NEWS 5’S KAREN JOHNSON HAS MORE NOW FROM LIBERTY TOWNSHIP. AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS DON’T LOOK LIKE THEY USED TO BUT HERE AT ETH EDGE TEEN CENR.TE IT’S MORE THAN JUST FUN AND GAMES AERFT COVID. THEY’VE BOUNCED BACK WITH A NEW EMPHASIS ON MENTAL HEALTH WHEN LAKOTA EAST TSLE OUT FOR THE DAY TRIANA DUNGEY HDSEA ACROSS THE STREET. HEY SIGN IN TO THE EDGE TNEE CENTER A FUN SAFE SPACE FOR TEENS. HEY GUYS, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE WHENOU Y WALK IN THAT DOOR YOUR FAMILY HERE THE CONFIDENCE YOU SEE IN TRIANA NOW AS A SENIOR WASN’T THERE WHEN SHE STARTED ATTENDING EDGE FOUR YEARS AGO? I USED TO BE VERY SHY TO MYSELF THROUGH PROGRAMS OFFERED HERE. SHE FOUND CONNECTIONS AND COMFORT WITHIN HERSELF PROGRAMS AROUND COMMUNITY SERVICE LIFE SKILLS HEALTHY LIVING AND WERE ABLE TO DO SOME ACADEMIC SUCCESS PROGRAMS HERE TOO TO HELP THEM WITH THE THINGS THEY’RE WORKING ON IN THEIR SCHOOL BUILDINGS. NOW, THERE IS AN EXTRA EMPHASIS ON MENTAL HEALTH EDGE HAS TEAMED UP WITH FOCUS ON YOUTH TO PR OVIDE COUNSELING TO GO TO STUDENTS ONE’S KIND OF ART THERAPY BASED ANDHE T OTHER ONE IS MORE TOPICAL BASED, BUT WE HAVE KIDS WHO PARTICITEPA IN THOSE PROGRAMS AND THEY ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THATOU CNSELOR TO SCHEDULE ONE-ON-ONE APPOINTMENTS. THE COUNSELING IS FREE AND ACCESSIBLE. THERISE NO WAITING LIST FOR KIDS TO BE SEEN IF THEY NEED TO TALK TO SOMEBODY TYHE CAN TALK TO THEM THE NEXT DAY WHEN OUR COUNSELORS HERE. TRIANA SSAY ON TOP OF TYPICAL TEEN PRESSURES COMING OUT OF A PANDEMICND A THE ISOLATION HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE I CAN SEE. EVERYBODY WHO’S LIKE BEEN GOING TO THE GROUP. IT’S BEEN HELPING THEM HER SELF-INCLUDDE AS SHE NOW FEELS EMPOWERED WHEN SHE’S HERE AND I FEEL THAT LIKE, OKAY LIKE I CAN IF I CAN SOCIALIZE IN HERE AND STEP OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE. I CAN DEFINITELY DO IT OUTSIDE OF EDGE. SO IF YOU’D LIKE TO KWNO MORE ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON AT EDGE OR HOW YOU CAN HELP TH’REY’ HOLDING A FUNDRAISER AT GRAINWORKS AT THE END OF THE MONTH. ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS ON OUR WEBSITE WLWT.COM IN LIBERT
After-school center empowers Lakota teens, offers free mental health counseling
When Lakota East High School lets out for the day, Treanna Dungey heads across the street to the Edge Teen Center. It’s a fun, safe space for teenagers.”No matter who you are when you walk in that door, you’re family here,” said Lauren Wolfe, after-school coordinator. The confidence seen in Treanna now, as a senior, wasn’t there when she started attending Edge four years ago.”I used to be very shy, to myself,” Treanna said. Through the programs offered, she found connections and comfort within herself.”Programs around community service, life skills, healthy living and we’re able to do academic success programs here too to help them with things they’re working on in their school buildings,” said Sara Gabbard, executive director of the Edge Teen Center. Now, there is an extra emphasis on mental health. Edge has teamed up with Focus on Youth to provide counseling to Lakota Students.”One is kind of art therapy based, and the other is more topical based, but we have kids that participate in those programs, and they also have access to that counselor to schedule one on one appointments,” Gabbard said. The counseling is free and accessible. There is no waiting list for kids to be seen.”If they need to talk to somebody, they can the next day when our counselor is here,” Gabbard said. Treanna said, on top of typical teenage pressures, coming out of a pandemic and isolation has been a struggle. “I can see everybody that’s been going to the group, It’s been helping them,” Treanna said. That includes herself as she said now feels empowered when she leaves. “I feel, OK, like if I can socialize here and step out of my comfort zone, I can definitely do it outside of Edge,” Treanna said. There are two Edge Teen Centers. One serves Lakota East students. The other serves Lakota West students. Altogether, Gabbard said she expects to serve about 700 students this year.The Edge Teen Center is hosting a fundraiser for the program at Grainworks on Feb. 26. More information can be found here: edgeteencenter.com.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio —
When Lakota East High School lets out for the day, Treanna Dungey heads across the street to the Edge Teen Center. It’s a fun, safe space for teenagers.
“No matter who you are when you walk in that door, you’re family here,” said Lauren Wolfe, after-school coordinator.
The confidence seen in Treanna now, as a senior, wasn’t there when she started attending Edge four years ago.
“I used to be very shy, to myself,” Treanna said.
Through the programs offered, she found connections and comfort within herself.
“Programs around community service, life skills, healthy living and we’re able to do academic success programs here too to help them with things they’re working on in their school buildings,” said Sara Gabbard, executive director of the Edge Teen Center.
Now, there is an extra emphasis on mental health. Edge has teamed up with Focus on Youth to provide counseling to Lakota Students.
“One is kind of art therapy based, and the other is more topical based, but we have kids that participate in those programs, and they also have access to that counselor to schedule one on one appointments,” Gabbard said.
The counseling is free and accessible. There is no waiting list for kids to be seen.
“If they need to talk to somebody, they can the next day when our counselor is here,” Gabbard said.
Treanna said, on top of typical teenage pressures, coming out of a pandemic and isolation has been a struggle.
“I can see everybody that’s been going to the group, It’s been helping them,” Treanna said.
That includes herself as she said now feels empowered when she leaves.
“I feel, OK, like if I can socialize here and step out of my comfort zone, I can definitely do it outside of Edge,” Treanna said.
There are two Edge Teen Centers. One serves Lakota East students. The other serves Lakota West students. Altogether, Gabbard said she expects to serve about 700 students this year.
The Edge Teen Center is hosting a fundraiser for the program at Grainworks on Feb. 26. More information can be found here: edgeteencenter.com.
