Tara Bolen sat down today with Nathan Ivy, the site coordinator for the Herbert Hoover Adams Park Unit. Nathan discussed the variety of programs offered for the children and teens that attend the community center along with their current member stats, fee schedule, and other interesting information about the center.
What is the role that the Herbert Hoover Adams Park Unit plays in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood?
“The Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club mission is to inspire and enable children six to eighteen to realize their full potential by becoming caring, productive, and responsible citizens. More specifically the Adams Park Unit’s role is to provide a safe and positive place for the youth in the surrounding area that includes the Botanical Heights, Shaw neighborhood, Forest Park Southeast. Having a safe and positive for them to come and enjoy various programs is important.”
How many members do you have here and where do they come from in St. Louis?
“We have just a little over a thousand here and primarily the vast majority of the daily attendance of kids is about 125 on any given day. Some kids come everyday, some kids come here once a month. It just depends on what their interest lies and what other activities the kids are involved in outside of the club. We have kids who actually have their bus drop them off here from school districts as far as Rockwood and Parkway.”
What programs are offered here?
“Primarily we provide programs in five core areas which was sanctioned by the Boys and Girls Club of America which we are apart of. The five core programs areas are: the arts, character and leadership, career and education, health and life skills and sports, and lastly fitness and recreation. Under the umbrella of those five are a series of programs that we run with to help the participants achieve their full potential.”
What is the fee schedule?
“It’s twenty-five dollars per year. That includes vision and dental care. We have a vision center donated by the Clarkson Eye Foundation. The doctors come once a month a provide vision care. Our dental center is located in our original site in North city at the Sportsman Park Unit of Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club. The dental center is operated through St. Louis University School of Dentistry. So the kids can get their vision and dental needs met free of charge with their membership fee. Also with the fee, the kids can go to either Herbert Hoover Clubs.”
What are your hours?
“Monday through Thursday from 2pm to 8pm, and on Friday from 2pm to 6pm.”
*Programs and services that members of the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club enjoy are:
- Homework Assistance
- Individual Tutoring
- Educational Games
- Computer Skills
- Sports Leagues
- Swimming
- Community Service Projects
- Teen Center Activities
- Dance: Jazz, Tap, Ballet & Hip
- Nutrition Classes
- Sports Teams and much more!
* In 2001, WUMCRC funded the construction of the $6 million Herbert Hoover Adams Park Unit. In addition, WUMCRC provides annual operational support to the Adams Park Unit.
