These initiatives help youth achieve and maintain healthy, active lifestyles.

SMART Moves

The SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) prevention/education program addresses the problems of drug and alcohol use and premature sexual activity. Based on proven techniques, the program uses a team approach involving Club staff, peer leaders, parents and community representatives. More than simply emphasizing a "Say No" message, the program teaches young people ages 6-12 how to say no by involving them in discussion and role-playing, practicing resistance and refusal skills, developing assertiveness, strengthening decision-making skills and analyzing media and peer influence. The ultimate goal: to promote abstinence from substance abuse and adolescent sexual involvement through the practice of responsible behavior.

SMART Girls

An outgrowth of the popular and effective SMART Moves program, SMART Girls is a health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program for girls ages 6-12. The program is designed to encourage healthy attitudes and lifestyles that will enable early adolescent girls to develop to their full potential.

Passport to Manhood

Passport to Manhood promotes and teaches responsibility while reinforcing positive behavior in male Club members ages 9-13. Passport to Manhood consists of small-group sessions, each of which concentrates on a specific aspect of manhood through highly interactive activities. Each participant is issued his own "Passport" to underscore the idea that he is on a journey of maturation and personal growth.

Cavity-Free Zone

Cavity-Free Zone was developed in response to the recent U.S. Surgeon General's report on oral health which revealed a silent epidemic of oral disease in America. Underwritten by Crest, Cavity-Free Zone aims to improve the oral health of Club members ages 6-12. Through oral health educational program materials, a Web site and collaborative efforts with local dental schools, dental societies and other health care agencies, Cavity-Free Zone will be a catalyst for change in providing dental services to our youth

Recycling Club

Did you know that two out of three aluminum cans produced in the United States begin as recycled cans? Members of the Recycling Club do. Boys & Girls Club members are also learning about the effect recycling has on the environment, the economy and the community. Members meet two to three times each week. They are responsible for organizing and sorting the Club's own recyclables. Best of all, the positive work of the Recycling Club directly affects the community while helping the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carlsbad each year save hundreds of dollars.

Litter Critter Crew

The Litter Critter Crew is focused on promoting a healthy and clean environment by helping to eliminate litter. The "Crew" typically consists of six to eight members who clean up the Club's grounds, the neighborhood and the surrounding Village Branch site. Members say that they feel good when they help keep the neighborhood litter-free because it gives them a sense of pride in their Club and the community.

*5-A-Day Power Play

Here's a club that's really satisfying. It's 5-A-Day Power Play - a fun and worthwhile nutritional program geared towards kids between the ages of six and ten. Members learn the benefits of eating a balanced diet and even how to make healthy meals and snacks. Learning about the healthful benefits of the Food Pyramid and gaining an understanding of the Four Food Groups is also part of the focus on healthy eating. Members learn about food safety and how to be safe in the kitchen. 5-A-Day Power Play is also a rewarding experience: the program offers a monthly essay contest whereby winners can win cash prizes up to $75!

* In conjunction with the University of California, San Diego and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture