- Launch brings $1.5 million in contributions, high-profile partnerships
- Third launch of industry-specific workforce development programs since last year
- Announcement of fourth industry club, industry partnership expected later this year
Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan is launching workforce development programs designed to help Metro Detroit youth bring their dreams of becoming a famous sports star or musician come true.
The new industry club programs will provide paid, on-the-job experience each year for 200 youth ages 14-24 who are interested in pursuing a career in the sports, esports — or competitive, organized video gaming — and entertainment industries.
It’s the third industry-specific, workforce development program BGCSM has launched in partnership with local companies since last year to help spur youth interest in careers that will provide economic mobility.
A total of $1.5 million in contributions is supporting the launch of the new programs and spaces for them. That includes funding from the Children’s Foundation, $250,000 from Wayne County and lead gifts of $300,000 over three years from:
- Michigan native, entrepreneur and professional gamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins
- Detroit Pistons Owner Tom Gores, Vice Chairman Arn Tellem and the Detroit Pistons Foundation
- Detroit Red Wings
- National recording artist and Detroit-native Sean “Big Sean” Anderson
As part of the partnership and donation, 50 BGCSM Club youth will have an opportunity to participate in the Pistons’ official draft pick press announcement onsite at the Pistons Practice Facility, BGCSM said.
And the Detroit Red Wings are teaming up with The Children’s Foundation and BGCSM to introduce Esports + Hockey, a program that will provide year-round hockey connectivity for youth through hands-on learning experiences, esports engagement and workforce development.
“We’re excited to offer the sports and entertainment industry club, which will be a game changer for the youth of metro Detroit,” President and CEO Shawn Wilson said.
Blevins’ gift will support a new gaming lounge at the Matilda R. Wilson Club in Auburn Hills, and Andersons’ a new recording studio at the Lloyd H. Diehl Club in Detroit.
“Together with our dynamic industry partners we will have a collective impact which will help break the poverty cycle for many of the youth we serve,” Wilson said.
Every youth wants to be an entertainer or an athlete, Wilson noted. The sports and entertainment industry club was the natural next step.
The nonprofit already serves 4,000-5,000 young athletes every year, he said. And the first Sean Anderson Foundation Content & Production Studio at BGCSM’s Dick & Sandy Dauch Campus on Detroit’s west side, opened two years ago, is one of its most popular rooms with kids.
“As someone who grew up around Detroit, I’m so excited to be a part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan’s new Sports and Entertainment Industry Club,” Blevins said in a news release.
“Gaming has obviously impacted my life, and now I get to support youth coming to the Club that are interested in gaming or in exploring the many different career pathways the industry has to offer. I hope they’re inspired to dream big, knowing they have the tools they need to help make their dreams a reality.”
The sports and entertainment club will mark the third launched by BGCSM within a year.
Last September, the nonprofit began its fashion industry club in the Detroit is the New Black store downtown with Ponyride business accelerator, which forged a strategic alliance with BGCSM last May to operate from its spaces as an independent program.
Then this past spring, it launched a data science and risk management industry club, with support from Amerisure and Big Sean’s Sean Anderson Foundation. The club is providing opportunities for youth to learn about careers that include data science, business analytics, social media analytics, insurance and risk management, through an entrepreneurial lens.
“Those industry clubs are hugely popular and most importantly, meet our mission of ensuring that youth are career, startup and homeowner ready,” Wilson said.
“The goal from day one was to ensure the programs we offer are super relevant to youth.”
Boys & Girls Clubs across the U.S. struggle to retain young members once they hit their teens, Wilson said, because they want to work and need to work in many cases.
“We’ve really seen our teen population explode since introducing the industry club programs a year ago,” he said.
BGCSM expects to announce a fourth industry club focused on urban planning and mobility later this year, Wilson said.
“We want youth to solve mobility challenges in their communities through development of apps … and to really develop out (their) community through parks, services, housing.”
The industry clubs are designed to connect to one another and collaborate, rather than operating in silos, Wilson said. Youth can move from one to the next to build stackable skills and find their passion.
Youth participating in the fashion industry club, for example, worked with BGCSM’s young athletes to design an active wear line of hoodies, T-shirts and shorts.
Foot Locker is co-branding the new collection, which will be sold at Foot Locker’s Eastpointe store, beginning Saturday and online at detroitisthenewblack.com.
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