What is the WYO? (in a nutshell)
First and foremost the YO is a comfy basement space where
junior high and high school teens can unwind, relax, and be themselves.
We know first hand that
every teen needs a space away from home to let off steam, and most of
our regulars stop by after school and on the weekends to do just that.
They watch
movies, play pool, ping-pong or foosball, and hang out with our awesome
staff.
The YO is a place for everyone and we welcome teens of all ages to hang
out, or join one of our weekly programs!
In
addition to being a place to
hangout anytime, the YO is also a place where teens can find fun things
to do, meet new
people, and express themselves. The YO
has regular monthly activites, including concerts, Sunday Jam Sessions,
weekend pool tournaments, as well as movie nights, pizza parties and
excursions into the community. We plan trips to Chicago to see museums
or festivals, volunteer to do community service in soup kitchens, and
take part in Winnetka events at large. Programs from the past include
yoga night, movie marathons, current event debates, writing workshops,
poetry slams, comedy clubs, film festivals, outings to summer
festivals, lock-ins, BBQs, Teen Beach Day, and much more!
By far our most popular monthly events are those that are music or art related. Chief among these are our monthly concerts, which feature local teen bands and provide not only an outlet for young musicians, but also an alternative to parties and other late night activities. In addition to the monthly concerts, we also host two outdoor festival events each year around Winnetka that focus on bringing diversity to the youth in the community. They often feature dance performances, local organization booths and games, ethnic food, and speakers on the topic of the month. One takes place during each semester and most recently they have been held at Hubbard Woods Park in Winnetka off Greenbay Rd.
Educational Programs
Any day at the YO youth can also find lots to talk about. We regularly posts topics up around the center on our "News You Can Use" wall, and update our Cultural Awareness board that displays information about foreign holidays, upcoming events around Chicago, and newspaper clippings. These boards, whether they feature silly articles from the Onion or pieces on current events, provoke discussion and help inform teens and engage them in an interesting way.
Volunteer OutingsAt least once a month the YO takes teens to volunteer in Evanston and around the city. These projects not only give back to the surrounding communities, but they allow teens to get out of the area, experience diversity, and feel good about giving back. Past projects have included cleaning up beaches, helping out at festivals and charity fund raisers, answering phones for Channel 11, making and serving dinner at soup kitchens, organizing food and clothing drives, and tutoring children.
The YO also takes a Service Trip each summer to cities around the United States to camp and volunteer for a week. Teens get a chance to bond with each other and staff, have some fun, and get down and dirty. In 2010 we visited Earth Keeper Farm, an organic farm, and learned how to grow and harvest veggies and fruit, care for animals, camp, cook and even juggle! For more information about our Service Trip, contact our Executive Director. We're always looking for new energetic teens to join us on one of our trips!
For photos of some of our volunteer outings, visit our volunteering page.
Youth BoardThe Youth Board is a great, easy way for teens to get more involved at the YO. The board meets monthly to talk about new ideas for events, ways to fund raise for outings they want to take, and how to get the word out to incoming freshman and 8th graders. Youth Board is especially important because it allows the teens that have used the center throughout their high school experience to to take a leadership role, boost their resume for college, and give back by ushering in the next group of YO-sters. Positions on the youth board include YB President, Publicity Coordinator, Volunteering Coordinator and Fundraising Coordinator. Stop by anytime to ask about Youth Board.
Oh, did we mention there's free pizza at every meeting? Mmm....
The best way to find out about us is to drop by. Stop in anytime. We'll be here.