In response to the changing needs of the young people it serves, the Boys & Girls Club of Utah County is introducing the newly revised, award-winning prevention program SMART Moves.

  Monies for the revision and delivery of SMART Moves is provided by the Utah County Health Department, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Department of Workforce Services, and from United Way of Utah County.

             Developed by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (B&GCA), SMART Moves (Skills, Mastery And Resistance Training) is one of the few national prevention programs currently addressing the problems of alcohol and other drug use and teen pregnancy in one comprehensive curriculum.  Unlike other programs, SMART Moves confronts young people in a positive way, equipping them with basic life skills, problem-solving and decision-making abilities and communications skills, all designed to boost self-confidence and self-esteem.

             “SMART Moves works because it provides us with age-specific curricula that engage the Club staff, parents, community and older teen members in a team approach to prevention,” said David Bayles, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Utah County.  “We are especially pleased that the new and improved SMART Moves has expanded its themes to include topics such as finding the courage to make your own decisions, avoiding risky sexual situations, prescription drug abuse, drunk driving and other forms of drug involvement.”

 For more than a decade, SMART Moves has been successfully used by hundreds of Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide.  In a study conducted by Columbia University, SMART Moves was shown to dramatically reduce the use of drugs and the rate of crime in public housing communities (13 percent drop in youth crime, 22 percent drop in drug activity, 25 percent decrease in crack usage over a three-year period).  The program has also been recognized as one of 10 exemplary primary prevention programs by the U.S. Office of Substance Abuse Prevention and singled out for praise in The Making of a Drug Free America: Programs That Work by Mathea Falco (former Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Narcotics Affairs).

The SMART Moves prevention program has been scientifically evaluated and documented for its effectiveness by exposing young people to protective factors that promote positive behavior, health, well-being and personal success.  The new edition builds upon this experience, incorporating the latest research about problems confronting young people and provides viable solutions to help them handle challenging circumstances while avoiding risky and unhealthy behaviors.

“I can speak firsthand as to the effectiveness of SMART Moves,” said Ricardo Maldonado, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County Youth of the Year and former SMART Moves graduate.  “SMART Moves works because it empowers young people by increasing their knowledge about alcohol, drugs and sexuality and teaches them how to ‘say no’ to negative peer and media pressure.  Working with the professional staff, we are able to incorporate the lessons of SMART Moves in a wide range of activities that kids can relate to.”

 The newly revised SMART Moves program will be introduced at the Boys & Girls Club of Utah County June 2009 and will include a specialized component targeted at prescription drug abuse.

About the Boys and Girls Club

The mission of Boys and Girls Club of Utah County purpose is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive and responsible citizens and leaders.  The Club provides a variety of supervised activities for greater than 2,000 youths (between the ages of 6 to 18 years old) within Utah County. The Boys and Girls Club of Utah County offers many proven and tested programs in five Core Areas: Character and Leadership; Education and Career; Health, Sport Fitness Recreation and Life Skills; The Arts; and Technology. These Core Areas serve as the foundation for all programming.

As a privately-funded, non-profit organization, the Boys and Girls Club of Utah County relies tremendously on the generous philanthropic support of individuals. Financial gifts assist in providing the financial strength necessary to continue the club’s mission.  To contribute to the Club or to become a sponsor of the Club or of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County’s SMART Moves program contact David Bayles, Executive Director, (801) 371 6242.

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