportive partner. A required step in starting the youth diversion program is participating in a mental health evaluation with the youth, guardian, and licensed mental health counselor. Lewis & Clark was quick to step into this vital role and has been successful in setting up additional mental health or counseling needs of youth in this program. This partnership in diversion programming is an expansion upon their previous work with the Yankton and Clay County Teen Court programs also facilitated by the Boys & Girls Club.
“As we continue to see the needs of our youth adapt, we are grateful to have such a strong partner in Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health,” notes Frick. “We are all in this together as we work to provide accessible services, positive experiences, and ultimately great futures for youth who need us most.”
For more information and service options provided by Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services visit www.lcbhs.net or call 605-665-4606.
On Sunday, October 16, Boys & Girls Club of Moody County hosted the Annual Pancake Feed at the Club. This year they served Grandma Virginia’s famous pancakes, eggs with diced ham, coffee, and orange juice. Club members helped serve food, give tours, and clear plates as the community enjoyed gathering and learning more about the Club.
This annual fundraiser raised around $1,300 to go directly towards operations at Boys & Girls Club of Moody County. We are incredibly grateful to all community members that took the time to visit, tour, and support the Club. We served a little over 175 plates of amazing food.
We would like to give a special thank you to Dakota Layers for donating all the eggs used during the event. Thank you, also, to Thrivent Financial for donating $250 to use for the additional groceries and supplies.
Every year we are greeted by nothing but support from the Moody County community. It is obvious that this is a community filled with love and dedication to its youth. Thank you again for visiting the Club! We hope to have just as many people join us for pancakes again next year.
Congratulations Ms. Sakowin! Our very own Jr. Youth Program Staff, Ms. Sakowin, won the title of Ms. Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe (Ms. FSST) earlier this year. Ms. FSST is a pageant style competition where contestants dance and give a speech in front of a panel of judges. The judges base their decision on who represents the tribe well, and Sakowin was crowned Ms. FSST 2022-2023.
Ms. Sakowin started working at the Club as a part of the Workforce Program this past summer. Workforce is a Career Development program with the Boys & Girls Club. Teens receive job experience and weekly trainings in career development related topics. Last summer, these topics included resume writing, interviews, college applications, leadership experience, and job experience. When the program ended in August, Ms. Sakowin chose to continue working at the Club through the school year.
This is Ms. Sakowin’s freshman year at Flandreau High school and she shared she is hoping to make it a great year. She looks forward to representing her community in all she does. After she graduates from high school, Ms. Sakowin plans to attend college for Dermatology.
When asked what she loves about the Club, Ms. Sakowin stated, “You can go to the Club and be yourself, meet new people, and make new friends.”
Ms. Sakowin is a great role model for youth and we are so proud of the impact that she has at the Club. She continues to represent her tribe beautifully and shine in everything she does. Our Club staff is excited to watch her continue to grow and thrive in the community.
We
are pleased to share that Jody Hernandez will be joining our team as the Chief
Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains effective
August 29, 2022. Hernandez has extensive experience in youth programs,
organizational leadership, and the cultivation of strategic relationships. We
look forward to the passion and leadership that she will bring to the
organization.
Hernandez joins us from San Antonio, Texas where she served as Chief Operating Officer for Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas for 12 years. Hernandez also served as Director of Membership Services at Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana and as Director of Fund Development at the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis.
Hernandez also brings prior work experience in the field of higher education, having served as an Adjunct Professor, Youthful Offender Counselor, and Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students at Oakland City University. Her professional background also includes several years in the U.S. Army Reserves, for which she served as a combat medic attached to a M.A.S.H. unit in St. Louis, MO, as well as to a Blackhawk Unit at Scott Air Force Base.
Hernandez is currently completing a dissertation for a Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Development and Design and holds a bachelor's degree in Social Work and Master of Public Administration and Policy Analysis from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
Jody, her husband John, and their daughter Lily look forward to moving to South Dakota and joining the family of the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains.
Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains, Inc.
1126 Southland Lane
Brookings, SD 57006
(605) 692-3333
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