Major upgrades underway at Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo
When the $4.2 million construction project at the Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo wraps up in spring, the nearly 40,000-square-foot building will allow more children to participate.
“We don’t ever want to turn kids away,” club CEO Roberto Martinez said. “We want to make sure we can grow with the community, grow with the city, so the kids always have a place to go.”
The Boys & Girls Club is adding about 6,500 square feet to its existing 33,000-square-foot facility on Temple Avenue and renovating 18,000 square feet of it, he said.
The club broke ground on the project in October, but this isn’t the building's first facelift.
The nonprofit has been serving Camarillo since 1967 and moved to its current location in 1973, Martinez said. In the last five decades, the Boys & Girls Club has added on to the building three times.
Among the additions were an 8,000-square-foot gym built in 1985, which kids enrolled in the summer camp said was one of their favorite aspects of the club.
The completed facility will be able to accommodate 475 kids a day, up from 400, and host several new programs.
Construction in the background
At the Camarillo club Friday morning, about 15 children stood in line for their turn in a bounce house that marked the end of summer.
They talked and joked as 6-month-old Goldendoodle named Parmesan weaved in between them. Mixed among the laughter and shouts at the puppy were the sounds of construction equipment.
Since construction began, the Boys & Girls Club has had to cut back the number of kids it can serve. Last school year, about 125 to 150 kids visited the club each day, down from 420 before construction, Martinez said.
The summer program is also impacted. The club saw about 85 to 100 kids a day this summer, he said. It served about 200 in previous summers.
Additionally, the Boys & Girls Club has to utilize available space within the facility and at the Pleasant Valley School District to keep offering its programs, Martinez said.
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Once the project is completed, Martinez said the club will hire more help.
Four full-time and about 30 part-time staff members currently work at the club. Martinez said he may need to hire one or two more full-time employees and six or seven part-time employees to help with the additional kids and programs.
Club member Makayla Guillen, 9, said her favorite part of the club was the fun she has with her friends and Parmesan, owned by a staff member. She’s also excited about the extra space to play once construction is completed.
Raelyn Farnsworth, 10, agreed. She does miss the game room, which is currently closed off, and its puzzles, board games, pool tables and table tennis table.
The additional space will offer programs and rooms aimed at middle and high school students.
Two rooms will be dedicated to a planned Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program. There will be a learning lab, 3D printer, hands-on learning and staff encouraging the kids to make mistakes.
Kids may be put off by math and science because they struggle or get bad grades in those subjects, Martinez said. By encouraging kids to learn from their mistakes, they may realize that STEM subjects can be fun, he added.
The STEM program was inspired by feedback from local schools and businesses. By getting kids excited about science at a young age, they’ll be more likely to pursue a local career in the STEM field, Martinez said.
“They can stay in our community,” Martinez said. “One thing we heard from local employers is they need more of a pathway for local talent to get into those careers.”
There will also be a sensorimotor room where kids with special needs can take a break in a quiet space. A new computer lab, art room and kitchen are also planned.
The Boys & Girls Club isn't just changing the lives of kids. It also has a positive impact on Camarillo, according to a 2018 study by California Lutheran University.
Every dollar invested at a Boys & Girls Club in Ventura County translates into a $16.04 positive rate of return for the community, according to the study. It looked at the long-term economic benefits stemming from Boys & Girls Clubs, including high school graduation rates, prevented teen pregnancies and a reduction in substance abuse.
“With rising inflation, increased living costs and reduction of affordable and accessible childcare due to the recent pandemic, I imagine that the financial impact of our club is even greater now,” Martinez said in an email.
To learn more or to donate visit www.bgccam.org.
Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Boys & Girls Club of Camarillo undergoes major expansion
