Boys & Girls Club Blog

May 28, 2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and at the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, we believe every young person deserves support, encouragement, and safe spaces where they can grow emotionally, socially, and mentally.

Did you know that our Club provides mental health support for members & families through programs and on-site partners?

Mental health support at the Club looks different for every child. Sometimes it’s helping a member learn how to express emotions appropriately. Sometimes it’s creating opportunities for positive friendships and social connections. Other times, it’s connecting youth and families with professional counseling or community resources when additional support is needed.

Throughout our programs, members build essential social and emotional skills, including friendship, kindness, respect, perspective-taking, communication, empathy, problem-solving, coping skills, mindfulness, responsible decision-making, and healthy boundaries. Staff also help members practice everyday skills like managing voice levels, taking turns, identifying emotions, asking for help, giving others space, and learning how to calm their bodies and minds during stressful moments. Our staff also works closely with members to set individualized social-emotional goals. Members who participate in consistent check-ins and goal-setting have shown significant progress in behavior, self-awareness, and confidence. Goals are designed around areas where youth may need additional support, and positive reinforcement helps motivate members as they work toward success. As members grow, many transition from daily goals to weekly goals while continuing accountability check-ins. In fact, other members often ask to participate after seeing the positive growth in their peers.

One kindergarten member has been working hard to learn how to manage big emotions when she feels upset or angry. With support from staff, she’s beginning to practice calming strategies on her own. Sometimes she visits the Zen Den to hug a stuffed bear she lovingly calls “Hugs,” takes deep breaths, or spends a few quiet moments coloring. When she feels ready, she finds a trusted teacher to talk about her feelings. While it’s still a learning process, staff have seen incredible growth as she becomes more aware of her emotions and starts using healthy coping tools independently.

Leading many of these efforts is our Director of Character Development, Megan Grayvold. Megan joined the Club in 2025 and helps oversee social and emotional learning (SEL) resources throughout Club programs while also co-directing the lower elementary after-school program at our Radford Center. Megan brings a background in elementary education and a passion for helping youth build confidence and life skills through supportive relationships and intentional programming.

As Megan shares:

“I love that every day provides different opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our members. Whether it’s teaching them a new skill or playing a game with them, I love knowing I’m making a positive impact on their day and helping them grow!”

In addition to our internal programming, families also benefit from strong community partnerships that expand access to mental health and family support services. Through collaborations within the Hyde Family Community Center, organizations such as Breakwater Coalition, Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Center, Community for Hope, Damascus Road Project, ECPR, Love the Mess, NAMI, Rawhide Youth Services, Reach Counseling Services, and Safe Families for Children provide group support, counseling, crisis intervention, education, advocacy, and family stabilization services.

One parent shared how participation in our family support programming helped shift the emotional climate at home:

“I do not have the words to describe how much the different parent opportunities mean to me and my family. I love being able to just talk to other moms and share similar struggles. I know that I am not alone. I learned so much from listening to Molly. My 3 boys are all very different. Understanding them in a different way and knowing how to communicate with them has made all the difference. The fighting, yelling, and daily stress in the house no longer consumes us and our time together.”

At the Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh, SEL programming is not an add-on—it is a core part of every member’s experience. Through daily instruction, staff support, goal-setting systems, and community partnerships, we are ensuring that every young person has the tools they need to build resilience, strengthen relationships, and thrive emotionally and socially.