Building a legacy in YDA junior counselors

// A blog written by Judith Ball

I was listening to a podcast this week which focused on the unique journey of growth and development that takes place during the middle school years of a young person’s life. While many of the kids highlighted on this thought-provoking program seemed to struggle through this seemingly difficult time of life, there were some hopeful and insightful reflections made by the contributors on the show. One that particularly stuck with me was put like this: Middle school is when kids open up to the world…when they think about bigger things. But they haven’t formed their opinion on anything yet. Everything is up for grabs.

After the podcast ended, I found myself thinking deeply about what I had heard. This statement led my mind back to the informational flyer for this year’s Annual Fundraiser, which says in large bold print WHAT WILL OUR LEGACY BE? Sharefest has invested greatly into the academic and personal development of hundreds of students, many of them in middle school. Reflecting further, it became clear in my mind that if “everything is up for grabs” as the podcast had suggested, Sharefest is definitely on the right on track with the work we do in youth development. Forging ahead in the task of building strong communities and strong kids, it is vitally important to consider the depth of impact we have on the generations that follow. It is also vitally important to show the youth that they, themselves, can have an enormous impact on the world they live in and the generations that they will one day lead.

This year several of the junior counselors from the Summer Youth Development Academy will be highlighted at the Saturday’s Fundraiser event (for information and details click here).  They are a shining example of "legacy-minded" youth and we at Sharefest are so proud of them. Most of these young high schoolers previously attended the YDA summer program and took the opportunity to invest back in the camp to create a positive experience for this year’s participants. Futhermore, they are well on their way to actualizing their potential as people committed to bringing about lasting change in their communities.  Not only do they have a vision of their future LEGACY, but they are building it now.