I talked with Kathy and Chad here is a wish list that we need to work on.
It's important to keep the interest of the kids that use the Teen Center, it's also important to get new faces in the door. Students come to Chad with ideas sometimes that beg for additional staff people. For example, a group of girls wants to start a cheerleading squad (since the program was cut in Forest Lake).
In addition to tumbling mats (which they don't have) that will help keep them safe, it would be great to bring in an additional supervisor/coach with some experience in cheerleading to make sure they're safe and offer some guidance and help. It would be awesome to have the capacity to do the same for other students who come with great ideas.
Here's a wish list. If you can donate any of the following items email Chad CRuter@forestlake.k12.mn.us and he will arrange to pick the item(s) up or tell you where to bring them.
Computers - capabilities to have kids do some photoshop/illustrator creative work or video editiing to market their "clubs" and ideas.
Video camera/digital camera to be used for the same purpose.
Arts and craft supplies
A good set of walkie talkies (at least 3) that can be charged each night and used to aid in communication of staff members in our different locations.
Tumbling mats - a group of girls are starting to work on their own cheerleading routines!
Nintendo Wii + games - more interactive game playing like the Wii can offer are extremely popular these days - guitar hero and DDR have replaced almost all other forms of game playing at Teen Center.
xbox 360 + games - replace some of our older gaming systems with newer and more relevant choices (good way to attract some kids and just get them in the door).
Balls of all sorts for the gym (footballs, basketballs, volleyballs)
Tool kit/tools - for youth to be actively involved in maintaining and fixing equipment.
Trips (maybe cover transportation costs so youth can afford trips) - bowling, valleyfair at end of year, trips to plays, movies, etc.
