The following is a description of volunteer opportunities at the Newton Teen Center which came to us via the Brandeis Dept. of Community Service listserv.
The Newton Teen Center, a drop-in center for teens aged 13-18, needs several dedicated volunteers to support our programs. Our mission is to provide a safe and enjoyable place for the teenaged population of Newton to spend time with their peers, participate in substance-free activities, and establish a meaningful, welcoming community supervised by caring adults who provide resources, encouragement, and inspiration. Regular activities include fooz ball, billiards, Xbox video games, television/movies, computers, fitness room, music room, and cooking, as well as occasional meetings and other events. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
ONGOING POSITIONS (6-month commitment):
Weekly Pottery/Sewing Class Chaperones: Be a role model for teens while providing a safe and fun environment! We are looking for two volunteers to co-lead weekly trips with a group of middle school and high school adolescents to either the Mudflat pottery studio in Somerville or the Hip-Stitch sewing studio in Newtonville. You will serve as a role model by being an active participant on the trips, while connecting and building relationships with the teens. You will also provide a safe and inviting/fun environment for everyone on the trip
Event Chaperones: Do you like to hang out with teens? Come be a chaperone on trips and for special events. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to engage and monitor our teens during special events and field trips. Volunteers serve as role models by being active participants, while connecting and building relationships with the teens and providing a safe, fun, and nurturing experience for everyone.
Spanish Speaking Volunteers: Serve Spanish-speaking teens by acting as a role model, mentor, and translator. The Center needs energetic, creative and dedicated Spanish-speaking volunteers to participate in activities and trips while helping Spanish-speaking youth feel part of the Teen Center community. You will serve our Spanish-speaking teens by acting as a role model, mentor, and translator.
Student Council Co-Advisor: Help our teens learn how to run an effective student council. Would you like to serve as co-advisor to the Newton Teen Center Student Council? The Newton Teen Center is looking for a volunteer to assist with meetings, field trips and community service projects and to serve as a role model and mentor to our teens by teaching them how to act appropriately in a group, follow an agenda, be a team player and positively represent the program to the public
Substance Abuse Social Worker/Counselor: Help our teens deal with substance abuse issues. We are looking for a qualified volunteer to establish a recovery and/or anti-smoking/drugs group for adolescents who attend our Center. You would serve as a role model and mentor to adolescents by modeling appropriate and healthy behavior. This role requires working with staff to organize occasional activities, trips and events that promote healthy choices and positive behavior as well as teaching a variety of constructive coping mechanisms and exercises to educate teens about the negative side effects of drug usage, particularly smoking and alcohol abuse.
Goal-Setting/Quilting Group Leader: Help teenage girls learn to set goals and achieve them – and make a quilt. The Newton Teen Center is looking for a volunteer to lead a weekly group for teenage girls to engage them in a process of setting and achieving goals and of making a quilt that acknowledges their success. The leader will assist group members in setting achievable, realistic goals for which they will create quilting squares when achieved. You will also provide a safe and inviting/fun environment for everyone in the group.
The Newton Teen Center is located at 1254 Chestnut St., Newton Upper Falls.
If interested, fill out a Volunteer application and send it to cgunn@ncscweb.org.
For more information about the Center, www.newtonteens.org.