Barnet | Caledonia Record, 3/6/95 |
| By GAIL P. MOTANY - Take the kids to St. Johnsbury and drop them off to see a movie or 'hang out'? Drive them to Burlington to do heaven-knows-what and pray they stay out of trouble?
And what are they doing after school when you're still at work? Like other rural Caledonia County towns, Barnet has its share of challenges in finding ways to meet the social needs of its youths outside the school scene. The Barnet Enhancing Community Awareness Committee, in collaboration with Northeast Kingdom Youth Services and the University of Vermont Extension Service, have answered the challenge with after-school activities, dances, teen theater and planned summer activities at Harvey's Lake. ECA is a group initiated by a grant to UVM Extension Service to sponsor programs for "at risk" youths in rural communities, said Ed Ryan of NEK Youth Services in St. Johnsbury. The idea, he noted, is to foster. a stronger -relationship between Barnet youths (mainly. In grades 7-12) and the community. The committee comprises a number of Barnet teens and adults, as |
well as representatives from Youth Services and the Extension Service. Currently, they are working on several "focus areas," including the teen theater, volunteer and community service, and the Harvey's Lake Summer program. Last summer, 18 youths participated in basketball, soccer, a rock concert, and other ECS "summer fun" program activities. Planned for summer 1995 are similar activities to include use of the town-owned Clara Brock House on Harvey's Lake beach and a lunch program open to all Barnet youths. While the teen theater is still in the planning stages, six youngsters are now meeting after school each Tuesday to make music in a rock-style band. Ryan said another band may be formed from the "groupies" who linger to listen. The volunteer and community service programs are still in the planning stages, as is a teen center at the Clara Brock House, Ryan said. These activities, while ostensibly designed to aid kids at risk, are really meant for all of Barnet's young people; Ryan noted few youngsters escape the perils of adolescence. "All youth are at risk," he said. |