Goodman Community Center students move from middle to high school with confidence

By Kristin Groth, GCC communications and development project specialist

I wouldn’t want to be a teen these days, would you? The teen years have always been filled with stressors — changing bodies, social drama, academic pressures — and as if that isn’t enough, now kids have to deal with brutal social media. Thankfully, many local (and lucky, in my opinion) teens have Goodman Community Center staff to help them navigate all those new experiences, opportunities and challenges.

Starting high school is one of those challenges. We know it’s a super vulnerable time for them — both socially and academically. Research shows the beginning of high school is a critical turning point. If students fall behind then, they’re at greater risk of dropping out. That’s why our staff are really dedicated to helping Goodman students move from middle to high school with confidence and then help them stay on track for graduation.

When you read what teens say about how our staff are helping them grow, I hope you’ll make a gift to the Goodman Community Center.

Even after just meeting them, all four high school students I talked with were strikingly open, relaxed and self-assured. And they had a lot to say about Goodman. Nariaha, one of those teens, summed it up succinctly.

“This program helps you make the transition from childhood to adulthood,” she said. “They help you learn how to balance school and work and support your dreams and career goals by helping you figure out the steps to achieve them.”

With so much talk about how teens are struggling these days, I think that’s kind of big. Don’t you?

Preparing eighth graders for a big change — high school

In the world of education, setting up students for successful transitions has a name — bridging. I met with Catie Tollefson, GCC’s vice president of programs, to learn more about bridging.

“Bridging is something most everyone in education struggles with because they have to figure out how to do it on top of everything else on their plate,” she said. “We’ve worked at it, and I think our staff has figured out some things that are really helping our kids.

“Classes at our high schools are huge. We want them to have a support system in place so they see some faces they know that first day. We want them to feel like they are somewhat ‘in the know’ when they walk in, so they quickly feel like they belong there.”

Then I met with each of the teens to see if they thought Goodman helped them get ready for high school. For all four, it was a resounding “YES!” They happily explained how Goodman staff — Vern, Anna and Trevor — have helped them.

The teens all talked about when they were in eighth grade and staff arranged for high school students to answer their questions about high school. You could tell it was a relief for them to get answers to everything they were curious or anxious about. It sounds like they left the information session feeling like they belonged in high school and at Goodman.

“Goodman helps prepare you for high school and teaches you stuff so you’re ready for the next four years,” said Demba, a sophomore at East. “They took us on tours of the high school so we knew where all our classes were.”

Jordan, also a sophomore, agreed.

“Goodman really helped me get ready for freshman year,” Jordan said. “We learned note-taking skills, and I got better at writing. Vern had us write down our goals for ninth grade, the grades I wanted and my plan — what I’d have to do to accomplish that.”

Remember how much belonging meant to you when you were a teen? Please make a gift today.

Helping teens make the most of high school

Students in the high school program often learn about Goodman from other kids. It’s not unusual that a friend convinces them to come to Goodman because it’s fun. But they soon discover it’s so much more.

“The high school program is structured,” Tollefson said. “The kids learn leadership skills, beginning employment skills and each year they earn a certification — ServSafe, CPR or some other life skill. All our high school students are paid for doing TEENworks jobs, like catering or working with younger kids in our programs.”

Sophia, a freshman, credited Goodman with helping her manage school — and more.

“I’ve tried to take high school more serious — I pay attention more and I’m more focused on my grades,” she said. “I like homework club. They’ve helped me with time management so I can do sports, work at Goodman in TEENworks and still do well in school too.”

Academic and employment skills are important, but I was happy to hear all four students tell me they felt they could talk with the high school staff about anything. Nariaha was the most specific.

“Anna (staff member) makes me feel like I could talk with her about school, boy problems, sports, whatever,” she said. “All the staff are inclusive and understanding. And they give us respect. They treat us like young adults who are learning and becoming better every day.

“I’ve grown a lot. I’m more open with others. And I like how the staff keep me going — they motivate and encourage me. If I’m good at something, they always acknowledge it.”

Demba said he was extremely shy before attending Goodman, but now he’s comfortable talking in front of any group. He was certainly at ease talking with me.

It also sounds like they’ve all gotten more comfortable trying new things. Sophia gave a great example.

“… we went on a field trip to an outdoor, nature-y place,” she explained. “It was pouring rain, and we still went for a hike. It was fun!”

Being a teen is hard, so Goodman is there to help

In the short time I got to spend with each of the teens, it was obvious that they all know they are growing and they’re proud of who they are becoming. Rightfully so.

All our high school students have a variety of ways they could fill their after-school hours — just hanging at home, playing video games, streaming movies or who knows what. But all 50 students enrolled at Goodman do the work because they want to. They’re teenagers investing in their futures and consistently making really good decisions for themselves.

When you support the GCC, you’re helping young people like these and people of all ages in programs just as solid as this one.