A Summerland youth group is looking to renew their ties to the community with a forum being held at Centre Stage Theatre next week.
The Summerland Asset Development Initiative rose out of a similar forum held in 1998, when Keith Pattinson, a former executive director of the Boys and Girls Club, gave a talk on the 40 development assets needed by youth, both internal and external ones provided by the community.
“Here we are 13 years later and it’s really time to bring the community back into the whole initiative,” said Connie Denesiuk, one of the founding members of SADI who recently rejoined the board. “We’ve got great programs and there is great community support, but the general population isn’t aware of their role in developing assets in our youth.
It can be as simple, she said, as knowing the names of the kids on your street or teaching someone something you enjoy doing.
“Really, it’s about bridging and building connections between youth and the community,” said Denesiuk. “We are looking for a broad spectrum of the community to come together and not only hear from our keynote speaker but begin to look at the asset building programs and initiatives that are going on within the community.”
Keith Pattinson will once again be the keynote speaker at the evening forum, which takes place on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Centre Stage Theatre.