West Medford Youth Club Expands Activities, Seeks New Members

| February 21, 2014 | Around Medford | No Comments

The West Medford Youth Club is expanding its activities and enrolling new members.

Operated by Medford-in-the-Middle (MinM), a local non-profit organization, and the West Medford Community Center (WMCC), a longstanding community resource, the Club recently expanded staff for its afternoon youth programs through a partnership with Tufts Literacy Corps (TLC). Every school day afternoon, 2-3 student Leaders and other volunteer Leaders are on hand to assist youth with homework, supervise computer use, and facilitate games, discussions and other activities according to youth interests and needs. Special programs underway in February and March include Karate (Tang Soo Do) on Wednesday afternoons and Math Games on Friday afternoons. Additional TLC-led programs are scheduled to start after the February vacation; themes include music discovery, oil painting, creative communication and public speaking, and intercultural awareness.

As a result of the additional support from Tufts, the Club can accommodate a greater number of youth in its weekday afternoon programs, and is enrolling new members starting immediately. The Club primarily serves Medford students aged 10-14 or grades 5-8, but welcomes interested Medford high-schoolers as well as younger children who are ready to handle the relative freedom of a “drop-in” program. 

The Club operates out of the WMCC at 111 Arlington St, West Medford, and is open weekday afternoons from 2:45-6pm when the Medford Public Schools (MPS) are in session. It is served by MPS middle-school bus #5 and Brooks School bus #7.  Organized as a volunteer-supported community cooperative staffed by CORIed parents, seniors and university students, it offers Medford students a safe, healthy, learning environment for a variety of activities intended to inspire them to study, stay active, socialize, and develop and share skills, expertise and ideas. Club news is currently disseminated through medfordinthemiddle.blogspot.com.

Interested families are invited to visit the Club on a weekday afternoon and/or contact MedfordintheMiddle@gmail.com for more information.

MEDFORD-IN-THE-MIDDLE (MinM) is an independent non-profit organization, founded by local parents Maria Scott and Deborah Soule, which aims to support Medford ‘middle-schoolers’ and their families by providing resources and opportunities appropriate to and enriching the middle-school experience.

The WEST MEDFORD COMMUNITY CENTER (WMCC) operates under the guidance of current WMCC President Brian Collins and a Board of Directors. It offers a forum to connect the diverse people of West Medford and the Mystic River Valley through social, educational, cultural, health and recreational activities.

The TUFTS LITERACY CORPS (TLC) is a tutoring and academic support program that places, trains and supervises Tufts students who provide one-on-one tutoring, staff local homework centers, and lead community based enrichment activities.

– Submitted by Deborah Soule, Co-founder and Director, Medford in the Middle, Inc.