On Thursday, Oct. 14th the Boys & Girls Club of South Elgin held their official groundbreaking for the construction of its new 20,000 square foot Clubhouse at the village’s former public works building (735 Martin Drive in South Elgin). Slated to open later this year, the state-of-the-art facility will provide daily education, meals, and activities for over 250 children from kindergarten-eighth grade. The Club encourages members of the public to attend and participate in this exciting event. Although construction is scheduled to begin in late October, attendees will be able to learn more about the new Clubhouse and view artist renderings of specific spaces, such as the gym and STEM lab. The Club is well positioned to prepare young people for 21st-century success through its 26 plus years of experience serving at-risk youth in the Elgin area, dedicated social/emotional resilience training, mentorship programs, focus on skills development in STEM and the arts, workforce development initiatives, and its strong community partnerships in South Elgin.  Major donors of the Boys and Girls Club of South Elgin include the South Elgin-based Hoffer Foundation and the Wayne-based Wisdom Family Foundation — each gifting $1 million towards the $4.25 million fundraising goal. Additionally, Devry University has sponsored the funding of the Club’s state-of-the-art STEM Lab. To learn more about the Boys and Girls Club of South Elgin, please visit http://www.bgcelgin.org/southelgin.