Community Action Agency Brings Back To School Fair & Youth Life Skills Program
Community Action Agency Brings Back To School Fair & Youth Life Skills Program
By Echo Menges
The Northeast Missouri Community Action Agency office in Knox County has re-hired Resource Specialist, Barbara Hicks, for a five-week stint to “rekindle” two NMCAA youth programs in Edina this summer, the Back to School Fair and the Youth Life Skills Program.
The Youth Life Skills Program is for KC youth ages 12 to 17 and will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 9 and 10, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day at the Community Action Agency office in Edina. The program will offer two days of “life skill” programs including workshops on healthy eating habits and the benefits of exercise.
“One of the things we intend to do is have a mock trial at the courthouse,” said Hicks. “They’ll get be part of the action.”
Youth who wish to participate must have their parents sign them up in advance at the Community Action Agency office in Edina, 401 North First Street. Hicks will be there taking applications Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until August 8.
“Youth who attend both full days will get a stipend of $30 (in cash) at the end of the second day,” said Hicks.
The Back To School Fair will be held Thursday, August 11, in the basement of the United Methodist Church in Edina. KC students in kindergarten through grade 12 and their parents can participate in the fair in exchange for free school supplies along with information, grab bags and goodies from local organizations who will have booths set up at the fair.
How it works is each student and each accompanying parent is given a “Sign-Off” sheet of paper when they enter the fair. Both the student and parent must visit and have at least 12 booths sign off on their “Sign-Off” sheet. Once they have their sheets filled in they can turn them in for a bag of this year’s school supplies. Different grades get different sets of supplies in accordance with what’s required for them this coming school year. The fair is free for attendees because the KC community donates the supplies or funds to purchase the supplies.
“I’m hoping we’ll have 24 booths at the event,” Said Hicks. “We will have a lot of booths for the adults as well.”
Because there has not been a Resource Specialist working at the NMCAA office in Knox County for several months there has been little time to prepare and acquire donations for this year’s fair. Last year NMCAA handed out supplies to 90 students. This year Hicks expects to exceed that amount by over 30 students and hopes to get enough donations to cover the extra students expected to attend this year. Anyone wishing to donate school supplies or money toward school supplies please contact Barbara Hicks at 397-3428.
