We Champion Maryland’s Young People

At Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore, we believe young people deserve more than support they deserve a voice. That’s why advocacy is a big part of what we do. 

This month, our work was nationally recognized when we received the “Hero for Youth” award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America for standing up for Maryland’s young people. But awards aren’t the goal. Impact is. 

What Advocacy Looks Like 

Advocacy means helping young people speak up about issues that affect their lives like mental health, afterschool programs, and safe spaces in their communities. It also means making sure lawmakers hear directly from the people their decisions impact. 

This week, our leaders traveled to Washington, D.C. for the 2026 National Days of Advocacy. They met with members of Congress to push for stronger support for mentoring, youth mental health, workforce programs, and afterschool opportunities. Because when decisions are made in D.C., they affect our kids right here at home. Our advocacy work in Maryland supports national priorities like expanding access to out-of-school time programs, youth mentoring, and mental health resources all issues championed by Boys & Girls Clubs of America at the federal level. By sharing our youth’s voices with policymakers, we’re helping shape decisions that directly impact kids’ lives.

Meet Karis: A Young Leader in Action

Karis, Keystone President at our Club at Brooklyn O’Malley and a Youth of the Year candidate, is a powerful example of youth voice in action. 

Earlier this month, she participated in the National Mentoring Summit and spoke on a national panel about youth leadership and advocacy, where she shared how mentors and Club staff helped her grow into the leader she is today. 

Her focus? Teen mental health. Before joining the Club, Karis says she struggled to speak up about what she was going through. She felt scared and uncomfortable using her voice. That changed at the Club. 

With support from staff and mentors, she found the courage to speak out not just for herself, but for other teens who feel unseen or unheard. She advocated for calming corners to be created in more spaces, like the one at her local Club. She and her peers even presented the idea on a national level, encouraging public libraries to create similar calming spaces so teens can have access to a safe place to reset, reflect, and recharge seven days a week. When asked what made her advocacy successful, she named two things: courage and commitment.  

Through initiatives like this, our youth become true catalysts for change, showing how teens can lead, innovate, and advocate not just for themselves, but for their peers. This is exactly what the America Needs Club Kids campaign highlights: young people making a real difference in their communities and beyond. 

A Movement Bigger Than One Moment 

From Club-level projects to national stages to meetings on Capitol Hill, our advocacy work is about one simple idea: Young people matter. 

That belief aligns with the national movement led by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, America Needs Club Kids, a call to recognize that when young people are supported, heard, and equipped to lead, our entire country is stronger. 

Our advocacy work builds on a national network of Clubs, volunteers, and alumni. With more than 5,500 Clubs across the U.S. and on military installations, BGCA serves over 4 million kids and teens each year. This network combined with robust data through initiatives like the National Youth Outcomes Initiative ensures that our youth voices are amplified, credible, and connected to decision-makers at every level. Thought leaders, elected officials, policymakers, and media recognize Clubs as a priority partner in keeping communities safe, strong, and thriving. 

America needs young people who are confident enough to speak up. America needs teens who care about mental health and safe spaces. America needs leaders like Karis who turn personal challenges into purpose. 

We are proud to champion their voices, invest in their leadership, and fight for policies that help them thrive. Because when young people are heard, communities grow stronger. 

And America truly does need Club kids. 

Want to learn more about how Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Baltimore champions youth voices and advocacy? Check out more stories from our Clubs: 

• https://www.bgcmetrobaltimore.org/post/our-teens-at-the-2025-national-keystone-conference 

• https://www.bgcmetrobaltimore.org/post/filling-capitol-hill-with-a-generation-ready-to-lead 

If you want to help amplify youth voices and support advocacy for young people, learn more about BGCA’s Catalyst for Change Advocacy Network at bgca.org/get-involved/advocacy