Boys & Girls Club Blog

December 29, 2025

What an Incredible Year at the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh!

As 2025 comes to a close and we prepare to welcome 2026, we are reflecting on a year defined by growth, progress and meaningful impact. Together, we have continued to advance our mission of improving the lives of children and families throughout our community. We are proud to share several highlights from the past year.

Five years ago, we recognized the growing need to serve more children and began planning how to best meet that demand. That vision became reality with the groundbreaking of our five-part capital project in 2022. Today, this expansion allows us to serve 540 children daily—200 more than ever before.

While we celebrate this milestone, fundraising continues to support the completion of our final goal of completing our second gym, with naming rights available. If you’d like to help us reach our final goal, donations can be made online at bgcosh.org.

Hyde Family Community Center

The Hyde Family Community Center is a state-of-the-art environment designed to provide a unique space where organizations can partner with the Club and the community to support youth and families. Club programming for adults and families also takes place in the Community Center, including a newly launched initiative called “Walk-In Wednesday,” which offers open office hours. Once a month, local agencies host these sessions from 3:30–5:30 p.m. in the Community Room to help Club families and community members learn more about available services and programs. In 2025, the Hyde Family Community Center has proudly served 4,683 individuals and has 43 agency partners.

BE GREAT: Graduate and Great Futures Mentoring Programs

Our BE GREAT: Graduate team continues to make a powerful impact by mentoring teens and middle school students one-on-one at school. With staff onsite daily at Oshkosh West and North High Schools, we are proud to share that 60 teens achieved a 100% graduation rate. We also serve kids at Vel Phillips Middle School, providing mentoring support to more than 60 additional teens.

Our Great Futures Program has been mentoring middle school members at the Club for 12 years and continues to grow, helping students build confidence, set goals and prepare for their futures.

Growth in Omro

This year marked the fifth anniversary of our after-school program in Omro. Since its launch, we have doubled the number of children served at Omro Elementary School. Last fall, we also introduced a 4K wrap-around program, welcoming 32 additional children and further supporting working families.

Opening of Winneconne

The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Winneconne Community School District to offer a comprehensive after-school program for 47 members in kindergarten through 5th grade, that began in the 2025–2026 school year. This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to expand youth development programming and strengthen community support for local families.

Transportation Enhancements

Thanks to our partnership with Kobussen and the addition of new vehicles, we now transport 229 children daily from eight elementary and middle schools and two high schools. This year, we added new routes serving Menominee Elementary School and Vel Phillips Middle School, helping more students access safe and reliable after-school care.

Driver’s Education

For the fifth consecutive year, we offered three Driver’s Education classes, equipping 45 teens this year with an essential life skill that supports independence, employment and responsibility.

Expanded Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Our impact continues to grow through expanded Social and Emotional Learning initiatives in partnership with the school district. This year, we introduced additional mental health programming for teens, and our full-time staff earned advanced certifications, resulting in the Club achieving a Level 4 Trauma-Informed Care designation.

Basic Needs and Family Support

At the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, we are committed to ensuring every child’s basic needs are met so they can thrive alongside their peers. In 2025, our Basic Needs Program provided:

• 460 showers supporting members’ hygiene and well-being
• 2,100 essential items including clothing, shoes and winter coats
• $52,500 in Club scholarships ensuring no child was denied access due to financial hardship

The holiday season was especially impactful. Through our Adopt-a-Family Program, we served 257 children and 109 families with clothing, household items, toys and more. All Club members received a Thanksgiving meal, and 105 families were provided with turkeys and holiday dinners.

Back-to-School Fair

In collaboration with local agencies, we provided school supplies to more than 103 Club families through our annual Back-to-School Fair, helping students feel prepared and confident for the school year ahead.

Board Leadership

In 2025, we welcomed several dedicated new Board Members: Amy Albright, Ashwinraj Karthikeyan, Tim Jones, Jenny Nikolai, Darryl Sims, and Brian Yerkey. We also extend our sincere thanks to Mark Lasky, who transitioned to a Lifetime Board Member role, for his years of leadership, commitment, and service to the Club.

Gratitude

Every day, we’re committed to providing meals, academic and mental health support, and keeping our members engaged and active.

We are deeply grateful for all we’ve accomplished together this year. Thank you to our incredible Oshkosh community, friends of the Club, Board Members, donors and staff for helping us serve children and families every single day.

As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited about the opportunities and celebrations to come. We invite you to visit us for a tour to witness firsthand the amazing work happening at our Club.

Wishing you a joyful New Year! We look forward to seeing you in 2026.

With Appreciation,

Tracy Ogden
CEO