TEENworks takes on GCC youth with collaboration that started in the summer

By Trevor Moores, GCC TEENworks manager

This summer Goodman Community Center’s TEENworks program had the opportunity to run fun games and outdoor activities with Goodman’s child care programs, as we look to continue in our goal of youth leading youth at GCC. In fact, plans are in place for this school year for TEENworks employees to work with middle schoolers and child care children after school.

During summer programming, TEENworks students led field games like a creative name game, where students had to learn the names of the youth they were playing with. Teens and staff also ran a water balloon toss to help fight off the summer heat.

In addition to the outdoor activities, Goodman’s gymnasium was used to play tag games like sharks and minnows and color tag. After those games tired everyone out, a competitive tug of war was used to test everyone’s strength — and the girls’ team handily beat the boys! The gym day ended with parachute games where teens teamed up with youth and had tons of fun.

Opportunities like this really show what the point of running these fun days is about. GCC is giving TEENworks students opportunities to shine using their leadership skills during these activities, while also discovering new strengths and passions that they may have. Some of the teens discovered that they have a passion for leading the activities and were able to grow their leadership skills while GCC provided them opportunities to see future careers that they may enjoy.

This also gives staff an opportunity to make a child’s day by pairing TEENworks students with youngsters to play games together. Something that is so special about GCC is how interconnected all of our programs are. Some of the teens have been coming to Goodman for years. In fact, many of the incoming freshmen were part of the child care programs growing up. By running these partnerships, staff are hopefully showing the child care participants what they can look forward to once they get older.

These activities also helped inspire staff to continue branching out in how they plan for TEENworks to lead other child care programs. The plan is to continue similar activities during the school year with the child care programs but also add sport opportunities with the middle school programs. There the teens will lead instructional sports classes to help teach younger youth fundamentals in sports they are passionate about, while building life and job skills.