Congratulations Intrepid Keystone Club!

Recently, 12 teen members from the Club traveled to Chicago, Illinois for the 50th Annual National Keystone Conference. Hosted by Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the event brought together 2,500 teenagers from across the United States and five other countries, all of whom are committed to making a difference in their communities

For four days, the teens engaged in a variety of sessions focused on leadership, community service, career development and other age appropriate topics. According to Meg Gambale, Clubhouse Program Director and advisor to the Intrepid Keystone Club, “The Keystone conference is a great experience for our teen leaders to come together with 2,500 other motivated and engaged teens from all over the country to network and hone their leadership skills. This year’s theme of Activate Your Legacy really inspired our teens to think about activism, service, and ways they can better their communities.”

The Intrepid Keystone Club is a team of 28 high school students who are members of the Club who meet weekly to host activities, events and fundraisers that promote academic success, healthy lifestyles and civic engagement.

While at the conference, the Intrepid Keystone Club of Woburn received the National Award for Teen Outreach. Over the past few years, the group has been focused on engaging more teens from the community in positive extracurricular activities. Through events such as Teens for Jeans, Friendsgiving, tabling at WMHS and so much more the members have done an excellent job of engaging more teens.

Their efforts were recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America and they were chosen as the #1 group in the country in this focus area. According to Zach Santoro, President of the Intrepid Keystone Club, “It was an amazing experience and such a great feeling to be recognized for all we do to get teens involved in the Club. I am so proud of my fellow Keystoners as well as my advisors, we all worked really hard for this.”

Additionally, while at the conference, Meg Gambale was named the “National Keystone Advisor of the Year”. Gambale has been a staff member at the Boys & Girls club for more than eight years and is currently the Clubhouse Program Director. She has served as the Advisor for Tanners Torch Club, Woburn Youth Council and Intrepid Keystone Club throughout her tenure.

According to Executive Director Julie Gage, “Meg is an outstanding member of the team at the Club. She cares very much for each and every one of the youth who come through the doors every day and is a wonderful role model to our teen members. For her efforts to be recognized by the national organization is a true honor and I could not be more proud.”