About the Brigham Center

For nearly a century, the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center has provided guidance, support, and advocacy for girls and their families. As one of Berkshire County’s largest social service organizations, the Brigham Center has touched countless lives through its wide range of programs and services.

The Brigham Center had its beginning on Bank Row in 1911 as the Young Women’s Home Association, with 37 girls in its first days. It re-located to East Street in 1924. Facilities were expanded, first with a gymnasium and tennis court. In 1929, Camp Witawentin became the first resident camp for area girls, later joined by Camp Stevenson, the day camp.

With General Electric providing the lead gift, the present building was opened in 1958, with the attached swimming pool. The Brigham Center continued to provide strong home economics & sports opportunities for girls, learning that girls needed new skills for long-term economic security. Adding value to community and market meant stronger, smarter & bolder supports, training and education.

During the 1970s, the Brigham Center responded to changing community needs by implementing counseling and childcare programs, programs for single and teen parents, and other social services. In the last decade, the Brigham Center has expanded to develop athletics and more programs for adolescent girls. The gymnasium and swimming pool were restored.

By the late 1990's it had become obvious that the East St. building could no longer adequately serve increasing community needs. The Board of Directors of what was then known as Girls Inc. of the Berkshires [Brigham Center] determined there was significant need for improvements to the building that had received only routine maintenance since the early 1950's. In March of 1999, the agency embarked upon what would be its largest fund-raising effort ever. The It's Time Campaign began with the objective of raising $3.5 million for renovation of the building.   In the spring of 2002, the fund-raising goal had been met and the renovations began in June of 2002. While the original fund-raising goal was met, the project cost had increased dramatically from initial estimates. Certain portions of the renovation were phased back to control costs and the agency needed to borrow additional funds to cover the total cost of the project. With the renovations underway the organization was forced to relocate is programs and operations to temporary facilities for the approximately 12 months it would take to complete the project. By June of 2003 the renovations were complete, and all programs and operations moved back into the East St. building.

In 2005 the organization received a $500,000 gift from H. Day Brigham and Girls Inc. of the Berkshires filed and received approved Articles of Amendment and changed the name to the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center (the Brigham Center).  The name of the organization was officially changed from Girls Inc. of the Berkshires to the Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center in honor of Gladys Brigham and her legacy in the community. This was also done to reflect the true overarching mission and identity of the agency, which has housed six separate and unique programs for several decades, five of these serving both genders.  Our name change also spurred a reorganization of our adolescent programs.  The Girls Inc. of the Berkshires Program Department, which continues to be an affiliate of the national Girls Inc. organization, became a separate and discrete program within the Brigham Center.

In 2014 the Brigham Center finished the construction of an Outdoor Classroom adjacent to the main building. Our children now have the opportunity to garden, to draw, to share, to read, to perform, to appreciate their world in a different way here outside of our traditional indoor classrooms.

In 2015 the Brigham Center received grant support to create a “Building Education Network” (BEN), a comprehensive science, math, technology and career program. This grant has led to huge technological advances for the Brigham Center, most importantly; it provided 12 iPads and rolling lab so we can implement a state-of-the-art STEM and career program with the children and youth we serve. BEN will allow us to diversify the types of learning activities our children participate in, thereby creating a more blended approach to learning in the out of school time and summer education environments. This type of programming is vital to the high-risk youth population which we serve and will provide them with skills they can use for a lifetime.

In early 2018 the Brigham Center was awarded a contract through the Berkshire United Way and with support from the Pittsfield Public Schools was able to bring the Massachusetts Planned Parenthood Get Real Curriculum to Middle and High School students throughout Pittsfield during the school day.  This was an extensive expansion of youth empowerment services in support of healthy sexuality education in the local school system funded through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

In summer 2018 the Brigham Center’s Girls Inc. of the Berkshires Program launched Eureka! which is a focused on getting girls interested in STEM-related careers and supporting their learning over a five-year commitment through intensive summer programs and paid internships as they move through the program starting in 8th grade. Now in its fourth year, Eureka! continues to grow and has expanded our relationship with numerous community partners.

From March 28th, 2020 to June 30th, 2020, the Brigham Center opened as emergency care funded through the state to provide care to essential worker’s children during the statewide shutdown due to the global pandemic of Covid-19. In July of that year, we reopened to regular early education care, out-of-school-time youth enrichment summer program and opened Camp Stevenson-Witawentin for its 91st summer.

Since 2020, the Center has remained steadfast in its mission while evolving to meet the changing needs of our community. We’ve expanded our programs to include greater access to technology and digital equity initiatives, helping youth navigate their digital lives with confidence and care. Rooted in our legacy as a trusted community partner, we’ve also deepened partnerships with like organizations to provide inclusive, comprehensive education for youth and teens with special and unique needs.

In 2023, we celebrated a major milestone with the completion of the first half-mile of the Eureka! Trail at Camp Stevenson-Witawentin. This project also included essential upgrades to our restrooms for improved accessibility and the creation of a new Outdoor Learning Center, expanding our ability to deliver hands-on, nature-based learning experiences.

The Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center is committed to providing programs and activities that will help children and youth achieve their full potential!