A Club Like No Other
A new Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida opens it’s doors
Learning doesn’t end when the final school bell rings. A key facet to our cradle-to-career educational pipeline is providing the wrap-around services and support systems necessary to ensure academic success outside of normal school hours. High-quality afterschool programs, like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, increase student achievement levels while also providing mentoring opportunities aimed at building long-term relationships between students and staff.
In April of 2021, the Jacqueline Bradley & Clarence Otis Family Branch Boys & Girls Club proudly opened its doors for the first time to students. Made possible by a generous lead donation by long-time Boys & Girls Club board member, Jacqueline Bradley and her husband, Clarence Otis, this Club certainly lives up to its nickname of “A Club Like No Other”. In addition to the cutting-edge technology found in its STEM and computer labs and the traditional Club elements such as a game room, gymnasium and library, this Club boasts music rooms, a recording arts studio, a dance studio and stage.
But perhaps one of the biggest treasures of the Club isn’t found in the fancy stage or in the recording studio with impressive recording equipment and microphones. The biggest assets by far in the Bradley-Otis Club are the staff, the men and women who show up everyday to remind the future generation anything is possible for them. Led by Club Director, Jessica Sandoval, the Bradley-Otis staff, oftentimes former Club members themselves, know the importance of those after-school relationships and go the extra mile to create lasting memories and learning opportunities for students. In the short time the Bradley-Otis Club has been open, the impact of those relationships is already visible.
“I love it here now and I love Ms. Arantxa
who always greets me with a big smile after school every day!”
First-grader, Malia, entered her first day at the Club a little anxious and nervous about a new environment. Bradley-Otis staffer, Ms. Arantxa, knew just how to put her at ease and spent extra time with Malia in her early days, quickly putting her at ease and giving her the confidence she needed to take advantage of all of the innovative and exciting amenities of the Club. These days, you will find Malia eagerly skipping through Club doors and she has become one of the go-to helpers for the staff. “I love it here now and I love Ms. Arantxa who always greets me with a big smile after school every day!”
Consistency and commitment are never in short supply at the brand new Bradley-Otis Club and it’s the lasting relationships that Clubbers make with the staff and volunteers that ensure students know just how high they can reach and how far they can go in life.
Learn more about Lift Orlando’s work in The Communities of West Lakes and all of the exciting events and milestones happening last year in West Lakes by reading the 2021 Annual Report!