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It’s All Fun and Games for Teens at YMCA's New Rec Center
From Xbox to movie night to Great Adventure trips, there's plenty to do for teens at the YMCA
Calling all Wyckoff teenagers!
Looking for something fun to do on Friday night? Do your parents go cray-cray about your inability to rip yourself away from the Xbox or Mac? Maybe you need a new club or hobby to add to that college application? Well, look no further. The Wyckoff YMCA has just opened a brand new recreation center just for you.
“It’s a fun and safe venue where local kids have a place to go with supervision and staff present,” said Teen Director Danielle Block. “So, they don’t just go ”
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The Teen Leaders Club is also just starting up again at the Y. It consists of 16 leaders throughout Bergen County — including Ridgewood and Wyckoff — who show support through community service, meetings, rallies, trips, overnights, and activities to become strong leaders throughout college and high school.
Teens participate in two community service projects a month and work with other clubs.
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“It’s also a way for teenagers to meet other teens outside of the Bergen County area,” said Block. “It’s a diverse population.”
“It’s a way to create unbreakable bonds,” said Carson Craig, a teen leader and senior at . “You can meet all your best friends through the program.”
Block facilitates the teen leader program with her assistant director, Jessica Casciello. There are about 80 high school student and 30 junior leaders involved in the programs. Meetings are twice a week on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
“I would recommend the program to every, single person,” said Aengus Walker, a senior at Indian Hills. “Come to a couple meetings, give it a chance, and you’ll be hooked before you know it.”
The teen group will also be going to Six Flags Great Adventure on Saturday, October 20. Fright Fest is open to 7-12 graders. Teens meet at the Y at 2:00 p.m. and then get on a bus to Six Flags.
“There’s a lot of supervision for the trip,” said Block. “The teens ride rides and then go do some scary Haunted House events for Halloween.”
Other teen activities include Xbox Kinect, game and sports tournaments, U-Pick Movie night, a ski and snowboard trip, and an ice skating event.
“The Wyckoff YMCA is growing,” said Block. “There’s not a lot of rec centers involved with youth groups.”
Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Joseph M. Gerace at Joseph.Gerace@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox every morning, sign up for our daily newsletter.
