From how to spot fake news to how to file a petition, teens at the Lawrence YMCA spent some time this summer learning about how to be more informed and involved in their community. Our Youth Voice program, which was offered in partnership with Merrimack College thanks to a grant from the Greater Lawrence Summer program, gave teens the opportunity to explore issues that are important to them and the tools to enact change. The program was geared toward middle school students, ages 11-14 and took place over a period of three weeks.
Participants went on field trips to the Lawrence History Center and took an Elevated Thought tour around the city, where they looked at social justice murals. When they returned to the Lawrence Y, the students made their own murals out of chalk to represent issues that are important to them.
The program featured a visit from State Representatives Christina Minicucci and Marcos Devers, where the students had the opportunity to share their concerns and dreams for the city.
Enjoyed speaking with this engaged group of youth. Things that matter - housing, food security, free education. Also school meals and more swimming opportunities. I see some civics action projects waiting to takeoff! @MVYMCA @Merrimack https://t.co/ZuldqNJECU
— Christina Minicucci (@christina4rep) July 21, 2021
“My favorite part of the program was meeting our state reps,” said 13 year old Edgar. “We talked about making school food better and creating more opportunities.”
The program ended with a tour of Merrimack College and a presentation to help participants better understand the college application process.
“In this program we encouraged the kids to understand who they are and what they want to fight for,” said Merrimack College student, program assistant and Lawrence resident Sam. “It’s important that they know how to advocate for change. They are the future of the city and they can make a difference.”
For more information about Youth Voice or any of our other teen programs at the Lawrence YMCA, please contact Associate Executive Director of Youth Development Lenis Perez at lperez@mvymca.org.