Established in 1893, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County, N.J., is one of the 53 founding organizations of what is today Boys & Girls Clubs of America. With a rich history of serving Jersey City, and more recently Hoboken, the Club continues to build on its legacy while remaining contemporary and relevant in kids’ lives.

The Club and Great Futures High School share this beautiful new space in downtown Jersey City.
Executive Director Gary Greenberg has been with the Club 39 years now. Through the years, Gary has seen multiple transformations, challenges and even tragedy. Two years ago, the Hoboken Club was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, then rebuilt in the wake of the disaster. Through it all, the organization’s progressive vision has remained clear. This was most recently illustrated with the Sept. 3 opening of its latest Club in downtown Jersey City, an amazing example of what is possible when a community comes together for a common goal.
A partnership with the Jersey City Medical Center, city government, a charter school and two development corporations is what built the state-of-the-art facility. Their collective efforts to provide kids and teens with resources and opportunities to succeed resulted not only in the new Club … it also created the Great Futures Charter High School for the Health Sciences. That’s right – Great Futures High School.

Gary and me.
Hundreds attended the ribbon cutting, including the 125 teenagers who are the inaugural class of Great Futures High. Also in attendance were Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, city council members, and past and present Club board members, including current chair Gary Zampella.
Located in a residential building, the 35,000-square-foot space operates as the school during the day and the Club after school. It includes a gym with basketball courts, classrooms, science labs, recording studio and a teaching kitchen. UPS, Comcast and Best Buy also lent their support to get the facility up and running.
This innovative approach also extended to the school’s curriculum. In addition to classes that align with common core standards, students can take college courses for credit toward both degree and professional certification programs, including emergency medical technician training, x-ray technician training and respiratory therapist certification. And with Jersey City Medical Center just a light rail stop away, teens can quickly shuttle back and forth for hands-on training and experiential learning.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Hudson County is redefining the opportunity equation and creating a direct pathway for job readiness and future careers. As Great Futures High enrolls more students and the community acclimates to the new space, Gary (who is also the vice chair of the G.F.H.S. board) anticipates significant growth in membership and average daily attendance.
There’s a lot to be proud of in Jersey City, where the Boys & Girls Club and Great Futures High School offer a beacon of hope, opportunity and access to quality out-of-school time programs to help thousands of kids and teens pursue academic success, achieve good character and citizenship, and lead healthy lifestyles – a strong foundation for any great future.