KEKAHA – The Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i announced the opening of its first school-based location in West Kaua‘i – the St. Theresa Clubhouse – as the facility welcomed its first students Wednesday.
The new location, the former St. Theresa School library, is located within St. Theresa Catholic School and will serve as an extension of the West Kaua’i Clubhouse following a sharp increase in enrollment of elementary-age keiki students.
“We’ve grown from 30 students to 60,” said Tina Albao of the Boys & Girls Club. “We were lucky to secure the space. We’ve hired new staff to accommodate the students and can now take care of the keiki.”
The original West Kaua’i Clubhouse in the Easter Seals Hawai’i building next to Waimea High School will be converted into a dedicated youth center tailored to the needs of adolescent youth.
Albao said the St. Theresa Clubhouse will primarily house students from Kekaha Elementary School and St. Theresa School, while the West Kaua’i Clubhouse will primarily house students from Waimea Canyon Middle School and Waimea High School.
“This change ensures that both our younger and older members receive age-appropriate programs and services tailored to their developmental levels,” said Paddy Kauhane, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai’i. “St. Theresa Catholic School has allowed us to expand our services to more promising youth in Waimea and Kekaha.”
Located in Kekaha, just minutes west of the West Kaua’i Clubhouse, the St. Theresa Clubhouse offers an additional 2,000 square feet of program space for activities such as homework support, physical fitness, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), mentoring and enrichment learning.
One aspect of the new space surprised Albao as she was greeted by a large, colorful rainbow that spanned the entire width of the room.
“It’s incredible,” she said. “Our teens are working on projects that focus on developing work skills. One of our teen members, who is working on a logo design, came up with a rainbow supported by a pair of hibiscus flowers.”
The expanded capacity means 30 more members can sign up at the West Kaua’i Clubhouse, with the goal of welcoming even more youth in the future.
“Because this is our first school-based location, we can make our programs more accessible by increasing enrollment and meeting youth where they are,” says Lean Subia, director of the West Kaua’i Clubhouse, who will also oversee the St. Theresa Clubhouse.
“We look forward to welcoming new and returning members to the safe and supportive environment where they can learn, grow and reach their full potential.”
Wendy Castillo, who recently retired as principal of St. Theresa School to become a full-time eighth-grade teacher, said, “It is an honor to open our space to the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai’i and provide students with another enriching after-school opportunity. It gives us peace of mind knowing they have a safe place to continue learning from mentors who believe in them and receive meals they can count on.”
For more information about the Boys & Girls Club or the new location at St. Theresa School, visit www.bgch.com. If you would like to make a donation to the new school location, contact Albao at [email protected].
