It is one of my reasons to highlight young people who achieve great things or reflect their qualities through acts of kindness and heroism. Another reason is that I want to demonstrate there is a section of Millennials and Zoomers to whom we should be applauded and also protected.
Many of today’s youth are searching for belonging, a purpose and a way to get involved in their local communities. A number of programs are available to help channel them.
One such program in Toledo, Ohio, is the subject of this week’s Feel-Good Friday.
The Northwest Ohio YWCA offers a Teen Outreach Program (TOP), which has been offered to the community since 2007. The afterschool program is focused on youth development and empowers teens to live successful lives. It also helps them become a catalyst for stronger communities. TOP has worked with the Toledo Public Schools system for the past seven year. But, anyone who goes to secondary school in Toledo is eligible to join the program.
The Summer TOP session has just begun, and the students worked together to make bag lunches for the city’s homeless population. This is called “service learning,” and the students are the ones who brainstorm, plan, and then implement this monthly program that reaches out to the greater Toledo community.
Feel Good Friday: Toledo students on TOP https://t.co/tolbjPhFYI
— Jennifer OO (@joliveroconnell) July 30, 2022
But it’s not all about community outreach. TOP hosts weekly meetings for high school students to give them a sense if belonging, purpose and mission. Gen Zers have the opportunity to talk about issues that affect their lives and receive instruction in service project creation. They also learn how to organize community celebrations and make positive connections with others they already know and those they just met.
The thing I love most about the program is that they want parents involved. They offer Parent Night events every quarter which give parents an opportunity to meet their children and share in their successes.
TOP was created by the Wyman National Network, who has seen the program implemented across many parts of the country. This proven program can be used to build character and potential in a world that is constantly changing.
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