Boys & Girls Club's 2025 Youth of the Year wins congratulations

We are so proud to announce that Alleyanna has been named our 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿! 

Both of our candidates, Alley and Ava, are truly outstanding and inspiring young leaders, making this decision incredibly difficult for our judges.

A huge thank you to our panel of judges for their time, thoughtful deliberation, and dedication to this special event. We are also beyond grateful to the family of Jimmy Olayos Jr. for their generous contribution to the Youth of the Year scholarship in his honor, as well as to our Board of Director Brian Marcucio, who was blown away by our candidates and contributed to their scholarships.
Alleyanna will now move on to the state-level competition this spring, and we can't wait to see her continue to shine! 

Shared from the Boys & Girls Club Facebook page.

Shelton club member named 2017 Connecticut Youth of the Year

Teen wins organization's highest honor

SHELTON - The Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley has announced that Sabrina Maldonado, the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley's 2017 Youth of the Year, has been named 2017 Connecticut Youth of the Year. 

Youth of the Year is the highest honor the Boys & Girls Club organization can bestow upon a member. 

Sabrina Maldonado

Sabrina traveled to Hartford Wednesday to join 13 other youth in competition for the state title. The young men and women spent the day in interviews with a panel of judges comprised of local business executives.

Sabrina joined the Boys & Girls Club as a shy 10-year old and has grown into a confident young woman who earned our Raymond P. Lavietes Unit's 2016 Girl of the Year award. As the Connecticut state Youth of the Year, Sabrina will now travel to New York in June for the Northeast Region competition.

Since 1947, Youth of the Year has been Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier recognition program, celebrating the extraordinary achievements of Club members. 

Each year, one exceptional Club member is selected to be the National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year serves as both an exemplary ambassador for Boys & Girls Club youth and as a strong voice for all of our nation’s young people. 

The journey to being named National Youth of the Year begins locally and progresses to the state, regional, and national levels. 

To achieve the title of Youth of the Year on any level, Club members must embody the values of leadership and service; academic excellence; and healthy lifestyles. 

They should exemplify the critical impact that Boys & Girls Clubs have on the lives of young people.

For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley, visit us at www.BGC-LNV.org. 


This is a press release from the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.

Shelton teen competes in NYC

State Youth of the Year wished all the best!

Shelton resident Brooke Grand

SHELTON - Brooke Grand, the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley’s 2015 Youth of the Year, is participating in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Northeast Regional Youth of the Year Competition in New York. 

In early May Brooke earned the title of Connecticut State Youth of the Year, after competing against 15 other Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the state. 
This is the first time one of our Boys & Girls Club of the LNV youth have taken the coveted state title. Youth of the Year is the highest award a club can give to its members. 

Finalists from Clubs across the Northeast will gather at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City to share their stories of motivation, determination, and leadership development in their communities. 
If successful, Brooke will move on to Nationals in Washington, D.C., in September.

Growing up Brooke was constantly faced with troubling obstacles as her peers made destructive life choices. She was faced with the decision to be a follower or stand up for what she believed in. Family life wasn’t much better. 
She was forced to grow up much quicker than her peers, providing for herself and caring for her own needs. The Boys & Girls Club helped her steer clear of these negative influences and get on the right path.

Brooke has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley’s Raymond P. Lavietes unit for 12 years. It became her home-away-from home and her sanctuary, offering her endless opportunities to keep her mind off home life and focused on where her future was headed. 
She is a hard-working, highly motivated young woman, with a willingness to help others and a positive attitude despite the obstacles she has faced. Brooke has earned honors in school and was the top athlete in every sport she participated in. 

In addition to serving as Keystone Club officer, she has also run our Happy Hoopers health program, and works as a staff member. 

She sets off this fall to attend Southern Connecticut State University, where she will major in business. 
Brooke’s charismatic and compassionate nature has given her the opportunity to win up to $100,000 in renewable four year scholarships if she moves on to Youth of the Year Nationals.

For more information about the Boys and Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley visit www.BGC-LNV.org.


This is a press release from the Boys & Girls Club of the Lower Naugatuck Valley.