Keystone Club: Building Tomorrow’s Leaders & Youth of the Year at BGCSV

🎉 You’re Invited: Youth of the Year & Community Awards Celebration Join us on Thursday, March 26th at 5:00pm at the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley to celebrate the incredible teens who represent the best of our Club. You’ll hear from our Youth of the Year finalists and help us honor the young people and community partners who make this work possible. Click here to RSVP or see the event page! At the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley, Keystone Club is where high school teens step into leadership, find their voices, and learn how to create positive change in their community. Here at our Club Keystone was formerly known as the YES Team, this group has been empowering youth leaders since 2012 and officially became Keystone Club last year—joining a national Boys & Girls Clubs of America leadership program focused on developing character, confidence, and community-minded leaders.

Keystone Club plays a meaningful role in preparing teens for Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Youth of the Year program, the organization’s highest honor. Through Keystone, teens build the leadership skills, confidence, and sense of purpose that Youth of the Year celebrates—strong character, academic commitment, and service to others. Many of the qualities Youth of the Year finalists demonstrate are developed right here in Keystone, through real leadership experiences and opportunities to lead with heart. This school year, Keystone Club includes six regular members, with eleven teens participating across events and activities. The group meets weekly and participates in special events throughout the year. Activities are student-led with guidance from advisors, giving teens real ownership over projects that benefit their peers and the broader community. This year, Keystone members have:

• Organized a Snow Drive, collecting clothes, toys, and essentials for more than 130 families through our Christmas Store and Family Resource Center.

• Hosted “We Own Fridays,” creating a fun, substance-free teen night that offered adolescents a safe place to connect and belong.

• Participated in the Keystone Retreat at the Ron Burton Training Village, collaborating with Keystone Clubs from across the state, reflecting on leadership goals, and assembling hygiene packs with messages of encouragement for youth in need.

• Created comfort cases with fidgets, candy, mental health resources, and nicotine cessation information to support high school peers.

• Helped plan community events like Skate Night, building event-planning, communication, and teamwork skills while engaging families.

• Took part in a financial wellness seminar, learning practical strategies to support their long-term success.

The goal of Keystone Club is to equip teens with the tools, confidence, and experiences they need to contribute meaningfully to their community. Through hands-on leadership, youth develop self-confidence, teamwork, communication skills, and lasting friendships—while learning that their ideas and actions can truly make a difference. As one Keystone member shared,

“The people in Keystone are really welcoming, and it’s easy to bounce off ideas with each other.” – Claire, Keystone Member

Because of donor support, programs like Keystone create pathways for teens to grow into leaders, advocates, and future Youth of the Year candidates—young people who are prepared to lead with integrity, compassion, and purpose.