Posted on March 3, 2017
No Days Off: Teens Implement Service Project
While teens across the city spent their President’s Day relaxing on their day off of school, Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus teen members were mopping, scrubbing, demolishing, and hauling.
Members and staff across Clubs joined together at the Milo-Grogan Club so all efforts of the day could be spent on the “Milo-Grogan Beautification Project.”
Our Keystone Club teens designed and implemented this project after recognizing that the Club had more potential for the use of its space. The Keystone Club is a leadership development experience for members ages 14-18 that has an emphasis on community service. Closets were cleaned out, rooms were mopped, the shed was organized, and teens even vacuumed vehicles that are used to transport youth between Clubs.
Having youth arrange their own service projects encourages them to consider the needs of others and take advantage of the unique resources that they have access to as Boys & Girls Clubs members. Semaj, a Youth Development Professional who witnessed the Club’s transformation that day, reflected, “Community service provides a sense of empowerment for our kids. It gives them the chance to be the givers rather than the receivers.” After the Club shined from a hard day’s work, the 36 teens spent the remainder of their day of service crafting handmade cards for children at the Ronald McDonald House.
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