Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County provides a safe, high-quality club experience that supports the academic success, health, and personal growth of youth ages 5 to 18. Through a wide range of educational, recreational, cultural, and enrichment programs, young people are given the tools and encouragement they need to succeed in school and beyond.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County nurtures and enriches young lives by offering meaningful opportunities for personal growth, creativity, and enrichment. Youth engage in hands-on learning through visual and performing arts, including Drama Matters and Stage Door Academy, as well as STEM exploration, physical fitness, leadership development, and community service. Every Club is staffed and trained by a youth development professional who can create a supportive, relationship-driven environment that strengthens social skills, builds confidence, and fosters a strong sense of belonging and community connection. 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County would like to send a big thank you to the Kern County community for its ongoing support for the club and the youth who call it home-away-from-home. With each gift, a truly life-changing impact is created for our community's youth. 

Like many communities nationwide, Kern County faces ongoing challenges in preparing young people for today’s workforce. Many teens report feeling uncertain about their future and lacking the skills, experience, and confidence needed to succeed in a competitive job market—while local employers continue to identify talent shortages as a barrier to growth. Through targeted teen and workforce readiness programs, Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County is addressing this gap by providing career exploration, job skills training, mentorship, and real-world experience. Our goal is to connect teens with practical skills, meaningful experiences, and clear pathways to college, careers, and lifelong success. Our goal is to equip teens with the tools, experiences, and support needed to succeed in today’s workforce.

Every contribution helps create a safe, supportive environment where young people can build confidence, gain real-world skills, and explore pathways to college and careers. As a supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County, you play a direct role in equipping the next generation with the tools and experiences they need to thrive.

We are deeply grateful for the community's continued support of our mission. Together, we can create a brighter, more promising future for the next generation of leaders. Let’s give Kern County youth the programs they need to make their great futures possible!

Who We Are

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County was founded in 1966 as the Boys’ Club of Bakersfield. We have grown from serving just 25 boys to providing after-school programs, holiday day camps, and teen development opportunities for over 8,500 children and youth (ages 5–18) daily. Our programs are offered at 3 traditional Club locations—Armstrong Youth Center, Stockdale Club, and Lamont Club. Including 72 school-based Club sites across Arvin, Bakersfield, Frazier Park, Gorman, Kernville, McFarland, Lake Isabella, Lebec, Wasco, and Tehachapi, making BGCKC the largest Boys & Girls Club organization in the nation

Our youth face serious risks in today’s world, but the Boys and Girls Clubs offer solutions. The Club’s goal is to serve as a safe haven within neighborhoods in which crime rates are high and the time after school exposes youngsters to illegal activities, abuse, and violence. We reach out to families and go beyond our walls by offering families support services including resource referral.

Our five core program areas (objectives) allow us to engage young people in activities with adults, peers, and family members that enable them to develop self-esteem and to reach their full potential...