by Morinville News Staff
A few new programs have been added to the youth mix this fall. The Town of Morinville’s youth coordinators are adding monthly Glow Dodgeball, Teen Movie Nights, and Teen Art Classes. The first two programs started last week, the third is scheduled to begin Sept. 29.
Morinville Youth coordinator Brian Croft said Glow Dodgeball will run on the First Monday of the month and be followed with a monthly Teen Movie Night at the cultural centre on the first Tuesday of the month. Teen Art Classes will take place once a month on the last Monday of the month.
Croft says the purpose of the events are to provide something for youth to do during what he refers to as critical hours, the two-hour window between the end of the school day and the time when parents get home from work. “I’m bringing programs to the schools and to the youth themselves through active play, things involved with art or something that they are interested in,” Croft said. “Research has shown that the hours right after school youth tend to be full of energy and not too focused on what they want to do. We want to give them something that is productive to do that’s fun and interesting.”
Croft said that although the initial out-of-the gate offerings provide something three days per month, he and fellow youth coordinator Katie Filipowski are planning to coordinate events to fill three to four days per week. This will include pickup soccer and shinny, as well as other options as time goes on.
Additionally, the Youth Centre located across from the arena on 104 Street will continue to provide local youth with a place to gather after school. Croft said the centre would be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. “We offer homework help, games, a Wii, computers, a pool table in a free form come and go as you please format,” Croft said, adding it is not uncommon to see 15 to 20 youth coming through per day. There are plans to take programs to the schools the rest of the week.
Glow Dodgeball is open to youth between the ages of 11 and 17 and will take place at the cultural centre on the first Monday of the month from 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. Teen Movie Nights will take place at the cultural centre on the first Tuesday of the month from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Teen Art Classes will take place at the cultural centre on the last Monday of the month from 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. Glow Dodgeball and Teen Movie Nights are drop-in events. Teen Art Classes require pre registration.
For more details on any of the youth events, contact Brian Croft at 780-939-7874 or by email at bcroft@morinville.ca.
