Sunday, April 1, 2012
Journal No. 7
I made another visit to the Teen Coalition this past Thursday. When I got there, the kids were getting ready to go out on a project that they had been working on for quite some time. A few of the group leaders took a handful of the kids down to a local liquor store in order to "tag" cases of beer and bottles of wine and liquor with stickers that discouraged people from buying alcohol for minors. One of the supervisors managed to capture the project on camera and was working on putting a video together. When they got back, the kids were all excited about how well it went and how cooperative the manager of the liquor store had been (side note: they had received permission from the store manager prior to going down there on Thursday). I also noticed that the Teen Coalition had made up beverage coasters that had the same message of the stickers printed on top of them. I assume that they will deliver these coasters to local pubs in the hopes of deterring even more people from buying alcohol for underage people. That is what I admire the most about the Teen Coalition at the Lowell Community Health Center. Not only do they give the kids a place to go after school to do homework, work on college applications, and hang out with friends; they teach the kids how to make the right decisions in life. I was amazed at how receptive the kids were to going out and doing this project. They knew that they were doing the right thing and helping improve their community. I've visited the Teen Coalition twice, and I have yet to see a frown from any of the kids. They just seem to appreciate the opportunities that the program is providing them, which is great to see as a future educator. I want my students to be able to appreciate the opportunity to go to school and to further not only their educations but their careers as well. I was talking with one of the kids about college and he mentioned to me that he was going to be studying electrical engineering when he goes to college in the fall. He seemed to know what he wants to do with his life and what he needs to do to reach his goals. As teachers, we can only hope to have motivated kids like this in our classrooms. It makes our jobs much easier.
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John - I agree! I'm always amazed at how many smiling faces I see at the Teen Coalition... Even after a long day at school! The teens and their mentors alike look genuinely happy to be there, learning how to be contributing citizens to their community. This outlook is invaluable and LCHC has provided a great resource for these teens.
ReplyDeleteIt's so motivating to as as future educators to see that we can make a difference in the lives of urban teens. These kids are not only learning how to make important life choices that will ensure success and safety, but they are also excited and optimistic about what they future may hold for them. It's great to see these teens shine in a world where (sadly) we so often see students who appear to have given up at too young an age.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about your experience at the Teen Coalition and enjoyed my time there as well. I think it is great that not only is a community such as Lowell transforming itself and bettering itself, but it is refreshing to see youth in particular helping to change their community. I love how in touch with the community these teens are and I think it is a good sign for the future. I agree that the Teen Coalition is great for these youth, as it helps push them the right direction in terms of grades, morals, community involvement, etc. I think maybe if a student has a rough home life that this place could almost serve as a parental agent and a source of safety and stability. I also noticed and enjoyed the happy, positive environment here. Great post, keep it up!