Wakeman Boys & Girls Club

Alumni, parents, partners, friends and fans - connect with us! The mission of Wakeman Boys & Girls Club is to guide and inspire young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. The Southport Clubhouse has been on Center Street since the mid-1950s and today provides more than 100 athletic, enrichment, and leadership programs annually for more than 300 children and teens per day. In 2005, in partnership with the Fairfield Board of Education, Wakeman began an outreach program at McKinley Elementary School in Fairfield, Connecticut. This award winning program engages more than 100 teen volunteers who serve as one-on-one mentors for McKinley students. In June 2011, following a $6.7 million capital campaign, Wakeman opened the Smilow-Burroughs Clubhouse on Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport. This 23,000 square foot, LEED-certified building provides quality programs for more than 600 3rd – 12th graders annually. In 2011, Wakeman was honored with Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders Award for the organization’s commitment to serving the community’s youth. Today, Wakeman Boys & Girls Club serves 3,750 1st – 12th graders through the Southport and Smilow-Burroughs Clubhouses and Outreach Program at McKinley School. The organization is also preparing to break ground toward construction of a new Clubhouse on Madison Avenue in the north end of Bridgeport, with completion expected in 2020. The Clubhouse will serve members in the City's north end area, with an extra focus on teen programming. More than 100 programs are offered annually in three core areas: Academic Success, Character & Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles.