YMCA pushes good clean fun for teens
A frequent cry of young people in Belize is that “there’s nothing to do.” But if you’re under twenty-one, the YMCA wants to show you otherwise. On Saturday night they will be holding a Top a Top Teen Dance at the MJ’s Grand in Belize City. The activity is being held in collaboration with high schools, parents, volunteers and the private sector. According to the YMCA’s Executive Director, Carolyn Gentle Genitty, the idea is not only to get young people involved in community service, but to also provide them with positive incentives and activities.
Carolyn Gentle Genitty, Executive Director, YMCA
“We went into most of the high schools and asked them if they had young people, ten or fifteen, that would be interested in doing community service and social activities. Many of the schools responded greatly. We have almost two hundred and twenty-five students that have signed up. The idea is that they would conduct community service activities and in return we would give them four main activities. One is the youth retreat, youth speak out, and the third is the youth teen night and the last is of course motivational and leadership training. Again, creating opportunities for young people to learn skill and at the same time have fun. Being rewarded for their community service.”
Jacqueline Woods
“And the teen dance is a reward for what activity that was conducted?”
Carolyn Gentle Genitty
“Actually, we have done the first one as a marketing tool. We had seventy-five, almost seventy-five, eighty of them came to the first motivational and training and leadership session.”
“Young people like listening to music, they like socialising, but they are not environments for them to do that. So the dance is going to take place upstairs of MJ’s Grand. It is to give them the opportunity…again, clean atmosphere, full chaperoned, airtight security for young people to just have fun, socialise. There will be arcade games, there is room for them to come out on the veranda and hang out, but it’s a clean atmosphere, alcohol free.”
The dance runs from seven p.m. until twelve midnight at MJ’s Grand. A cover charge of five dollars will be collected at the door.
