Youth 360 hosting event to promote after school programs, local resources

Youth 360 will host a Lights On Afterschool event on November 8 at Teeland Middle School to celebrate after school programs and connect families with teens to local resources available to them in the Mat-Su.

This free event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature a series of teen development workshops, panel discussions and highlight ways for parents to stay engaged in their teens’ lives growing up in the Valley.

“We really want families to come together and connect, to be partners in their teens’ years,” former Youth 360 director Tyler Healy said. “What we’ve seen is [that the] early childhood years are the most important for a young person’s development. But close behind them are the teen years. It’s really a time when we want families to reengage, be aware of what kind of things are out there.”

Workshops held throughout the day include a discussion on cyber safety hosted by the Palmer Police Department, utilizing resources from the school district to communicate with teachers and support students from the Mat-Su Borough School District, vaping and its dangers and how to recognize it from the American Lung Association and a discussion on exploring why and how afterschool programs are beneficial for students in their local communities. Each workshop will be roughly 30 minutes.

Two panel discussions will provide different perspectives on what it is like growing up as teen in the Mat-Su. The first will be from a teen perspective and address challenges and insights on what it’s like to grow up within the community and how their families can support them. The second panel will be hosted by parents and will discuss how to educate on safe dating practices, building real relationships with other teens and adults in the community, how to connect with other parents of teens and building resilience within the household.

“We’re trying to have some really relevant, widely focused topic areas that are things that we’ve heard from families that might be a need for them to learn more about or things to keep an eye on,” Healy said. “Also insights and inputs from local youth and families about their experiences either being a teen or raising a teen here in the Mat-Su.”

Vendor booths with resources for families include Youth Archive (HIVE), Mat-Su Youth Chorus, LINKS, YMCA Mat-Su, Finding Your Future, Mat-Su Borough School District, Alaska Behavioral Health, Denali Family Services, The Alaska Children's Trust and the Palmer Police Department.

Healy mentioned that some parents benefit most from conversations that occur between other parents and groups that provide local resources for raising teens. Parents are encouraged to really engage with vendors, ask questions and be an active participant in their teens’ lives.

Food will be available for purchase and proceeds will go towards one of the clubs at Teeland Middle School as they raise funds to travel internationally. Games to keep both children and teens will be hosted by THRIVE Mat-Su to keep students engaged while parents and guardians attend workshops and panel discussions. Door prizes will also be available.

The celebration joins a nationwide series of events in coordination with the nationwide Afterschool Alliance to bring awareness of these afterschool programs and their success supporting students and their families.

Healy was recently named an Afterschool Ambassador for his work to promote and grow afterschool and development programs in the Mat-Su. Healy is one of only 15 to be awarded across the country by the Afterschool Alliance. He said he hopes to share what has made these programs so successful in the Valley on a national stage. He looks forward to connecting with other programs and utilizing new tools and resources to make the Mat-Su programs even better into the future.

“The network of youth programs is growing in the Mat-Su and we want people to be aware of that,” Healy said. “And continue some of the positive momentum around being aware of the value of afterschool programs.”