Summary

“Renway” MicroSociety receives first place for best overall program

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In honor of their top achievements in a recent national competition, members of the Renton/Skyway Boys & Girls Club were recognized today by the Metropolitan King County Council.

In May, The Renton/Skyway Boys & Girls Club’s Renway MicroSociety won “Best Overall Program” out of roughly 4,000 applicants in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America network. They are the first club in King County to receive such an honor in a national competition in 40 years.

“I am thrilled to see this group of young men and women taking charge of their future by learning and discovering how to be contributing members of a society,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson. “In each of these individuals I see our future employees, entrepreneurs, public figures and, most importantly, our role models for embracing leadership, positive change and teamwork as a community.”

The Renway MicroSociety is a research proven, innovative program where kids create a microcosm of the real world in an after-school setting. In Renway, all youth have a valuable role and defined responsibility in a creating a successful community. All youth have a ‘job’ or provide leadership to their peers through a government within the Club. Real world experiences like earning a ‘pay check’, having a bank account, buying a snack at the café and shopping at the Club Marketplace all provide youth with the opportunity to see how school day learning can benefit them in a real life setting. Students learn to have fun while applying real life skills.

The Renway MicroSociety program was championed by former Renton/Skyway Boys & Girls Club director, Meg Pitman, and is now led by current Club director, Dorina Calderon-McHenry.