The Boys and Girls Clubs of Thunder Bay is pleased to announce the implementation of the new “Be Active!” program, targeted specifically towards at-risk youth from the community. The “Be Active!” program will offer at-risk youth the opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone by exploring and understanding various community issues. The program will foster an environment of inclusion and acceptance while encouraging participates to challenge their current world views. The collaboration among group members and the recognition of individual skills allows participants to experience a leadership role while strengthening community ties and communication skills. The program will run twice a month for a ten month period and will be held on Thursday evenings. The program will begin in September and will continue until the end of June. Throughout the ten month period individuals will strengthen leadership and communication skills while discovering issues prevalent in the Community of Thunder Bay. Once a month participants will meet with Leadership Thunder Bay representatives and participate in the Be Active! discussion forum. The monthly meetings with Leadership Thunder Bay representatives will encourage participants to develop personal and leadership skills while exploring the civic environment of Thunder Bay. In addition to monthly meetings with Leadership Thunder Bay, Boys & Girls club staff will discuss issues and possible solutions and organize a monthly volunteer day designed to target the issues at hand. Participants will be encouraged to participate in the planning of monthly volunteer outings and projects. The monthly volunteer day aims to create solutions to issues discussed in the Be Active! forum. The combination of guest speaker participation, frequent discussion and volunteering in the community will provide members with an opportunity to strengthen leadership skills through active community involvement.