Sutton youth program fosters civic engagement

Community is at the center of a year-round program in Sutton that gives youth a purpose and a safe place to realize it.

An initiative of the nonprofit Friends of Sutton Library, the Youth Arts and Wellness Program provides local middle and high school students a place to connect and learn. The program encourages healthy living ideals by combining community engagement, volunteerism, arts, and cultural activities.

Juli Buzby, Sutton librarian, said the program was launched as a summer project 13 years ago. It became a year-round effort four years ago.

The group meets twice a week during the summer. One day is reserved for community-centered activities, like growing a garden, or building a float for the Fourth of July parade. Outdoor games and exploration of different art mediums are part of the fun. The second day is reserved for excursions outside of Sutton that might include hiking and outdoor exploration, swimming, and learning about area culture and history. During the school year, the group meets once a week. In addition to being a time for games, activities, and connections, planning is done for one monthly community event that the group hosts.

Buzby said the point is “to provide generational connections within our community.”

“This program provides a much-needed place for local youth to engage in healthy activities and encourages them to become active in their community,” she said. “Our focus is on healthy living, community engagement, and building and modeling healthy relationships.” That mission has gotten a boost in recent years by grants from the Mat-Su Health Foundation, including one this year for $6,000 in January. The funding provides activity fees that help keep the program free to participants. It also pays for supplies and stipends for program leaders and presenters.

“Without partnerships and grant funds, like those provided by the Mat-Su Health Foundation, our program does not exist, at least not anything equivalent to what is currently provided,” Buzby said. “Active youth are physically healthier, connected youth are mentally healthier, and this is our community.”

Investing in community health and wellness has been part of the plan for the nonprofit Mat-Su Health Foundation since its inception in 2007, when it became part owner of the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center. Since that time, the Health Foundation has returned more than $138 million of its share of hospital profits to the community in the form of individual scholarships, sponsorships, and grants to nonprofit organizations across the Valley, while continuing to help ensure that the hospital meets the needs of a growing population.

The number of Sutton youth served by the program, which requires pre-registration, varies from year to year, with two dozen or so registered on average.

“Sutton youth are limited by geography and do not have many places within their community to gather and recreate, even fewer with any kind of supervision or planned activities,” Buzby said. “This program provides local youth with something to do and helps to prevent them from falling prey to unhealthy habits.”

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https://libraries.matsugov.us/pages/sutton-teen-programs