ILYM has a year-round High School Friend Program where they come together for an event about every three months. These events are a great time for the teens to thrive in the Quaker community and to meet other young Friends. At each event the teens run their own meeting for business where they start planning the next event’s workshops, service projects, and out trips.
Teens try to select workshops that use the talents of those in the ILYM community and also are topics of interest to them. Past workshops included Quaker LGBTQ+ history, making walking sticks, lectures on bees and other pollinators, and Quakerism and civil rights.
For service projects, teens focus on the needs of their own home community as well as the large ILYM community. Past service projects have included donating money to help with Quakerism-related trips, collecting supplies for newly adopted foster children, and children who are victims of abuse. The ILYM community is often involved with the larger donation projects, bringing people together to help serve others.
And of course we have out trips, anything from high rope courses to museums, wall climbing to zoo trips. At all events, teens create their own rules with guidance from the Youth Coordinator and Youth Oversight committee members. These Friendly Adults also provide supervision to the teens. The Adult Young Friends (AYF) often join in on these out trips not only to share in the fun but help create that connection to post-HSF community.
Events:
Work Weekend Quake – Spring Tremor (May 12-14, 2023, McNabb, IL)
- We will be Attending the Work weekend at Clear Creek Meeting/ Yearly Meeting House Grounds.
- Graduating 8th graders are allowed to attend the high school quake and go through a clearness committee to see if they are ready to join the high schoolers
- HSF stay in a cabin together
- Participate in Work weekend
- Engage in free time and leisure activities
- Hold a Meeting for Business
ILYM Annual Sessions (June 21-25, 2023, McNabb, IL)
- Teens stay in their own bunkhouse with Youth Coordinator as supervision
- Teens have their own workshops during the morning sessions but participate in Yearly’s afternoon workshops and activities
- Teens hold a Business Meeting to plan the following year out
- Teens take on the responsibility to join the larger group with volunteering with cleanup, groundskeeping, etc.
- Teens will attend an out trip off Yearly Site grounds with Youth Coordinator & Youth Oversight as supervision (Trip has not been decided yet)
Teens are encouraged to take part in wider Quaker Community events, like FGC. If you or your teen needs help with funding for such events please contact Youth Coordinator for information on how to request help.
Please reach out to the Youth Coordinator, Rose Johnson with any questions about HSF program via the contact form.
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