August 19—YWCA St. Joseph held its first back-to-school carnival aimed at students ages 12 to 19 Thursday night at the GRIT Center.
YWCA Director of Family Resources Rachel Kretzer said the organization believed it would be a good idea to host an event for older children before they start the school year.
“A lot of the back-to-school carnivals we have in town are geared toward younger kids, so we wanted to have something fun for young teenagers,” she said. “It is important that they prepare for the school year as well.
In addition to food and games, there were also local agencies and organizations that came out to talk about their services that can help students. Students had the opportunity to receive hygiene kits and other necessary equipment.
“We had the University of Missouri Extension come out and talk about healthy eating, the Albrecht-Kemper Art Museum and we’re even getting students to put in a library card before the school year,” Kretzer said. “For some of them, maybe they need a mentor as well, so we had Big Brothers Big Sisters come out as well.”
Kretzer said the event was helpful in getting students started on a successful school year, but the YWCA wants students to come to their center for help throughout the year.
“All the students here today will be able to talk to our families about any additional needs they have — not just one,” she said. “After this event, we will sit down as a team and try to find ways to help make sure those needs are met.”
The family information organization will be open from 15:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday.
