KEY TAKEAWAYS: Ribbon cutting scheduled for Aug. 7 at the new Doug A. Brooks Family Donor Fund Club in Covington. First standalone Covington clubhouse expands programming from middle school students to youth ages 6-18. 8,486-square-foot facility features a gymnasium, STEM lab, teen center, tec hnology center, art studio and teaching kitchen. Organization now operates standalone clubhouses across southeast Louisiana, serving more than 1,000 youth annually.   Boys Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana will celebrate the opening of its first standalone clubhouse on the Northshore with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 7, expanding youth programming in Covington to serve children and teens ages 6 to 18. The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the new Doug A. Brooks Family Donor Fund Club, located at 626 W. 29th Ave. The 8,486-square-foot facility replaces the organization’s long-running arrangement of operating its Covington programs from Pine View Middle School, where services were limited primarily to middle school students. With the dedicated clubhouse, Boys Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana said it can now offer year-round after-school and summer programming to its full age range while expanding activities for families. The new clubhouse includes a 3,419-square-foot gymnasium, the first for the organization’s Covington program, along with a game room, teen center, STEM laboratory, technology center, art studio, enrichment center and café. The café will serve meals during after-school and summer programs while also functioning as a teaching kitchen focused on nutrition and healthy cooking. Organization officials said the teen center will feature age-specific programming, including a video recording studio, learning space, games and technology resources. The Covington clubhouse becomes the latest addition to Boys Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana’s network of standalone facilities serving communities from New Orleans to Slidell, Gretna and Baton Rouge. The nonprofit provides youth development programs for more than 1,000 children and teenagers throughout the region. According to the organization, its programming includes academic initiatives such as Diplomas to Degrees, STEM education and Project Learn, as well as health and wellness, leadership development, arts, and sports and recreation programs. ...read more read less