Paso Robles is in the very enviable position of having been chosen as home base for a phenomenal program called Generation Next Youth Leadership. This program was originally founded in 1997, in Nipomo; but since June 2011, now offers its core activities via a Teen Center located on 28th Street in Paso Robles. The program can best be described as a leadership, community service learning, career mentoring, job readiness, and pregnancy and gang prevention project for teenagers.
Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County oversees the Generation Next program, which itself is run by two amazing staff: Colleen Ryan and Hunter Hasheider. Jenny Gustavson, who is employed by the San Luis Obispo County Mental Health Services, also provides assistance by offering 8 week young adult counseling sessions to the teens registered with the program. Ryan specifies that the program has received tremendous support from the Paso Robles School District, including access to set up the program in unused school space for a minimal monthly fee.
There are currently 38 teenagers registered with Generation Next, between the ages of 13 and 19 years old. The program runs on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and the registered teens can take part in activities, on any or all of those days, at absolutely no cost. Each day of the week comes with a proposed theme, per the monthly calendar established by Ryan and Hasheider with the lively input of the participant teens.
The theme for Mondays is “artistic and creative expression,” and for the month of February, the teens chose guitar lessons. Thursdays focus on leadership development opportunities and this coming month will see the finalization of two team projects: a Generation Next outdoor mural entirely designed and created by the teens, and the construction of vegetable planters. Fridays have been labeled as the “recreation” days and usually involve playing team sports, going bowling or playing board games. “The program builds a sense a family between the kids,” says Ryan.
The program, at its inception, was geared towards “at-risk” youth: teenagers who are at a high risk of dropping out of school, becoming involved with gangs and drugs, or being affected by teenage pregnancy. In practice, however, Generation Next has in fact attracted youths from all walks of life.
One 14-year-old participant, who has supportive and involved parents, has been dealing with bullying issues at his Middle School. He says that before being involved with Generation Next, he would go home after school and have nothing to do. “This place is heaven,” he says, “I’ve made new friends, learned about leadership. I love everything we do here!”
Another participant, who will soon be turning 16, says that coming to the Generation Next Teen Center “keeps [her] out of trouble.” She jokes that her mother wanted to send her to the California National Guard Grizzly Youth Academy. However, it seems that her participation in Generation Next has given her the friendly supportive environment she needed to channel her rebellious spirit into meaningful activities.
Ryan highlights that a number of the participants are talented artists. In an attempt to further nurture their talents, she took them on a field trip to the Paso Robles Art Association, which in turn offered art scholarships to some of the participants. Ryan also showed the interested teenagers a video about career opportunities in art such as marketing, and clothing and auto design. In that same vein, Ryan and Hasheider help the teens schedule their SATS, as well as complete scholarship and college applications.
Generation Next believes that By providing youth, ages 12-18, with leadership development opportunities, meaningful community service projects, comprehensive sexual health education, one-to-one and group mentoring, career exploration, job site shadowing, academic and homework support, outdoor education, music and art, and sports/recreational activities, Generation Next helps realize the “potential” of all youth to become engaged in their community and set positive goals for their future. In this way, our participants can become productive, healthy adults, who are contributing members of their community. By providing youth, ages 12-18, with leadership development opportunities, meaningful community service projects, comprehensive sexual health education, one-to-one and group mentoring, career exploration, job site shadowing, academic and homework support, outdoor education, music and art, and sports/recreational activities, Generation Next helps realize the “potential” of all youth to become engaged in their community and set positive goals for their future. In this way, our participants can become productive, healthy adults, who are contributing members of their community. By providing youth, ages 12-18, with leadership development opportunities, meaningful community service projects, comprehensive sexual health education, one-to-one and group mentoring, career exploration, job site shadowing, academic and homework support, outdoor education, music and art, and sports/recreational activities, Generation Next helps realize the “potential” of all youth to become engaged in their community and set positive goals for their future. In this way, our participants can become productive, healthy adults, who are contributing members of their community. By providing youth, ages 12-18, with leadership development opportunities, meaningful community service projects, comprehensive sexual health education, one-to-one and group mentoring, career exploration, job site shadowing, academic and homework support, outdoor education, music and art, and sports/recreational activities, Generation Next helps realize the “potential” of all youth to become engaged in their community and set positive goals for their future. In this way, our participants can become productive, healthy adults, who are contributing members of their community. By providing youth, ages 12-18, with leadership development opportunities, meaningful community service projects, comprehensive sexual health education, one-to-one and group mentoring, career exploration, job site shadowing, academic and homework support, outdoor education, music and art, and sports/recreational activities, Generation Next helps realize the “potential” of all youth to become engaged in their community and set positive goals for their future. In this way, our participants can become productive, healthy adults, who are contributing members of their community.by providing youth with leadership development opportunities, meaningful community service projects, comprehensive sexual health education, one-to-one and group mentoring, career exploration, academic and homework support, outdoor education, music and art, and sports and recreational activities, it can help realize the potential of all youth to become engaged in their community and set positive goals for their future. The participants can become productive, healthy adults, who are contributing members of their society.
For more information about Generation Next please call program director:
Tracy Lang Wood (805) 544-2484 ext. 720
Click here to visit Generation Next's Website
Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County is a non-profit agency that focuses on helping people and changing lives through serving nearly 40,000 persons across Central and Southern California. We are committed to eliminate poverty by empowering individuals and families to achieve economic self-sufficiency and self-determination through a comprehensive array of community-based programs.
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