Twenty adults in the Leadership Gilroy class hope teens will
become a bit more involved with local community service and health
groups thanks to a fair they’re putting on called Go Gilroy!
Twenty adults in the Leadership Gilroy class hope teens will become a bit more involved with local community service and health groups thanks to a fair they’re putting on called Go Gilroy!
“It’s a volunteer fair, but we have to have a little fun to get the youth there,” event co-chair Alecia Troy said.
Plans for the event include a DJ and a hip-hop dance class, she said.
Students in Leadership Gilroy – a year-long class for adults that introduces students to the key players and institutions in the city – are working with local youth groups and high school clubs to get the word out about their project.
The class hopes to see a couple hundred kids at the event, said Leadership Gilroy student Lillian Castillo. In class, students learn about Gilroy’s history, economics and politics. At the end of the year, each class is asked to come up with a project that benefits the community.
The time commitment for the class hasn’t been small. The students have been taking an eight hour class once a month, totaling at least 100 hours, and they expect to spend an additional 10 to 20 hours on their own working on the class project, Troy said.
Last year, students ran a health fair at Gavilan college. This year the focus is youth.
“As a class we decided we wanted to concentrate on teens,” Troy said.
Local service groups like Silicon Valley Independent Living Center, Breathe California, Proyecto Movimiento and Si Se Puede will be talking with teens about the ways they interact with the community.
“We are focusing on groups that are really interested in youth,” Castillo said.
The teens will recieve stamps at each volunteer table and put them into a “passport.” Filled passports will be put in the drawing for a grand prize.
“Its not just limited to volunteerism, but to how these youth can get involved,” Castillo said. Being involved includes living a healthy, active lifestyle and participating in the community, she said.
