At the beginning of 2025, with the help of a grant from the Irene E & George A Davis Foundation and our partnership with “Stay Plugged In”, West Springfield Boys & Girls Club was able to greatly expand on the tech opportunities and programs available to our members. The “Tech Lab” moved from its relatively small room in our building to a much larger space in the former Teen Lounge, and was updated with new PC and console gaming stations, drone and aeronautics equipment, robotics, 3D printing and more – with a whole host of new program opportunities to go with it!
Members who participated in our tech programs were able to grow their graphic design and 3D printing skills, learn how to fly drones, code robotic interactions and practice technical and safety skills in the world of online content creation. Each of these program focus areas provide a unique path towards future careers and opportunities, while creating a safe, engaging, and forward-thinking environment for underserved youth in our community. With a wide range of skill and interest levels among our members, we found there was something in our new Tech Lab for everyone – from kids who want to turn streaming their favorite video games into a career, to artists carefully considering each element of a 3D print model or personalized t-shirt design, to teenagers working to polish up their college scholarship applications.
As we move into 2026, West Springfield Boys & Girls Club is continuing to expand on what we can offer to our members in this area. New programs this year include Robotics and Droning Enrichment Clubs, E-sports programs that connect members with teams across the country, art programs, and graphic design opportunities during evening drop-in. We are also continuing to partner with “Stay Plugged In” to offer curriculums like the Roblox Content Creator Cybersecurity program, which teaches skills such as storyboarding, filmmaking, streaming, graphic design, video editing and marketing, as well as cybersecurity and AI tools.
One of the Club’s goals as an organization is to offer programs and opportunities that both interest youth, and prepare them for the future - and our new and improved Tech Lab accomplishes both! In addition to creating a space that kids are excited for and want to be involved in, we expect to see the youth that participate in these programs go on to use their increased digital literacy and the connections they have built to become innovators and leaders in our increasingly technological world.
