A New Space for What Happens Next
For teens at the Jeff Wyler Club, the newly renovated workforce development center means having a space of their own and more focused support as they plan for life after high school.
The center, made possible through Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati’s A New Generation capital campaign, gives staff more room to work with teens individually, understand their interests and help them take their next steps toward graduation, employment and further education.
A Dedicated Space for Teens
Skylar Boeh has seen that change firsthand. Nearly five years ago, she joined the Club at the front desk for an internship, expecting to stay for just six months. But working with the kids of Clermont County changed her plans. She stayed, became a program coordinator and spent about three years working with different age groups, with teens always part of her work. When the opportunity arose to focus on workforce development, she wanted to continue those relationships.
Today, the new center gives that work a dedicated home.
“Now they have their own space, finally, just for them,” Skylar shared.
Before the renovations, staff balanced teen programming with the needs of younger members. Having space and staff focused on teens makes it easier to give each member individual attention, whether they are exploring jobs, looking for an internship, job or volunteer opportunity, or figuring out what comes after graduation.
“We can meet the needs of each teen and find out what they need from us,” Skylar said.
New Spaces, Familiar Faces
The changes have also brought plenty of emotion. Skylar recalled that some members cried during their first visit to the renovated Club. They were happy, she explained, but taking in so much change at once was a lot to process.
Melanie, a junior, could relate. The new space gets her approval, though the old one still deserves a little credit. “It’s new. I think it’s really nice. I like it. I don’t think it was bad how it was, and there were a lot of memories with it.”
“It looks very different, but I like it,” she added. As she settles in, she’s already looking ahead to competing for Youth of the Year in February.
For Charlie, a freshman, the excitement started well before the doors reopened. “Ever since they’ve been building it, we’ve been excited to come here,” he shared.
And while there’s plenty to look forward to in the new space, one addition has his attention: “I’ll tell you another thing, we are very excited about getting Xboxes.”
Building on What Matters
For Skylar, the renovations build on the relationships and work already happening at the Club. The difference is having more capacity to respond to what individual teens need.
“So we can continue the work that we did before, just at a much higher level for these kids,” she shared.
That is what the investment in the Jeff Wyler Club makes possible: a place where teens can feel at home, talk through their goals with people who know them and get support as they decide what comes next.
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