(732) 707-7336
Our Story
Starting in 2000, for 5 years, we went back to our urban hometown of Brooklyn, NY and brought 10-12 children, ages 4-12 back to New Jersey for several annual children's retreats. We organized scavenger hunts, cooked edible treats, had water balloon fights, field trips to the park, beach, pool, church and more. Soon after, we realized continuing this tradition and growing the vision was our purpose. With a 99% success rate, all children are now either college graduates, entering college, and have full time jobs. In addition, they have not had trouble with the law and did not have any teenage pregnancies which was prominent where we came from. Since then we have been set out to prove that good can come from urban neighborhoods. Now, we focus on providing high quality, affordable programs to students who would not otherwise have access to. Providing all year round hands-on STEAM education is a variety of ways is our primary focus. Since our inception, we’ve provided youth programs to bright and capable students which emphasize the importance of STEAM and higher education and to increase each student’s likelihood of pursuing a career in a STEAM field.
About BGCM
BGCM! (Because God Chose Me!) Community Center & Sportsplex, is a 501c3 nonprofit academic, arts, athletic and entrepreneur center for youth and families. We are founded on Christian principles, but ALL religions are welcome, and we're dedicated to instilling in each member that they have been specifically chosen by God to do magnificent things! BGCM specializes in improving the self esteem of youth and families in suburban, as well as underserved and underrepresented communities. We promote integrity and stewardship, and offer youth from Maine to North Carolina, an innovative opportunity to train, excel, and compete academically, artistically, athletically, and entrepreneurially.
Our Vision
Encourage, Empower, Transform Communities!
Our Mission
To nurture young people and families by reinforcing Christian principles that emphasize that they have been emphatically chosen by God to do magnificent things, despite their religion; provide services, programs, and activities that build positive self-worth and foster respect, integrity, and stewardship; offer youth from Maine to North Carolina, an innovative opportunity to train, excel, and compete academically, artistically, athletically. and entrepreneurially.
Our 3 Pillars
1. Build Self Esteem through programs that promote healthy living, peer and mentor relationships, academic success, independence, and job opportunities, while upholding Christian values of love, integrity and stewardship.
2. Youth Development means to provide a safe environment where youth and families feel at home, by nurturing the potential of every young person through humanitarian efforts, community involvement, tutoring, homework assistance, leadership activities, parenting & family workshops, and more.
3. Community Improvement through extracurricular activities that provide community involvement, reduce crime, boost graduation rates, develop entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, create financial freedom, and increase home ownership.
Who We Serve
While we serve middle to upper class families from Adelphia to Wrightstown, NJ in the Monmouth, Ocean, and Burlington counties of NJ, we specifically cater programs to families and school-aged youth in underrepresented and underprivileged communities. We also serve to students that come from abroad and from different states.
What Makes Us Different
BGCM is the only community and sports center combination, in and around our neighboring counties, to fuse community improvement and athletic abilities with programs and competitions that emphasize academic and artistic abilities - that include but are not limited to spelling bees, science, math, art, and music competitions, and are hosted at our location.