Tecumseh Youth Making a Major Difference with Children
While so many people talk about how youth just think about themselves and could care about the rest of community. So many headlines in today’s world show the worst of the teens—bullying, drugs, drinking, and doing many at-risk behaviors and making choices that affect them adversely the rest of their lives. Understanding that our youth today have many challenges in families and in their decisions for their lives, for the past two years FYI has working with over 60- schools in spreading the education about relationships, refusal skills for at-risk behaviors, and long-term goals and has been successful for many of the teens in the six counties within the district. Surveys about the youth span from 6th grade through high school, and 95% praise our educators on educating them about how to grow into adults with character and giving them the tools so they can reach those long-term goal
WITHIN one school, Tecumseh, FYI has gone just a little further. In 2013, FYI asked the school if we could begin an after-school program, DEFY, which at the time was created to work for drug prevention in the school and have the high school youth help mentor the middle schoolers so that they understood how devastating drugs are. And that continues with our youth, BUT 2017 DEFY looks a lot different and is making a tremendous difference.
As Director, Julie Driskill, says, “Last year we concentrated on our youth learning about work and collaborated with Job and Family Services so that they could get a little work experience and job history.” “That worked to a degree,” states Pat Banaszak, Executive Director of FYI, “but what we found was that especially with the younger ones, we had to teach them the responsibilities of applying for a job, of accepting one, then of the rules of each place of work. They needed to know how to dress for each particular job, how to be on time, how to clock in, and how to be respectful. Most knew none of that.” But the end of the summer, FYI had over 356 youth working for various businesses throughout Bethel Township.
In 2017, FYI decided to educate the youth in a different phase of character development—giving back through service to the community. The youth worked hard with the mobile food pantry in the fall, but as they were discussing doing more, DEFY came up with a year -long project, which was near to their hearts and minds—CHILD ABUSE AWARENESS. Beginning in March DEFY planned and created a project that they will now carry on throughout the summer and fall—and as they designed it, they talked and planned with Ms. Driskill on marketing it, getting it to Easter Egg Hunts, festivals, in the schools, businesses, and churches—and making everyone aware of this very sad behavior happening in many families.
As of today, DEFY has created a Wishing Willow tree, sewn a costume and created Patches, the gigantic teddy bear who loves to give children hugs and unconditional love, and 2 girls wrote a special book about Patches and his story. And after a refreshing weekend, they are ready to roar!!!
If your church, organization, or group would like to have a visit from our DEFY youth and their program, please call the FYI office at 845-0403 and ask for Julie D or Julie G. They will be more than happy to schedule a visit. And look for Patches and the Wishing Willow Tree around town in the next few months. The first ones to spot it—outside of the FYI office--and let us know by calling 845-0403, will win a prize. So be on the look out and call!!
The question is—Are youth today making a difference in our communities? YOU BET THEY ARE and many thanks goes to Tecumseh and its foresight for encouraging them to involved. Our youth are our future—and if we continue with kids who are like our DEFY group we are in good shape!!
