Town 'N Country

With kids in charge, it's party time

"Teen Extreme" caps a year's worth of effort by youth council members, who planned the party and the $1,750 grant to pay for it.

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Teens on the Town 'N Country Youth Council have come up with an extreme plan for neighborhood youths ages 12 to 17. It's a party, with everything from food and games to entertainment and door prizes.

"It's all teen driven," said Rob Gamester, co-founder of the Town 'N Country Youth Council. "The teens came up with the idea."

"Teen Extreme," planned by and paid for by the Town 'N Country Youth Council, will be held at the Jackson Springs Recreation Center, 8620 Jackson Springs Road, Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.

"The kids can come and hang," Gamester said.

"Teen Extreme" signifies a year's worth of effort by youth council members, not only for the party but also for the $1,750 grant that is paying for the free event.

The grant was awarded by Youth As Resources through the National Conference for Community and Justice.

The NCCJ, founded in 1927, is a nonprofit human relations organization dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry and racism in America. It promotes understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures through advocacy, education and conflict resolution.

"When they came before the board they had to convince through information," said Mike Trepper, director of programing at NCCJ. "It's not just throwing a party."

Though Gamester guided the youngsters through the process, it was their responsibility to figure out what they wanted to do with the money; decide how much they would ask for; write the grant proposal; and present it.

"It's so unique because the (YAR board) is made up of youths and adults that give out money and make policy," Trepper said. "We have a fifth-grader on the board who really grills them on the budget and makes sure everything is in sync."

Trepper said YAR awards grants several times a year to youth groups who are doing positive things for the community, such as the "Teen Extreme" party, as well as mentoring and tutoring programs run by youth.

Or, teens sometimes get involved in long-term projects such as the production of musicals and plays, or doing outreach to the elderly, Trepper said.

"One of our requirements is to provide a positive and safe place for teens in their community," Trepper said. "There are not a lot of places they can go and feel safe."

Consequently, the Town 'N Country event will include supervision by sheriff's deputies because the teens wanted to assure a safe event, said Gamester, who anticipates that about 400 young people will attend.

"There's a cycle of empowerment through the YAR process," Trepper said. "Together, youths and adults can create a better community."

- Jackie Ripley can be reached at 813 269-5308 or ripley@sptimes.com

Awards granted three times a year to young people, ages 6-21.

The next grant deadline is Oct. 1, followed by a Feb. 1 deadline.

Established in 1995, YAR is funded by the Children's Board of Hillsborough County and the Eckerd Family Foundation. For information, call 727 568-9333 or visit the Web site at http://nccjtampabay.org

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