By Emma Logeson
Many would agree that there are few downsides to community engagement. It’s especially important that youths get involved early to gain real world experience and to help them find their path. Teenagers have the chance to make a positive impact on their community at the Hunt Recreation Center through the Teen Recreation Advisory Council (TRAC). If your teen is intrigued by civic affairs and would enjoy volunteering, event organizing, and being a good steward in the community, TRAC might be the perfect group for them!
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Allison Behrens, a program assistant for TRAC in Holly Springs. Allison oversees all programming efforts with Holly Springs Parks and Recreation and helps connect teens aged 13-17 with these programs for demonstrations, classes, and eventually opportunities to get involved themselves!
TRAC meets every second Tuesday of each month. Allison says, “You’ve probably seen TRAC in action under some of those meetings,” doing clean-ups at local parks and holding local events. So far, TRAC teens have run kid-zone programs for the July 5 event in town, set up a teen social at Sugg Farm, and volunteered at the Light Up the Springs event. That’s not all, though; the TRAC program often volunteers to make holiday cards and aid holiday events. Allison mentions, “They were also a major help in the Valentines program the weekend before Valentine’s Day, serving hot chocolate and livening up the dance floor.” If you’ve been to the haunted trail, it’s possible you were spooked by a TRAC teen in costume volunteering as a ghoul!
Teens in the TRAC program are offered exclusive peeks into the parks and recreation programming in Holly Springs. After learning about specific areas of programming through visits and demonstrations, teens are given the opportunity to work together to create their own program within the existing ones. These teen-led programs aim to give back to the community in a way which also develops leadership skills in the members. Allison states, “This is a safe place for them to share ideas about programming and for them to turn those ideas into reality.”
In April, TRAC teamed up with the Holly Springs Food Cupboard. Teens in the program visited the garden to help with the harvest and get a behind-the-scenes look at the work being done at the Food Cupboard. The teens will be turning their experience into a new program centered around the knowledge they gained during this meeting. With the new program, TRAC members will apply their newfound skills to help the Cupboard in a way entirely designed and workshopped by them. Budgeting, staffing, marketing, use of space, and other aspects are decided by the teens building these programs, giving them plenty of real-world experience with organizing events.
In addition to TRAC members once again hosting this year’s July 5 festival Kids Zone by running the games and prizes, Teen Takeover at the Hunt Center is being hosted by TRAC on August 23. There will be food, drinks, music, trivia, and crafts at this social, entirely run by teens. This will be a great opportunity for interested teens outside of the group to visit and even join TRAC.
TRAC teens also take interest in local government operations. The team reaches out to development services, public works, and safety operations such as police and fire departments, to get exclusive access and knowledge as to how these systems work. Alise Caldwell from Holly Springs High School says, “I decided to join TRAC because I have an interest in a career in government/politics. TRAC has allowed me to greatly strengthen my knowledge on how local governments operate and continues to enable me to contribute to my community. TRAC truly does make a difference!”
If not from me, take it from other members of TRAC, who explain how the program has helped them branch out from the classroom. Katherine Sieman from Enloe High School states, “TRAC is such a fun and opportunity-filled group! I joined because I wanted to become more involved with my community, and many volunteer groups have opened up for me to join, [not to mention] making new friends.” Gwendolynn Morehouse from Fuquay Varina High School says, “TRAC is a great way to be able to witness how Holly Springs is growing from a teen perspective. I’ve been able to get involved with Holly Springs though volunteering and experiencing what steps [I] and others can take to have an impact in the community. With TRAC, my suggestions are seriously considered and put into action; I can see a real difference.”
You may have noticed that each of these members attends different high schools in the area. That’s not by mistake; TRAC is open to all teens of any background and is actively looking for new members who wish to make a difference in their community. Annual memberships are ten dollars for Holly Springs residents. If you or someone you know would like to get involved, visit the TRAC page on the Town of Holly Springs website (hollyspringsnc.gov). From there, you can join their Remind group and sign up for events.
Adults are also encouraged to get involved with TRAC! If you or someone you know has internship opportunities or valuable life skills such as cooking, financial services, or even self-care such as yoga, you can reach out to the TRAC team through their webpage and inquire about volunteering to do a demonstration for one of their meetings.
Enrollment for TRAC is open all year to teens aged 13-17. Currently, they’re looking for volunteers and members who will help spread the word about their programming. If you’re a teen looking to become more community-conscious, make new friends, or to just make a difference, TRAC is the place for you!
