Connected Youth Spring News!
Learn about what is going on with connected youth this spring!
Lunch in the Sun
As we come closer to summer, the planning begins for Lunch in the Sun. This program was designed for local youth who may not have access to regular meals or do not have assistance at home to prepare meals. For five
years, nutritious lunches have been prepared and served by volunteers to ensure kids can have full summers and full bellies. This year, HUB international, Messiah Lutheran, the Red Lodge Community Church, and Calvary
Episcopal have committed to making and serving meals. Lunches will be available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays June 25th-Aug 10th at the City Pool for ages 0-18. Connect with Debbie or Brittnee to learn more.
Community Resource Fair to Connect Neighbors to Resources
On April 28th we hosted our Community Resource Fair collaborating with the Resilient Community team and Workforce Housing to showcase the many programs and nonprofits available in our wonderful community! In years past the annual Resource Fair was focused on Early Childhood Development. After considering the needs of our community, we felt it was vital to bring all our resources together to provide more for our neighbors. Not
only did our neighbors learn about tools available in our community, but vendors were able to connect with one another to create partnerships across sectors. Connect with Debbie or Brittnee to learn more.
Take a Reading Adventure!
Check out the new Reading Adventure Backpacks at the Red Lodge Carnegie Library. The Early Childhood themed backpacks for children ages 0-5 have been checked out 6 times since being launched at the beginning of the month. These backpacks have games, stories, and other activities to get families excited about learning to read in a unique way. You can check these backpacks out for 2 weeks at a time and there are currently 5 themed backpacks to choose from. Connect with Debbie or Brittnee to learn more.
Support a Bright Future
The summer paid Youth Internships program is well under way. We are currently interviewing high school students and contacting local businesses and organizations that match students’ interests. This program has
shown to be extremely influential for youth. Hannah, a high school student, states, “The internship has given me the confidence to try new things… giving me more confidence after school.”
Rex Ternan, Principal of Red Lodge High School, emphasizes the importance of making the connection between school and work, “Youth Internships allow students the opportunity to consolidate and apply the learning from their high school coursework into a meaningful and relevant on-the-job experience. It is their venue to connect with the world outside of school and to gain the skills to go on to further education and/or enter the workforce.”
We want to continue and strengthen the support of this program so we can reach a wider range of students and develop partnerships between them and local business leaders. Therefore, we are asking for your help to raise $14,000 to be able to connect youth to future careers with this life changing opportunity. Connect with Danielle to learn more.
Youth Volunteers Rock
Youth Volunteers are so wonderful! Summer Safety day/Bike Rodeo is always a favorite with the elementary school students. 12 high school students, staff members and several community members helped bring it all together. Two repeat high school volunteers, Caiden Peterson and Wayne Broom have taken a lot of pride teaching bike safety and taking ALL elementary school students out on bike rides. These two have stepped up to make sure that proper bike safety is taught early on to ensure that our community is safe.