Beyond Great Futures | Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, Kansas

As we get closer to the upcoming Youth of the Year (YoY), Chris Miller sits down with the three contestants to learn a little bit more about them. 

In this episode you can expect to hear: 

• what motivated each contestant to compete for Youth of the Year
• one thing they wish would be different about students their age
• what has been the most challenging part of the YoY process, and what's their favorite
• how its like to be behind the scenes of the YoY process
• and why one contestant is returning to the competition a second time. 

Youth of the Year will be on Thursday, January 24th. Admission is free, but an RSVP is encouraged. You can RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfB2RHGK0cB6WY7On2YCdpm7gC1ViBJsCh-aRnzqLkhQX7ZBA/viewform

Thanks again to the contestants!

Brought to you by Midco, and produced by Capture Connection Studios

Ethan Clapsaddle is the Youth of the Year Coordinator. 

Youth of the Year (YOY) is the BGCLK's flagship leadership development program for high school students. 

In this conversation you can expect to hear: 

• the history of the Youth of the Year competition
• stories of how Youth of the Year has changed students' lives
• how much Youth of the Year costs (surprise - it's actually free for students!)
• when one contestant one and met the President of the United States
• why it's important for high school students to learn how to articulate their thought, especially in a digital world. 

If you're interested in learning more about Youth of the Year, you can go to bgclk.org

This podcast was brought to you by our friends at Midco. 

Welcome to our SOLO episode. 

As we (Dylan and Olivia) plan to hand over the podcast to the next hosts, we wanted to reflect on our incredible experience. 

We are so grateful to all of our listeners, supporters, and BGCLK team members that have made this opportunity possible. 

In this episode we discuss: 

• what our favorite episode was
• how we are planning on creating our own podcasts
• our advice to the next podcast hosts
• our biggest goal in our next chapters
• and why this experience was lifechanging!

Again, thank you to everyone! Thank you to Midco! Thank you to BGCLK!

- Dylan and Olivia

In this episode we have a very special guest, Chris Miller. 

Chris Miller is the host of the Talk to People Podcast and the writer of the Social Fitness Lab Newsletter. He also has helped us produce this podcast!

In this episode we discuss: 

• what it's like to make a podcast
• what COVID was like for each of us
• why building relationships needs to be our top priority
• how it can be hard to ask people to hang out
• what we've learned from the internship
• how to stay motivated while creating content.

Thank you all for listening, and thank you to Midco for sponsoring this episode!

In this episode we have a very special guest, Karl Kramer. 

Karl Kramer is a great example of someone who values the community. As a Public Relations Officer for McCarthy Auto Group, he gave us some cool perspective on how to connect with our community around us. 

We were lucky enough to have him on the podcast.  Thank you to McCarthy Subaru of Lawrence and to Karl himself!

In this episode we discuss: 

• How Karl determined his career path
• How we decided to start this podcast
• what we think youth need more of
• why local organizations should work together 
• Karl's first impression of the club
• and how the BGCLK is like a job fair where we get to try everything.

Thank you all for listening, and thank you to Midco for sponsoring this episode!

In this episode we have a very special guest, Chef Pyet Despain!

Chef Pyet won the first ever Next Level Chef, a Gordon Ramsey TV show. She grew up in both Kansas and Oklahoma and has a passion for infusing her Native American and Mexican heritage with the food she creates. 

This past week, Chef Pyet traveled around the state of Kansas and visited several different Boys & Girls Clubs. She taught cooking lessons, connected with the kids, and gave us all a great example of success. 

We were lucky enough to have her on the podcast! 

We asked questions like: 

• How did you manage to cook with so much pressure?
• What is your first impression of club?
• Are you still in contact with some of the cast?
• How did you react when you found out you won?
• What's your favorite comfort food to cook?
• The biggest difference between KS and CA?
• How did you get into cooking?

Thank you all for listening, and thank you to Midco for sponsoring this episode!

In this episode we have several different special guests - our very own members!

The BGCLK has been impactful to both of our lives and we knew we weren't alone. We got to ask our members some fun questions, hear great stories, and reminisce. 

We asked questions like: 

• What's been your favorite memory at BGCLK?
• How has the club impacted you?
• What's your dream job?
• How could the club help you get to your dream job?
• Do you have a favorite space?
• What about a favorite staff member?

Thank you all for listening, and thank you to Midco for sponsoring this episode!

In todays episode, our special guest Chris Austin, Site Coordinator of the BGCLK, gives us the inside scoop of what it's like to be working at the Teen Center. Mr. Chris has been with BG&C for over 10 years. You can ask any member and they know about Mr. Chris!

In this episode, you can expect to hear about:  

• What COVID response was like for the staff
• Some of Chris' favorite memories from his time at the club. 
• Tips on how to connect with members and staff
• How important it is to help kids find their niche at the club
• The diverse spaces at the Beyond Great Futures Teen Center
•  what makes the BGCLK such a valuable space for its members
• a message Chris has for the parents

We're so grateful for all the support we've received on this podcast! When you get a chance, could you leave us a review and share the podcast with someone to make their day better?

Brought to you by Midco. 

In todays episode, our special guest Monica Dittmer, the Director of the BGCLK, is telling us the history and mission of our club. You can expect to hear about how we started, our response to the Covid-19 lockdown, special events, and much more!

We had a blast recording our first episode, tune in to join the conversation!

The Beyond Great Futures Podcast is a weekly dose of everything BGCLK related. Featuring staff interviews, stories from members, and information about upcoming events.

Our goal is for you to be informed, entertained, and gain a new perspective of our club that has been such a big part of our life.

Hosted by Olivia Swab and Dylan Vaughn. Sponsored by MIDCO.