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Imagine a safe place for children and teenagers.  A place offering more than walls, floors and roofs and windows.

A place with technology labs, athletic fields, art and study rooms, teen cafe, and walls of windows and glass, which with the presence and guidance of caring adults, show a future where the possitibilities are endless.

A Positive Place for Kids...
And The Promise Made

Bill Burton envisioned such a place.  As executive director of the Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club serving the Rainier Valley of Seattle, he knows the difference such clubs make in young lives.  The former Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club originally opened in 1976 to provide "A Positive Place for Kids".  But over the years, the demand outgrew the aging walls.  In 1980, Bill made a promise to the Rainier Vista youth: he would build them a new, bigger, club to call their own.  Public and private groups and individuals, including the City of Seattle, the Seattle Housing Authority, King County and the Boys & Girls Club of King County Board of Directors, rallied around the vision of a new state-of-the-art club for the Rainier Vista community, pooling resources and efforts.

In November of 2008, the promise was fulfilled, as a new club building opened its doors. At 40,000 square feet, it is triple the size of the original Club and is the largest Boys & Girls Club built on a public housing site.  One side houses the Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club for grades K-8.  The other side houses the Rainier Valley Teen Center for high school youth.  Each side has its own gym, technology lab, learning center, games room and more.  The $17 million structure stands as a monument to what can happen when a community comes together for a common purpose.


Mission Statement
To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens

A Place To Belong
Kids treat Boys & Girls Clubs like a second home – a place where they can be safe, be happy, and be themselves.  A youth development strategy underlies all of our programs and fosters a sense of belonging, competence, usefulness and builds self-esteem and self-confidence among Club members. 
 
Open to All
The heart of every Boys & Girls Club is its drop-in program.  A membership to the Club costs just pennies a day and if a family can’t afford that, we provide scholarships.  Fees for other programming and summer camps vary and scholarship opportunities are often available for kids in need.


Dedicated Staff
Our caring staff are trained to create a learning scenario out of every game, to nurture self-esteem in every exchange with a child, and to boost the confidence that can be so fleeting during adolescence.  The positive relationships our mentors build with kids at the Club are a key element of our impact on youth.


Lessons For A Lifetime 
Boys & Girls Clubs are whirlwinds of laughter and activity.  Kids may walk through our doors for the fun we offer, but we do far more than entertain these youngsters.  Our nationally recognized programs and activities impact children in three essential ways:

Academic Success Improving grades, reducing drop out rates and teaching kids to see themselves as learners

Good Character and Citizenship Encouraging community service, reducing juvenile crime and instilling an attitude of engagement

Healthy Lifestyles Teaching behaviors that benefit health, reduce drug use and childhood obesity and fostering a positive self image

 

Photo Credit: Sean Watson


The Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club is a nonprofit organization, qaulifying as a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization, that is wholly controlled by the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County.