Teens in Libertyville have a group called "CEYLA" that gives a positive outlet to green thumbs and teen bands. Photo by Ben Estep.

An estimated one million teen pregnancies occur every year, and 50 different sexually transmitted diseases circulate among this population. Many teens are overweight, inactive and on-track to experience lifelong health problems including terminal illnesses.

The drinking and driving death rates for 15- to 24-year-olds are higher today than 20 years ago. Close to 11 teens die daily across the country due to gun-related violence. Teen suicide rates have tripled since the 1960s and many public schools report increases of behavioral problems and violent crimes being committed each year. Teens are experimenting with "gateway drugs," such as marijuana, at earlier ages.

Although alarming to read, most of us are aware of these statistics due to constant media coverage and highlights of school shootings, gang violence and teenage crimes. Society is being lead to fear teens and associate the word "teenager" with those of an "awkward age" displaying negative behavior. More adults are beginning to expect that all teens are disruptive and unruly and anticipate things will get worse as time moves forward. Many speak of the "teen problem" but don't know exactly where to start or how to address it.

Some say these statistics are increasing due to a lack of appealing choices for teens to take part in after school and weekends, or that teens are bored and looking for something to do. Peer pressure and a strong desire to "fit in" remain as constant influences on whether or not teens partake in deviant behavior.

The Libertyville Parks and Recreation Department believes in order to help combat both teen negative peer pressure and the negative images of teens portrayed in the media, recreation professionals need to discover how to deliver activities that are important and appealing to teens.

So what are we doing about it?

The Libertyville Parks and Recreation Department has taken on the responsibility of creating and maintaining

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The key to the success of "Committee Empowering Libertyville's Youth" is giving teens leadership of the group. Photo by Josey Pickens.

positive, quality teen programs that offer teens opportunities to make healthy choices. More importantly, Libertyville has taken the focus a step further in making sure to cater to youth ages 12 to 18. In many communities there are strong programs for kids ages from birth to age 12, but once the age of 12 is reached, programming trails off until adulthood.

Often organizations believe in the "If you build it they will come" philosophy. Although that scenario works in many cases, it does not always hold true for teens. To ensure the programming needs are met for all types of teens, the Libertyville Parks and Recreation Department has developed two thriving youth groups modeled after a Lake Forest organization known as the "Committee Representing Our Young Adults" or CROYA.

In Libertyville, the groups are called "Teen Advisory Committee" (TAC) and the Committee Empowering Libertyville's Young Adults (CELYA). Both run year-round and give teens the opportunity to plan and oversee special events such as pool parties, concerts, dances, talent showcases and more. (Last year, these two groups sponsored more than 80 individual activities and events.)

The Teen Advisory Committee involves junior high school kids who are responsible for planning an annual Spring Retreat as well as events such as lock-ins. Arbor Day and Earth Day projects, dances and band jams.

The Committee Empowering Libertyville's Young Adults is a group of high-school-age teens who are responsible for planning an annual fall retreat, running the Coffee House program, organizing the Battle of the Bands, and Friday Night Hang Outs. They also participate in various community service projects and oversee the Supporting Players, a real life day-to-day experience theatre program that tackles issues most prevalent in teenage life.

The TAC and CELYA groups did not form overnight. Many long hours of planning took place over a two-year time period. During the first year, energies were focused on creating the CELYA group for high school teens. Thoughts behind this were that if Libertyville could get older teens excited and involved, then the younger teens would follow and continue on through both groups. TAC was created during the second year while CELYA was still being developed.

Finding Teens To Start a Group
The first step in creating CELYA was to find a group of eight teens interested in developing fun and meaningful activities for teenagers. The teens would serve as an advisory board in partnership with a select group of adults overseeing the development and implementation of various projects. In order to obtain qualified teens to take the responsibility seriously, a formal application process took place.

Interested teens had to fill out an application and be interviewed by an adult advisory board. In order to get the word out and find a group of teens willing to go beyond complaining that there was "nothing fun to do in Libertyville," the application was supplemented attractively in a village-wide newsletter sent to every resident within the Libertyville village limits. The Parks and Recreation Department was very careful in making sure teens did not feel that this was just another parks and recreation program. Staff members wanted this program to stand out and make sure the program carried its own unique identity. Accordingly, it was advertised in a local newsletter and not in the seasonal parks and recreation program brochure.

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Finding Out What Teens Want
Once the teen advisory board was selected, members began the task of surveying friends and peers to find out what kinds of activities teens were looking for in Libertyville. The results were collected and the advisory board began holding monthly meetings to determine what types of events should be offered. According to the survey, an overwhelming amount of teens were interested in participating in musical performances. Therefore, the first task of the group was to create an event catering to the musical talent of Libertyville teens.

That spring, the "Band Jam" event was held at a community center. The event was a success and drew approximately 300 high school students to observe and participate. After that event took place, other large-interest events were held. Soon, there was enough interest and enough ideas for events that meetings were held weekly instead of monthly. The voice of the teens on the advisory board became stronger and eventually phased out the need for adults to sit on the board. The weekly meetings became an open invitation for any teen interested in sharing an idea to participate.

The initial teens serving on the advisory board became the "Executive Members." Each member had executive responsibilities including overseeing the members of the newly elected advisory board teens, running meetings, public relations and opening meetings with ice breakers and closing with games. Adult staff members sit in on the meetings to support them but are not responsible for coordinating and running them.

What Teens Have To Say About the Program
According to Libertyville teen Laura Pino: "CELYA retreats are a good time to make new friends. We have free time between activities so we can bond, however, retreats aren't just about having fun, and we set a theme like stereotypes or relationships, and base our discussions on it."

"Because of the openness of CELYA members, our retreats have been a success."

About popular events such as the Battle of the Bands, Bob Anderson says: "This event is held every fall to kick off the school year and feature local talent. First place winners receive recording time at a nearby studio and second place winners receive gift certificates for a popular music store."

Adds Megan Tuohy: "Band Jams are always so much fun. You meet so many people that are so awesome. The bands are always great. So many different people go to the band jams, everyone is brought together by the music."

Intergenerational Gaps
Many of the activities and events help bridge the intergenerational gaps found between teens and adults in a positive way.

Says teenager Caryl Pagel: "Donut Sports give high school students and Libertyville Police officers an opportunity to build positive relations. Twice a year we team-up to play various sports such as basketball, softball and cosmic bowling."

Other activities include, community service related events such as the Senior Citizen Prom where teens get the opportunity to host a dance for the seniors in the community. They serve the seniors dinner and then get out on the dance floor with them to teach them new dances while learning some of the old favorites.

Teens in Libertyville are finding CELYA and other related programs the outlet they have been searching for. Libertyville's success in providing teen activities is built on the same foundation on which CROYA's success was built: Empower the youth, give them some leadership training and then get out of the way.

STEPHANIE HESS
Is the marketing coordinator for the Libertyville Parks and Recreation Department.

For information about CROYA, call 847.615.4304 and ask for a copy of the publication Empowering Teens by Elaine Doremus Sloyton. It traces the history or the program in Lake Forest, Ill., and serves as a guide to help other communities develop alternative social programs for teens.

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