The program will be held twice a week for four weeks starting July 6th and is open to youth between the ages of 12 and 15.
“We’re targeting youth at that age because that’s when a lot of decision are made,” said Jacob Baldwin, youth coordinator for the YMCA. “The whole point of it is to engage them in activities they’ve never done before – to try something new.”
The activities will range from bubble bump soccer and yoga to leadership and teamwork training.
The activities will be followed by a talk by a local professional on a topic ranging from dealing with loss and goal setting to showing confidence. Then they will eat some type of food
“The whole point behind it is to engage the kids at where they’re currently at,” Baldwin said.
They’ll talk with them about topics such as what they want to do with their lives, what they deem success with the hopes of guiding them and showing them opportunities they might not have known about.
“We want to empower them with the knowledge to make good decisions.”
Baldwin said the partnership with Addiction Services and Schools Plus as well as having speakers from various organizations makes this very much a community effort.
“We’re trying to develop leaders in the community and that all starts at that young age,” he said. “We want to see youth be able to make positive decisions in their life and for the youth to have the confidence to make those positive decisions.”
For more information on the forum stop by the membership services desk at the YMCA of Pictou County.
