A new site for the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri has opened in Fayette. Located at St. Paul United Methodist Church at 300 E. Davis Street, this marks the 14th site for the organization. 

A ribbon cutting will kick off a Family Night Open House at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7. The free event runs from 5 to 7 p.m. and includes complimentary food and a site tour. 

The Fayette site, serving kindergarten through high school students who attend the Fayette R-III School District, opened March 12 and offers all-day care on Mondays when school is not in session and afterschool activities Tuesdays through Fridays.

“We are very excited to open this new site in Fayette and have the opportunity to impact the lives of Howard County kids,” said Boys & Girls Club Director of Operations Tyler Hudson. “One of our overall missions is to serve more kids more often, and this is a great start to bringing high-quality afterschool programming to even more students in Fayette.” 

Students at the Fayette site are engaged in various hands-on learning opportunities, including homework help, STEM, arts and crafts, life skills, mentorship, and leadership opportunities. Currently, there is no fee to attend the Boys & Girls Club. Funding for the new site comprises a federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. Private donations, including generous donations to kickoff community support, were made on behalf of Commercial Trust Company by Jay and Kelly Jacobs, and Janet Jacobs. 

Plans for bringing a Boys & Girls Club to Fayette began more than a year ago as a local advisory committee worked with Boys & Girls Club staff and its board of directors to bring the idea to fruition. The advisory committee includes 13 members of the community, led by former Fayette Superintendent Jill Wiseman.

“The Fayette R-III School District is on a four-day school week with an afterschool program five days per week,” said committee member Tim Jackman. “Our local organization, Fayette Together, saw the need to reach more students with enrichment programs in the district and knew a Boys & Girls Club was the answer.”

The Fayette site will be open through the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year and will offer an all-day, 10-week summer program beginning in June. More details about the summer program will be announced soon. For more information about the Boys & Girls Club Fayette site or for information on how to enroll your child, go to bgckids.com or call (660) 620-5792.