A Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri member has been named a state Youth Ambassador by the Missouri AfterSchool Network.
Annmarie Flett, 13, will have the opportunity to build leadership, public speaking and advocacy skills while representing the values and importance of afterschool programs across Missouri. Flett has been a Boys & Girls Club member since third grade and currently attends The CLUB, which serves students from Sedalia Middle School and Smith-Cotton Junior High School.
“There is no one more deserving than Annmarie for this honor,” said CLUB Site Director Vicki Hart. “During her years attending Boys & Girls Club I have watched her grow and come out of her shell. I am so proud of her.”
Flett will work with Missouri AfterSchool Network staff and members of its Public Policy and Advocacy Committee to learn more about the importance of advocacy and how to tell her own story of why afterschool programs, and Boys & Girls Club in particular, are vital for families like hers.
“This is an incredible honor for Annmarie and we are so excited that she was selected,” said Executive Director Gary Beckman. “Annmarie personifies how quality afterschool programs – with caring, supportive professionals who truly invest in our members’ lives – can impact the life of a child in so many ways.”
Flett will be recognized next week during the Missouri School Age Community Coalition conference and will take part in the inaugural Afterschool Advocacy Day to be held in February in Jefferson City. She may also have a chance to participate in the annual Afterschool for All Challenge in Washington, D.C. during the summer.
