This month, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County made history with all 13 teen-serving sites officially chartering through Boys & Girls Clubs of America as either a Keystone Club or a Torch Club!

The ultimate teen program, Keystone Clubs provide leadership development opportunities for Club members ages 14 to 18. Keystone Clubs focus on three main areas: academic success, career readiness, and community service. Inside and outside the Club, Keystone aims to positively impact the members who participate and the communities around them. With the guidance of a dedicated staff supervisor, each Club has already elected teen officers to guide their Keystone Clubs. These officers have begun working on a plan to advance from Basic to Silver Charter, a requirement for attending the National Keystone Conference in Orlando next year! A special shoutout to our Club at John I. Leonard High School has already achieved Silver Charter status!

At our Conniston Middle School Club, members from 11-13 years old have chartered the Torch Club which aims to meet the special character-development needs of younger adolescents at a critical stage in their life.

Take a look at each charted Club’s achievements so far!

Boca Raton Club Barracudas Torch Club:

• Career Opportunities: STEM guest instructor taught basic circuitry and wiring; teens attended a Career Fair and met local artists and professionals.
• Community Engagement: Hosted a Stanley Cup event with community leaders; held a Halloween celebration with parent donations, a courtyard dance floor, and a teen-run photo booth; partnered with AmeriCorps & FAU Theatre for a Halloween-themed play.

Florence De George Keystone and Torch Clubs:

• Experiential Learning & Workforce Readiness: Role-playing communication, professionalism, and first impressions; hands-on workplace-skills activities; first-time résumé building; students applied for real BGC leadership roles; participation in Torch Club, Keystone, AmeriCorps, and YVC.
• Youth Achievement, Enrichment & Service: FDG student named Youth of the Year + scholarship; strong Honor Roll results; new TORCH & Keystone charters with student leadership; Arts Career Fair, FAU Theatre Lab, district Career Fair; creation of Veterans Day cards honoring local veterans.

Conniston Middle School Torch Club:

• Hands-On Enrichment: Home economics cooking lessons exploring breakfast dishes, hamburger sliders, egg salad, spaghetti, and more; launch of Conniston BGC’s first-ever soccer team supported by an experienced coach, helping teens build skills and prepare for an upcoming tournament.
• Community Engagement & Upcoming Events: Fall Sip & Paint party, Fall Festival, and a Torch Club service-learning project creating stocking stuffers and coordinating holiday distribution for custodial staff.

John I. Leonard High School Keystone Club:

• Leadership Growth & Charter Progress: Our clubs continue to expand in leadership and community involvement, earning the Silver Charter for Rise & Lead.
• Community Service Impact: AmeriCorps and Youth Volunteer (YV) members supported a service project at the Feeding South Florida food pantry, assisting with food distribution and helping families in need while demonstrating strong teamwork and compassion.

Marjorie S. Fisher Club Keystone Club:

• Career Exploration: Job search basics and entrepreneurship lessons; VR career simulations; and communication and professional skills practice.
• Leadership, Service & Enrichment: Socktober fundraiser; Youth Volunteer Corps interviews and AmeriCorps mentoring; Arts Career Fair participation; guest presentation from AshBritt Environmental and Ms. Holly Raschein; special visit from Jerome Collins, recording artist and founding member of Straight No Chaser.

Lake Worth High School Make It Count Keystone Club:

• Career Exploration: Club teens explored potential career opportunities with VR headsets.
• Community Service: Members participated in an Opioid Awareness event on campus where they researched and shared their findings with their peers.

Max M. Fisher Club Toon Squad Keystone Club:

• Career Readiness: Job application and salary-negotiation lessons; teens practiced articulating their skills, values, and interview strengths; completed job applications with guided support.
• Leadership, Enrichment & Club Launch: The Keystone club “Toon Squad” officially launched, supported by AmeriCorps during Teen Takeover, Halloween events, Opera trip, and homework help; Youth of the Year success boosted relationships and teen engagement; Career & Arts Fair participation and field trips strengthened social skills and community connections.

Forest Hill High School The Odyssey Keystone Club:

• Academic Success & Career Preparation: Participation in a College Fair; guest speakers from the George Snow Scholarship Foundation and PBS Trio FAFSA; Career Exploration Week with VR goggles; active participation in the Scholarship Hunt Club.
• Leadership, Service & Outreach: Community service projects including FAMU Recycle & Compost, campus beautification, and handmade blankets for a VA shelter; teen lunch recruitment, volunteer service recruitment, and Choice Open House participation; Teen Takeover events such as Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Opioid Awareness Workshop, Fall Festival, and Winter Festival; mentorship plans to meet with Torch Club at CMS

Smith & Moore Family Teen Center Keystone Club:

• Career Exploration & Leadership Pipeline: Completed Career Launch curriculum and post-surveys; Cultural Arts Speaker Series; VR career exploration for college, careers, scholarships, and dual enrollment; leadership pipeline strengthened through YVC, AmeriCorps, and the launch of the Muck City Prodigies – Keystone Club.
• Enrichment & Community Engagement: Rapids Waterpark trip (31 teens) promoting social skills and relationship-building; Arts Fair (8 teens) offering creative-career exposure; Trunk-or-Treat event (150 attendees) providing a safe Halloween experience, community bonding, recruitment opportunities, and staff-decorated trunks.

Santaluces High School The Rising Chiefs Keystone Club:

• Keystone Launch & Community Service​: The Rising Chiefs officially chartered with Keystone on October 29th, 2025.​ Teens are actively serving the community through gardening, campus cleanups, and volunteering at the Feeding South Florida Food Pantry.
• Program Highlights & Recent Wins: Opioid Awareness / Say No to Drugs Campaign. Two-day event using the opioid awareness curriculum.​ Mr. Jeremy’s Entrepreneurship class filmed a Say No to Drugs video and created custom t-shirts.​ Mrs. Taborn’s class produced a poster board presentation.​ Youth Volunteer Corps members delivered peer presentations to spread awareness.​ Bullying Prevention Month. Hosted the Urban League for two days of sessions on healthy relationships and conflict resolution.​ Highly interactive discussions that resonated with students.

Neil S. Hirsch Club The Leaders of Tomorrow Keystone Club:

• College & Career Readiness: Explored updated part-time job opportunities; supported one student with college applications, FAFSA, and test prep; assisted four students with essay writing.
• Teen Engagement & Events: Teens participated in a step show and viewed the Youth of the Year announcement; facilitated an ice cream social for younger youth; organized a Trunk-or-Treat event on a non-school day.

Pahokee Middle-Senior High School Torch and Keystone Clubs:

• Recent Wins: Superintendent Mike Burke visited the site to recognize youth and staff achievements; BGC Pahokee was featured in the school newsletter for its positive impact.
• Community Engagement: Hosted during Muck Bowl week, providing teens with a fun, safe space to celebrate school spirit and community pride.

Delray Beach Club Dragons Keystone Club:

• Career & Workforce Readiness: Participated in a virtual career workshop with industry guest speakers; explored career pathways, skills, and education requirements; engaged in “Are You Ready to Work?” workforce skills sessions.
• Club Engagement: Teen Room Makeover and Club Beautification Project; roller skating social event; teens led efforts to improve and personalize the club environment.

We are so proud of our teens across the county and cannot wait to see how they take their new Clubs to the next level!