Boys and Girls Clubs of America Holds 50th Annual Keystone Conference

With training in periodontics, orthodontics, implantology, and oral surgery, Dr. Mickel Malek owns and runs I Smile Spa, a holistic dental practice in Santa Cruz, California. Beyond his professional activities, Dr. Mickel Malek supports several nonprofit groups, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).

The BGCA recently wrapped up its 50th annual National Keystone Conference, which was held March 2-4, 2017, in Chicago. First launched in 1967, the National Keystone Conference is part of the BGCA’s Keystone Program, which gives youth from age 14 to 18 the opportunity to take part in community-service and teen-outreach events as well as academic-success and career-preparedness activities. 

The 50th annual Keystone Conference, which was presented with the help and support of Aaron’s, Inc., kicked off with a renovation of the Miguel A. Barreto Union League Boys and Girls Club in Chicago. The three-day event continued with an education program focused on the theme “Activate Your Legacy.”

The more than 2,500 teen leaders who attended the event had the opportunity to socialize with peers from around the country while learning how to better support their local Boys and Girls Clubs and communities. Attendees also heard from several prominent speakers, including Grammy- and Oscar-Award-winner Common, who discussed community policing and highlighted ways in which teens could help improve relationships between youth and law enforcement.