At the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, we believe that all kids deserve to have a safe, fun and supportive afterschool space where they can advance their education, build essential life skills, and set goals for a successful future. For over 156 years, our Club’s mission has been to nurture, value and inspire our young people through engaging programming, enriching resourcing, and guided mentorship.

Founded in 1869 as the Salem Fraternity, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem is the oldest Boys & Girls Club in Massachusetts and the second oldest in the country. From its earliest days, the Club has been a pioneer in inclusivity by initially welcoming girls at a time when gender discrimination was common. 

For its first 12 years, the Club operated out of Salem's first public lending library. In 1906, the Salem Fraternity joined with 13 other youth-serving organizations from across the country to form the national Boys Clubs of America organization. In 1990, when the organization officially became the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Salem Club was renamed the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem to reaffirm its commitment to serving both boys and girls.

The Club’s impact has continued to grow throughout the years, opening a drop-in branch in Peabody in 2007, and in 2014 relocated to its current home within Collins Middle School. In 2019, the organization proudly celebrated 150 years of committed services to the youth and families of Greater Salem. 

Much has changed since our inception in 1869, but the mission to draw young people away from harm, to give them skills needed to improve their lives, and to keep them coming back is still at the heart of our programming. The Club has become a lasting and vital brand that symbolizes high quality youth services on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Over the past decade, the goals of the Club have expanded to emphasize programming that is designed to build confidence, resilience and positive decision-making skills in our youth.