The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego has developed several initiatives to develop young people’s capacity to engage in positive behaviors that nurture their own well-being, set personal goals and live successfully as self-sufficient adults.

SMART Moves
The SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and Resistance Training) prevention/education program addresses the problems of tobacco and substance abuse. Based on proven techniques, the program uses a team approach involving Club staff, peer leaders, parents and community representatives. More than simply emphasizing a "Say No" message, the program teaches young people ages 6-15 how to say no by involving them in discussion and role-playing, practicing resistance and refusal skills, developing assertiveness, strengthening decision-making skills and analyzing media and peer influence. Smart Moves is funded in part by the County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency.

The program features engaging, interactive small group activities designed to increase participants' peer support, enhance their life skills, build their resiliency and strengthen their leadership skills. This year-round program encourages collaborations among Club staff, youth, parents and representatives from other community organizations. The program’s components include: SMART Kids, for children ages 6-9, Start SMART, for youth ages 10-12, Stay SMART, for youth ages 13-15 and SMART Parents, for parents of Club members participating in SMART Moves.

Planet Health
To combat the growing trend of children to become overweight or obese, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego, in collaboration with the Division of Community Pediatrics at the University of California San Diego, implemented the Planet Health project in 2002. The Division of Community Pediatrics is the local lead agency for the 5 a Day Campaign, which strives to promote good health and reduce childhood obesity.

Planet Health is a nutrition education program comprised of several components, with the primary focus on the California 5 A Day Power Play! The California 5 a Day Power Play is a child-driven, user friendly social marketing campaign which employs behavior change theory to improve children's nutrition. While the main focus of Planet Health is on the 5 a Day Power Play, the program engages all youth ages 6-18 in a variety of fun activities such as the Boys & Girls Club's Teen Cuisine Cooking Class and a poster contest.

Planet Health currently targets low-income youth at nine Boys & Girls Clubs throughout San Diego County and has served more than 3,000 youth and their families.

During the summer of 2003 the Planet Health program was evaluated and results showed that participants had an:

· 18.5% increase in the understanding of serving size
· 27.7% increase in the understanding of food groups
· 20% increase in the understanding of recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables
· 11% increase in consumption of new fruits and vegetables
· 7.5% increase in belief that fruit and vegetable consumption is related to health

Critical Hours
Since 1997 The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego has operated the County funded Critical Hours programs at several locations. This collaborative partnership provides homework help, tutoring and other educational enhancement activities, health education, recreation, sports leagues, career preparation, a youth enterprise project, community service projects, and field trips to middle school youth. Over 80% of participants have demonstrated a reduction of risk behavior or sustained low levels of adverse contact with juvenile justice authorities.