Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA) hosted its 16th annual Kiwanis Kids Cultural Challenge (KKCC) on Saturday, October 4 at the Lawrenceville Boys & Girls Club in Gwinnett County.  KKCC is a year-long cultural program sponsored by the Atlanta Kiwanis Club, which challenges Metro Atlanta Boys & Girls Club members to explore a particular country, its geography, culture, dress and activities.

KKCC enables Club members to display their cultural knowledge, art and performance skills and interactive talents while embracing the different countries and cultures of our world. The all-day event allows our kids to develop and advance cooperation and teamwork skills; develop oral, written, communication and research skills; and to instill in Boys & Girls Club members the importance of diversity and tolerance.

Twenty-five clubs participated in the program this year, each representing a different country. Members from each club participated in the contest by presenting what they learned about their country through creative displays, performances and interactive projects.

This year’s winner: Paulding County Boys & Girls Club, representing Ct d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
First runner up: James T. Anderson Boys & Girls Club, representing Niger
Second runner up: Social Circle Boys & Girls Club, representing Japan
Third runner up: Douglas County Boys & Girls Club, representing Algeria
Fourth runner up: Michael A. Grant Boys & Girls Club, representing Tibet

"This year was great fun for the kids," said Rebecca Des Marais, director, Arts & Cultural Enrichment Programs of Boys & Girls Cubs of Metro Atlanta. "We focused on going green. Thanks to generous Kiwanians, we had another great year. This year tops them all – we had some amazing presentations, showing us the kids really took the time to research and learn about their respective countries."