SMART Moves at Kirkland!

Boys & Girls Clubs of King County is committed to creating safe and healthy environments for youth who walk through our Club doors. As youth grow and develop so do their emotional regulation capacities. Part of our core programming is offering tools and safe spaces to help youth work through their emotions in healthy ways.

Third through fifth grade groups at our Kirkland Club are participating the SMART Moves pilot program. The group is a safe space that meets twice a week. Here, members share what is going on in their world, learn coping mechanisms, and work through emotions.

The program was created as a way for our youth to process what they’re going through. Claudia Kramer, the Education director at Kirkland, noted the interpersonal impact this program has:

“The group dynamic has shifted for the better –beyond the Smart moves session.  The benefits of the program are tangible; friendships have grown amongst members and there are fewer disagreements.”  

The Kirkland team looks forward to bringing this program to the entire Club this fall. We hope that the Smart Moves program will continue to empower youth as they learn and grow into healthy adults.

One of our organizational goals is to provide behavioral health resources to all the youth we serve. Join us for GiveBIG, this week May 3-4 and make a gift to expand our behavioral health programs. Your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar between now and May 4 up to $50,000! Your partnership will help us ensure that all members have access to programs like Smart Moves, all youth deserve behavioral health resources.