With summer coming to a close, many teens may feel intimidated by the prospect of a new school year just around the corner. While school often means spending time listening to lectures and working through homework assignments, there are many ways to continue incorporating summer hobbies and interests. While the academic year may lack the wholly unstructured days and abundance of free time that youth look forward to during the summer months, there are a multitude of opportunities to build in moments each day that are spent pursuing new activities or continuing to dive into projects that spark inspiration and excitement.
While exploring options for after-school clubs and programs, it can be overwhelming for teens to navigate through those that represent opportunities within their comfort zone, outside of their comfort zone, and those that check the boxes of friends and family members. As peers begin looking at college-preparatory programs and pre-professional clubs, it can feel as if external pressure accompanies each new opportunity. As teens attempt to build the perfect list of extracurriculars that allows them to pursue their passions, learn new skills, and prepare themselves for their future goals, it is easy to become overwhelmed with an onslaught of commitments. Suddenly, preserving a shiny piece of summer break within the school year feels like more stress than it is worth.
Many schools offer programs for their students that incorporate leadership aspects, creative opportunities, and explorations of the outdoors. For some, these clubs meet their needs and desires, while for others, the variety of these groups are limited and lack the possibilities of meeting new youth outside of their school’s walls. Part of the thrill of summer break is getting to enjoy summer camps that bring together teens from all different backgrounds and perspectives. School sponsored activities sometimes lack the excitement that comes with getting to meet new people with similar passions, especially for youth who attend schools with a small student population.
As a recent high school graduate, I resonate with the many dilemmas of finding the best way to spend my time after-school. Now, after four years of facing extracurricular struggles, I can say that I found a solution and a second home within The Launch Pad Teen Center. The programs offered at The Launch Pad are unique in that they not only bring a diverse group of teens together to bond over exciting projects and adventures, but they also incorporate important life skills and healthy habits. These after-school opportunities balance fun, friendship, and education so that teens no longer have to overextend themselves trying to find several different clubs with each incorporating only one of these characteristics. Garden Club, for example, allows teens to spend time outdoors, learn the nuances of tending to growing plants, and take on responsibilities within a project they care about.
Other camps allow teens to explore their creative aspirations through art, music, and writing. Teens in these programs are encouraged to create and share their ideas and projects throughout the school year, and when summer comes around again, The Launch Pad provides additional opportunities for creatives to sell their artwork and perform their compositions in public concerts. These types of after-school extracurriculars are catalysts for impassioned youths, allowing them to produce original work within a supportive environment. Other opportunities including The Teen Advisory Council and The Moon Cafe allow teens to take on leadership roles within the community and within a professional setting, learning key communication skills that they can carry with them into the classroom and their future endeavors.
In my eyes, the most unique aspect of clubs at The Launch Pad is that there is always the possibility of something new. All of the staff at The Launch Pad are excited to learn about your passions, and they do their very best to create opportunities that satisfy your interests. The Launch Pad is truly a teen centered space that adapts to the ever-changing desires of our community’s youth. If you find yourself overwhelmed with the prospect of balancing school and extracurriculars, consider trying out any of The Launch Pad’s incredible programs, and if none of them catch your eye, there is always someone willing to listen to your ideas and help them come to life. There is beauty in the constant change of teenhood, and there is immense validation in spending time within a space that embraces this beauty. At The Launch Pad Teen Center, there truly is something for everyone, so take the opportunity to make this school year, and all those to come, full of happy memories of your own design.
To learn more about the after-school clubs and weekly programs offered at The Launch Pad Teen Center, contact evelyn@thelaunchpadteencenter.org or check out this web page!