Northshore Magazine

264 nshoremag.com September 2014 due north whether they are learning about traditional Navajo basket weaving, taking swamp boat tours in the Bayou, or explor- ing a volcano in Nicaragua, the youth who participate in YMCA Teen Service trips are both soaking up another culture and giving back to those communities. What is the mission of the teen service learning programs? Our service trips promote youth development, leadership skills, and social responsibility through full-immersion programs. The YMCA brings to our program over 100 years of experience as a service-oriented or- ganization dedicated to building strong futures for our children. We're providing teens a unique opportunity to give back to communities in need. What does the organization hope to achieve? It's our hope that, by immers- ing teens in new cultures in America and abroad, these one-of-a-kind experiences will empower the next generation of global citizens, and ignite a passion to make an impact on the world as well as their local community. How did this program come to be? In 2010, Executive Director Rick Doucette and I decided we wanted to give Cape Ann teens a more in-depth and meaning- ful volunteer experience. With the sup- port of YMCA leadership and the Cape Ann community, we brought 15 teens and five chaperones on our first trip to the ninth ward in New Orleans, which was decimated by Hurricane Katrina. In just two years, the program more than tripled in size, and we've been leading trips every year since. Can you describe some recent projects? This year, our groups in Arizona worked on multiple projects, includ- ing painting a fence for the community sweat lodge, cleaning up a local park, and cultivating gardens that produce food for the local food pantry. Our New Orleans trip focused on repairing houses that were still damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We learned that hurricanes would not hit New Orleans as hard if the local wetlands were not torn down, so we planted grass in the wetlands and also worked on cleaning up some of the local beaches. In Nicaragua, our teens helped build a schoolhouse in a remote village. Can you share some feedback you've received from participating youth? "This trip has been an eye-opening and life-changing experience. I think that everyone should go on a service trip like this. I learned so much about the history, culture, and living conditions in Nica- ragua. This was so much more effective than reading from a textbook because you're seeing it face-to-face and develop- ing a full understanding of it all. In addi- tion to learning, volunteering makes you feel like you're making a difference. You also have the privilege of seeing so many breathtaking sites and meeting so many inspiring people." northshoreymca.org q + a Field Work Teen Service Trip Director Nikki Marin describes the Cape Ann YMCA's life-changing program for young volunteers. By Kiley Jacques Global Citizens: Top, youth help in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina; Above, program participants working in a Nicaraguan field. YMCA Teen Service Trips, Cape Ann

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