Character & Leadership
Building Future Leaders
At the Clubs, we believe that great character isn’t just taught in a classroom, it’s built through experience, responsibility, and community. At BGC Conejo, our leadership programs give young people the chance to step up, give back, and discover who they’re becoming. The results speak for themselves:
81% of our members know what career they want to pursue
96% expect to graduate high school
79% plan to continue their education beyond it
The Club’s don’t just support who our members are today, they help to shape who they become tomorrow.
Torch Club
Building Leaders Through Action
Torch Club builds leaders through action. Members elect officers, plan community events, and lead service projects that strengthen their schools and neighborhoods. Through hands-on experiences and mentorship, youth develop essential leadership skills and a strong sense of civic responsibility, all while cultivating a culture of service, teamwork, and personal growth.
Our Members in Action:
In 2025, Torch Club members identified needs on their own campuses and organized school-wide clean-up days:
I am honored to be president of Torch Club where we get to work as a team to help our community. This may seem like a small act of kindness towards our community, but I believe when people can come together and help our school, we can teach each other the importance of helping people out. 
— Lauren, 8th Grade, Marion & John E. Anderson Boys & Girls Club
SMART Moves
Skills for Life, Strength for Tomorrow
SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resilience Training) is a prevention and education program that equips young people ages 6 through15 with the tools to make healthy, confident decisions. Through discussion, role-playing, and real-world skill building, members practice resilience and refusal skills, develop assertiveness, strengthen decision-making, and learn to navigate peer pressure and media influence.
The program takes a team approach, bringing together Club staff, peer leaders, parents, and community representatives to create a support system around every young person.
SMART Moves includes three specialized tracks:
SMART Girls: Inspiring girls to create positive, healthy attitudes and lifestyles through prevention, education, self-esteem enhancement, and fitness activities.
Youth for Unity: Encouraging individuality and embracing uniqueness as youths explore different aspects of their identity while learning about stereotypes and biases.
Passport to Manhood: Inspiring boys to discover themselves and make positive contributions to their families and communities through hands-on activities.
Keystone
Learning to Lead with Purpose
Keystone empowers teens to lead with purpose. Members design service initiatives, mentor younger youth, and strengthen their Clubs through community engagement and peer leadership, developing the skills, camaraderie, and sense of belonging that prepare them to become active, responsible citizens.
Our Members in Action:
In 2025, our Keystone members, former Club kids themselves, stepped up to support incoming 6th graders navigating the transition to middle school:
“Being back at the Club, I was reminded how confusing and challenging middle school is, and I want to be someone who can help lead and guide others. Looking back, the Club taught me how to build trust, set an example, and be inclusive — and I could use these to help fulfil my mission.”
— Sid, 9th Grade, Cal & Marje Johnston Club
“Leadership is not about authority, but about responsibility, consistency, and setting a positive example for others to follow.”
— Aiden, 9th Grade, John L. Notter Boys & Girls Club
Youth of the Year
Our Highest Honor
Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a member can receive at Boys & Girls Clubs. This prestigious recognition celebrates exceptional Club members who have demonstrated remarkable leadership, academic achievement, service to others, and a commitment to healthy living, all while overcoming real personal challenges.
Our Members in Action:
Youth of the Year share their experiences:
“I came to the Boys & Girls Clubs looking for two simple things — a safe place to go, and people who believed in me when it felt like the entire world didn’t. What I found was more than just a building. It was support, mentorship, and a community that reminded me I was more than my circumstances. I found a place that didn’t see me as a problem to be fixed, but as a kid who still deserved the same opportunities as others.”
— Esha M., Greater Conejo Valley Youth of the Year
“The Club is a safe place for all members, no matter where they come from or where they are in life right now. It is a fun place and offers opportunity throughout the entire day. I want everyone to feel love and support the same way I do, but in everyone’s own unique way.”
— Jordan S., Junior Youth of the Year
Ready to Find Your Place?
The Clubs are open to all young people in the Greater Conejo Valley. Whether your child is just starting out or ready to step into a leadership role, there’s a place for them here.