YOUTH IS WONDERING

1.Warm-up

1) Can teenagers be allowed to do everything?

2) At what age should teenagers be allowed to leave school?

3) At what age should teenagers be allowed to smoke?

4) At what age should teenagers be allowed to drink?

5) At what age should teenagers be allowed to drive?

6) At what age should teenagers be allowed to get married?

7) At what age should teenagers be allowed to vote?

Listen to some information about a youth centre and answer the questions.

1) Are there any youth centres in your area?

2) Do school-leavers meetings take place in your school?

3) Have any school-leavers become the people who have interesting professions?

LOCAL COLLEGE STUDENTS

“MAKE A MAJOR DIFFERENCE”

AT YLLC (YOUTH LIFE LEARNING CENTRE)

         Hillside and Easley students came together to listen to local college students talk about their major and career path as well as do a short, related activity. Before we began, we asked students what they wanted to be when they grew up. Answers ranged from “teacher” to “policeman”.

        Presentations started with Hailey Wickles, Belmont University junior and nursing major who dreams of becoming a traveling nurse or doing nursing in missions work. Hailey taught YLLC students not only about what she studies in and outside of the classroom, but she also showed the students the importance of washing their hands using glitter! She also shared a trick with students. If you sing, “Happy Birthday” twice while scrubbing, you have washed your hands for a proper length of time.

          William Switzer, studying music business and pre-law at Belmont University, wants to pursue a career as a musician or entertainment lawyer. A bass player for his band, William shared with students that he has written over fifty songs! He also taught students a little about entertainment law, such as what copyright means in a way students could understand.

         Jonathan Butler, Belmont University junior and music business major, immediately put smiles on students’ faces when he brought out a bag of candy! Jonathan, who one day wishes to own a multi-media company, asked students to act like they were filming a movie, reading a book, and recording music to demonstrate what the company would entail. He then asked students to answer some trivia questions regarding movies, books, and music for some candy!

          Lastly, we welcomed Katherine Richardson, Belmont senior and international business and social entrepreneurship major. She wishes to someday work with entrepreneurs on creating businesses that employ people who may not otherwise be able to find jobs. Once we taught students what entrepreneurship meant, Katherine was ready to create her own business with students. Students gave her the idea to create a movie-watching hair and nail salon! She separated students into two groups to represent the items that they would need, the first group being the items that would cost money for their business while the second group represented the items that would create a profit.

           We’d like to welcome all of our students for making a major difference among Youth Life students. Our hope is that you will continue to inspire kids in this community to work hard and pursue dreams.

Reading

Read about Danielle Wright who has an eager curiosity for learning.

1) How can you characterize Danielle?

2) What qualities of character does she possess?

3) Are such young people as Danielle a rule or an exception nowadays?

           

          Sometimes there is a student who is always seeking, wondering, and exuding a very curious nature. This student will typically go out of their way to uncover an unresolved answer and will crave more information. He or she simply loves the art of learning and will never stop seeking understanding. For YLLC-Hillside, that student is Julia Green Elementary School third- grader, Danielle Wright. In most scenarios, you can find Danielle raising her hand to ask a question, in such a way as to put her whole body into getting that hand as high as it can go with a wide, eager grin. Sometimes difficult to stay seated, she throws herself into learning as much as possible! In fact, she was thrilled when Mr. Grubb donated iPads, as they have allowed her to explore new areas of learning with her great, curious spirit.

             As outgoing as she is, it is no wonder that Danielle not only loves to dance and sing, but also possesses a soft, caring side shown in her desire to someday become a veterinarian. Moreover, her YLLC teacher describes her as “polite and inquisitive”.

         She makes friends easily with her outgoing personality and is always friendly toward everyone who comes to Youth Life Learning Centers. Seemingly contagious, Danielle’s enthusiasm for learning has rubbed off on some of her YLLC-Hillside friends. During “Make a Major Difference” last year, for example, Danielle had many questions for all of the Belmont students that came to talk about their major. She wanted to know how things worked, what they studied, and what she would need to fill their shoes. This allows teachers, visitors, volunteers and donors to see their influence first hand and answer any questions she may have, whether it’s homework-related or not.

             Genuinely grateful for opportunities given to her, she would like to personally thank all volunteers and donors for helping her at Youth Life. Her grades have improved with their help!

Summary

1) What are the good things and bad things about today’s youth?

2) Are today’s youth different from the youth of yesteryear?