Keystoners go to Conference

The members of the Keystone Griffins of the Boys & Girls Club of Hudson County are a deserving, exceptional group of young people.  Unlike many GoFundMe causes, this one is not for the benefit of a single individual or self-fulfilling endeavor, but rather for a united group that seeks to affect change in their schools and society.   Think of this as not just a donation, but an investment in betterment of communities.

Read below for more information about the impact of the Keystone Movement and why attending this conference is so important.   


Being a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County is a great experience. It means participating in activities and events that empower young people like us to do great things.

But, for many of us who have been Club members for years, we want to take on more responsibility, more leadership and yes, more service to our Club and to community.

So we joined the Keystone Club, a small leadership development group that has four core focus areas which include Teen Outreach,  Academic Success, Career Preparation, and Community Service. We strive to be better, live better, and show younger club members and other teens like us that we can be the change that we seek. We have power in our voices and when we speak up and do right, big things can happen.

As we are determined to make big things happen and make change, we are also determined to connect with other Keystoners and learn from them. The best way to do that is to attend the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's National Keystone Conference with 1500 Keystone teens from across the United States and from military bases across the world. We managed to raise enough money to attend the Conference in 2014 in Anaheim, California. For some of us, it was the first time on an airplane. We attended sessions like Stereotyping and Cyber-bullying to ones where we had fun jumping in bounce houses. We came back to Jersey City excited and inspired.

That led us to take on the National Keystone Project on Teen Suicide with renewed passion and enthusiasm throughout our Keystone Club. The Conference brought us together and changed our mindsets so much  that we realized we weren’t going to just do something average. We went for extraordinary and decided to amend a law in our state! We're succeeding too. The law we initiated (known as the Boys & Girls Club Keystone law) passed the State Assembly in January with a vote of 67-3!!!!

Now, we know that we need to return. Not just for ourselves, but for our members who joined in this past year. It is the most amazing experience that we have ever had and we want to attend this year more than ever. Who knows what we will come back and do this year!!!

We ask that you help and support us in our goal of raising $7,000 to attend the National Keystone Conference 2015.

To see some of the amazing accomplishments of the Keystone Club view these links:

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/06/boys_girls_clubs_of_hudson_county_take_on_teen_suicide.html

http://politickernj.com/2014/10/after-dramatic-testimony-bill-designed-to-help-teens-seek-mental-health-treatment-approved-by-assembly-panel/


http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2015/02/inspired_by_hudson_county_boys.html

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/01/editorial_minors_in_nj_should_be_able_to_access_me.html

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2012/09/jersey_city_teens_sleep_outsid.html

http://blog.nj.com/our_pride_and_joy/2014/04/update_on_damiya_critten_recip.html

http://photos.nj.com/jersey-journal/2014/03/career_fair_for_teens_hosted_b_10.html

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/02/dickinson_senior_named_hudson_countys_boys_and_girls_club_youth_of_the_year.html

http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2015/01/jersey_city_foster_child_named.html