Since 1982, the Boys & Girls Club of Southwestern Oregon has been at the forefront of youth development, working with young people from disadvantaged economic, social and family circumstances. Formally known as Southwestern Oregon Youth Activities, the organization began as a youth sports program when local school districts cut elementary sports programs from their budgets. While the sports program remains an integral part of our programming, it was the Board of Governors 1992 decision to join Boys & Girls Clubs of America that changed the scope of the organization forever.

In 1993, we began offering educational enrichment classes ranging from watercolors to Forensic Science. Continuing the expansion of our program diversity, in 1995 the Club began offering tennis and dance programs. In the year 2000, we began offering a gymnastics program to area youth, and later that year, the F. Willis Smith Youth Center opened the doors to a new beginning for many of our members.