Arkbuilders will partner with Glenwood Community Recreation Center on the west side of Columbus to implement a youth-led project, Glenwood Recreation Center. Since 1910, Columbus Recreation and Parks Department have provided time and space for leisure time skill development. The city built Glenwood Community Recreation Center to serve the westside of Columbus, Ohio. Glenwood facility is on 40 acres, including a tennis court and a swimming pool. In 2019, The Columbus Recreation and Parks Foundation (CRP Foundation) was established to further the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department (CRPD) mission. The organization’s purpose is to support the philanthropic initiatives of CRPD. The CRP Foundation works hand-in-hand with the department, community stakeholders, and the City of Columbus to ensure all residents have access to recreational programs, facilities, places, and spaces that make their lives and communities were great. In addition, the Glenwood Recreation Center staff operate year-round community-based programs to promote the CRPD mission of connecting the community with nature, creativity, and wellness.
The 2022 Glenwood Recreation Center Youth will focus on continuing mental health promotion using social media. The four areas that the youth-led programming will focus on for 2022-2023 are youth-designed social media posts, community engagement, and service-learning to be determined. Social-emotional learning with an emphasis on cultural awareness. The youth will learn the Youth Conceptual Framework to engage in community change.
Identify the number of middle- or high-school students by grade who will be involved in the project’s planning. List any skills they have that will benefit the group cohesion.
The Arkbuilders and Glenwood Recreation Center incorporates high school youth 14-18 years of age. The youth attend over eight area High Schools: Briggs High School and West High and community schools. The teens live on the west side of Columbus and experience gun violence, substance use, poverty, and challenging schools, yet they choose to come to the center and find creative ways to help themselves and others. Some of the youth participate in the summer program. Others will come from sports teams.
Glenwood Teen Leadership Youth-led project helps develop leadership skills, strategic thinking and setting and accomplishing goals and objectives, project development, and working together in a team setting. In addition, Glenwood’s youth and young adults will collectively engage in the strategic planning process to implement prevention strategies to support mental health and wellness.
