Boys & Girls Club Blog

September 25, 2023

The Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Friday, September 22, to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of its building project, the Radford Center expansion of the Bergstrom Automotive Learning Center classrooms, and a full renovation of J. Wilcox Head Start. This is part of the Club’s $18 million-dollar building expansion.

The Bergstrom Automotive Learning Center was completed in February. The classrooms allow the Club to double the number of elementary-age members we can serve to 80 youth daily. In this part of the Club, kids create art and crafts, do STEM activities, and participate in social and emotional learning and other structured programs.

It was an honor to announce the renaming of UW Oshkosh’s Head Start to J. Wilcox Head Start after longtime former UW Oshkosh Head Start Director Joyce Wilcox and the Club’s longtime Director of Facilities Jamie Wilcox.

“It was exciting to celebrate the completion of the Bergstrom Automotive Learning Center as the first piece of our building project and to get to add more children to our program and off our waitlist,” said CEO Tracy Ogden. “In addition, we were overjoyed to celebrate the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh and Head Start partnership today and to honor Joyce and her son, Jamie for their dedication to our mission and so that future generations will always know the impact they both had.”

Head Start completed a renovation of all three floors of the building it leases from the Club in September, increasing classroom space from four to six rooms (housing 120 kids) that the Club will use during non-school hours. The center went from one to two playgrounds, increasing access to the outdoors, fresh air, and more time for large motor experiences. The entrance moved to Monroe Street, and a safer circle drive and more parking were added.

“UW Oshkosh and Head Start continue our 25-year relationship with the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh to serve children and families in the Oshkosh Community, said Head Start Director Lynn Hammen. “This major renovation of the J. Wilcox Head Start center will provide a safer and healthier environment and provide more classroom space for Oshkosh children and families for years to come.”

Thank you to John and Tim Bergstrom, Peter, Scott, and David Radford, UW Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Levitt, and the Wilcox family for celebrating with us today!

For tours of the Club or to make a gift to the building project contact CEO, Tracy Ogden, at (920) 233-1414 ext. 116 or tracyo@bgcosh.org. Gifts to the building project can also be made online at bgcosh.org. We welcome community visitors and encourage you to tour our Club and see first-hand how on a daily basis we are changing and improving the lives of children in our community.

See more photos from the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on our Facebook page here.