Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay Receives $471k to Expand Summer Program

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TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay expanded its summer camp program to over 400 additional students thanks to the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County.

What You Need To Know

The Children's Board of Hillsborough County approved $471,329 to help fund the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay's summer program

Over 3,000 students are enrolled in the programThanks to that extra money, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay was able to provide scholarships for 422 more children for camp this summer

The Board approved over $471,329 to go toward the summer program to help address the critical need for camps.

Thanks to that extra money, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay was able to provide scholarships for 422 more children for camp this summer. And even with that increase, they say demand is so high, there is still a waitlist at many sites.

There’s nothing like summer break, and a game of kickball, which is the kind of stuff Jordan Maxwell’s memories of summer break are made of. Now, he is reliving them as a youth leader for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay.

“When I was a kid, the Boys & Girls Club was always a fun place for me to chill out with my friends and hang out but it was also a place for mental stimulation,” he said.

Now, Jordan is a sophomore at Howard University, but he is spending his summer break working the summer camp there. Aside from kickball, the eight-week program also focuses on academics, and keeping students on track for the upcoming school year.

“It’s a wonderful experience seeing that as I was once in their shoes sitting down listening to the coaches, playing and running around, and now I can see the ins and outs and the background of everything that went into making my future, and my summer, great,” said Jordan.

Thanks to a funding partnership with the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County, more students have the opportunity to make memories like Jordan. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay says nearly one in four children in the region live in poverty, and having access to programs like this is essential.

“Currently, we have 3,000 registered youth throughout the different club communities we have, so it’s allowing us to expand that reach and be able to serve more families in the community, so it’s really allowing us to provide more youth a safe, structured environment for the summer,” said Carl Brandon Jr., the Temple Terrace Club Director.

Jordan says the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tampa Bay helped him become the man he is today, and that message is one he is passing along.

“The safety and being allowed to dream big and to be yourself is very important," he said.

The summer program is being offered at nine sites across Hillsborough County.

Originally Posted: June 11, 2025 | Fallon Silcox