Saturday teen event to offer college information, food and games at Pritchard Park | A+

RACINE – In January, Leanna Johnson heard from parents that their teenage sons were bored with community events.

A parent suggested a party. Johnson, community engagement coordinator at Higher Expectations for Racine County, thought “it would be great if the youth could plan something for the youth.”

More than seven months later, a “Back 2 School” event. will take place Saturday from noon to 5 pm in the South Pavilion at Pritchard Park, 2800 Ohio St.

Greater expectations, a local nonprofit, sponsors the event, which is organized by area high school students. It is aimed at 13-18 year olds and will have information about the university, as well as BBQ, a DJ and lawn games.

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“It’s a different way to be informative,” Johnson said. “We can set up tables anywhere and expect people to show up, but we’re changing the way we bring information to kids. We bring the fun.”

Johnson was one of several people who provided feedback to the students, but the event was mostly organized by a dozen teenagers. The students worked on a budget of $5,000 to plan the event. They were paid $10 an hour and received a meal at each meeting.

In addition to food, music and bounce houses, student organizers decided to focus on college awareness so their peers can learn more about applications, financial aid and scholarship opportunities . On Saturday, first-generation Carthage College students will be on hand to answer questions and share their experiences.

“I hope this event opens the door for many students to experience college resources,” Johnson said.

Planning meetings began in February and were usually held twice a month on Saturdays. It took time for the students to feel comfortable expressing ideas, but Johnson learned that waiting for a few seconds of silence led them to express their opinions.

“It’s amazing how they’re going to open up,” Johnson said. “The patience we adults have with our youth is something we all need to work on.”

After some initial guidance from Johnson and other adults, the students took command, an encouraging sign.

“When they first took center stage in the conversation is when I said, ‘I think we’ve got it,'” Johnson said.

Johnson said the event is by and for teenagers because their ideas are often not taken seriously, and offered student organizers a chance to stretch.

“They’re often overlooked for their thoughts and opinions on things,” Johnson said. “We want to do this for kids (his) age to show them how much we value their voice and their opinion.”

In photos: Free haircuts for kids at the Racine NAACP Center

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