Dedication Ceremony for Live Oak Clubhouse March 19

Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County, in partnership with the County of Santa Cruz and the Live Oak School District, are poised to dedicate the organization’s new Live Oak Clubhouse during a ceremony March 19.

The 10,200-square-foot Clubhouse co-located with Shoreline Middle School, 855 17^th Ave., features two floors of education and activity space designed to meet the academic, recreational and social needs of children ages 6-18 in the Live Oak community. The facility, which will officially open March 28, features a dedicated Teen Center, instructional kitchen, art room, learning center, dance studio, music and recording room, and digital arts center. The facility also features a working garden, outdoor activity space and Monterey Bay Friendly Landscaping.

The Monterey Peninsula Foundation recently awarded the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County a $100,000 grant to fund educational programming in Live Oak, including the “Power Hour” homework program and tutoring. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County has raised more than $900,000 to support programming and operations at the Clubhouse, but it will take ongoing community contributions to sustain this effort.

The Clubhouse will offer after-school and summer services to elementary students and high school students, where presently only Shoreline Middle School students can participate in the Teen Club located in a portable classroom on the campus. This critical expansion will give more families the opportunity to take advantage of activities and services right in their own neighborhood.

“This collaborative creation of a Clubhouse in the heart of Live Oak reflects the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County’s mission to serve all the youth in our county regardless of income level, race, gender, or ability,” said Executive Director Bob Langseth. “The Clubhouse represents much more than just a physical place where children learn, play and hang out with their friends. It provides a critical link between school and home, and is a lifeline to working parents who can rest assured their children are safe after school and in the summer.”

Funded by the County of Santa Cruz on land owned by the Live Oak School District, the Clubhouse represents an important example of public-private partnerships, said Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold.

“Faced with the loss of future redevelopment projects and recognizing the strength and value of community-based youth engagement programs, the County of Santa Cruz was pleased to partner with the Boys & Girls Club and Live Oak School District,” said Supervisor Leopold, whose district includes Live Oak. “The three organizations, acting on a community recommendation to create more opportunities for youth, worked diligently and collaboratively to establish a center that would serve as an anchor for youth in Live Oak and the greater Santa Cruz County community, nourishing their hearts, minds and bodies.”

Supervisor Leopold will join other community leaders in dedicating the new facility during a ceremony that will begin at 11 a.m. March 19. From noon to 3 p.m., the public will be welcome to tour the facility and view the Donor Wall mural created by community artist Kathleen Crocetti and about 40 members of the Shoreline Teen Club and Downtown Clubhouse.

Staff members will be available to answer questions and register new members. There will be a parent orientation from 2:30-3 p.m. Light refreshments will be served throughout the event.