The Kingswood Youth Center is welcoming the coming of spring with enthusiasm and excitement! With the thawing ground has come much outdoor fun here at the Center. Our outdoor equipment is being utilized daily; bicycles, lacrosse sticks, basketball hoops, and playground equipment allows the kids more time outside enjoying recreation in the ever-increasing light.
The Youth Center has been booming, servicing up to twenty-five members daily. We have a great following with 7
th
and 8
th
graders. Many new friendships are forming and we are seeing advocacy and ownership blossoming in our members. The Center has been focusing on teen leadership; A Teen Council has formed, there are "member led activities" weekly, and members are working on holding themselves and others accountable for following rules and being respectful to staff, each other, and the building.
On that note, an official "Peer Leadership Program," will be starting at the youth center, focusing on teaching leadership skills through a variety of activities. Hiking and other challenging outdoor activities are a great way to teach leadership skills to youth. Learning to be a strong leader has been known to boost self-esteem, confidence, and success rates in teens. Here at the Kingswood Youth Center we are constantly striving to teach our teens life skills and how to be successful in the adult world, and we are excited to utilize the Peer Leadership Program to fulfill this.
The success of the Center wouldn't be possible without our enthusiastic, dedicated volunteers. Kathy Kenny, who works at the Kingswood Middle School, has been joining us once a week for the after school program. She has led many fun projects, such as cake decorating, egg dying, compositing, and hiking. We also have Annie Grady, who has been leading a world drumming class every other Wednesday. The Whitehorse Addiction Center has wonderful volunteers; Mitch, Eric, and Flo, who join us every Wednesday, offering Wii Olympics, graphic design on a Camaro, and ever-changing games and activities. Mike Chatigney comes to the Center every Thursday to offer music lessons to the members. Thank you to our other regular volunteers: Ellen, Jim, Shelly, Mallory, Martha, and Joanne, who have been dedicated to our mission for many years.
Happy Spring!
Sincerely,
The Staff at KYC
