As a leading youth-serving organization, we are in a powerful position to prepare generations of youth for their own great futures, especially those on the cusp of adulthood. Serving teens and tweens is an integral part of realizing our mission, and as a Movement, we must remain committed to engaging these age groups. Teens need the Club Experience as they grow into adults and make decisions that impact their future. The world has changed, especially in the last three years, and we have seen increasing data on teen mental and emotional wellness. We want every young person to feel the Club is a place where they belong and feel safe interacting with their peers and trusted adults, while accessing programs that inspire and prepare them for a great future post-high school graduation.

Serving teens in our communities has never been more important than right now.  Currently a quarter of our membership is made up of Teens, in grades 6^th through 12^th. For the first time ever, we have a waitlist to get into our Teen Program. Our local Teens are thirsty for a positive, productive, safe place to be where they feel welcomed, can be themselves and be comfortable in their own skin.

Our Club is investing even more in our Teen program through onboarding Elizabeth Chappell, Workforce Development Specialist, a staff professional focused on after-graduation success. In this role, Elizabeth will spark interests in, and provide skill-building opportunities for our Teen Club Members. She is already helping our teens learn more about themselves, try new experiences with the Club’s career readiness virtual reality program, interact with local businesses and professionals, and create individualized plans for reaching their goals. Through increased partnerships with local and regional businesses, she’ll enhance career exploration opportunities while providing access to work environment assessment, networking, and possible internships. All the while, building strong relationships and supporting our teen members to become positive, productive, and caring adults.

With the addition of Elizabeth onto our Teen Leadership Team, Teen Program Manager, Paige Hodges will be able to focus on elevating the day to day programming, and creating specialized middle school and high school member experiences. Specialized programming will result in more intentional, engaging activities, and focus on growing social-emotional wellness, staying connected, and recruiting and retaining Teens for long-term impact. Additionally, Paige will lead the efforts on our Teen Family Night and Teen Late Night events.

We are excited to support, develop, and empower our local Teen members. This critical group of young people are the future and we must ensure they are ready to BE GREAT!