Linkages to Learning

LOCALLY GROWN LEADERSHIP

A YOUNG GIRL FOUND FUN AND VOLUNTEERISM AT THE Y;
SHE ALSO FOUND A H.O.M.E. AND A CAREER
Friday, July 20, 2018

The Y is more than a fitness facility and summer camp. We are an open door to limitless possibilities for people from every background. Sharon Perez, a YMCA Youth & Family Services Community School Coordinator with the Linkages to Learning program, is proof of the possibilities. Sharon came to the Y as a teenager at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School through the H.O.M.E. (Hope and Opportunities in a Multicultural Environment) program. H.O.M.E. supports the youth in-and-out of the school by providing Student Service Learning and leadership development opportunities, after school recreation (soccer/basketball), and lunchtime civic engagement groups. (Full Story Sheet)

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By Carson Henry, ago

ADVOCACY CAMP

Friday, July 6, 2018

Last year, Lindsey Foss, a Linkages to Learning mental health therapist, and many other health care providers began noticing that the young people she worked with were sharing feelings of anxiety and discouragement due to the political climate. “They felt hopeless and like all political power rested on one person,” stated Foss.  They did not know about the different branches of government or how to effectively advocate beyond messages they were seeing on social media.  So, to empower these young people with knowledge and information about how government works while also having fun, she organized an “Advocacy Camp” spring break. As a part of the YMCA, an organization that promotes social responsibility and youth development, Foss knew that this would be a great way for the Y to encourage teens to take action. (Full Story Sheet)

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By Carson Henry, ago