The Council for Youth Development and other community partners are coming together to help Bartholomew County youth find and celebrate their unique interests.
CYD’s 2022 Spark Spirit Week will take place from Sept. 12-16, with some events also taking place on Sept. 9-11. The week’s events include a Foundation For Youth Teen Spark Night, family game nights from Turning Point Domestic Violence Services and the Bartholomew County Public Library, a free skate and hockey game from Columbus Parks and Recreation, and the main event, “ENLIGHTEN UP!”, which will be held at The Commons.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. and the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. will also celebrate the week by implementing spark discovery activities during the school day.
“A spark is what people are really passionate about doing, an activity that unleashes their energy and joy, one that may allow them to express themselves and make their own unique contributions to the world,” CYD officials said. “Research from the Search Institute shows that when young people know their sparks and have supportive adults promoting them, they are more likely to feel they have a sense of purpose. Additionally, students who cultivate their sparks tend to do better in school, be more social, and be healthier physically.”
Spark Spirit Week is aimed at cultivating good mental health and family well-being through activities that help local youth identify and strengthen their sparks.
The main event, “ENLIGHTEN UP!”, will be held at The Commons on Sept. 14 and is for ages 10 and up. It is a free event presented by CYD, the Indiana Department of Health, the Bartholomew County Youth Services Center, Project AWARE and the Bartholomew County Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
“ENLIGHTEN UP!” will feature games, wellness resources, refreshments, a DJ, student and parenting adult panel discussions, and family-friendly hypnotist Terry Stokes Jr.
According to Stokes, his show will “smash limiting beliefs and boost self-confidence, offer a way out of negative thinking, and instill a passionate vision for the future.”
Participation in the show is completely optional and on a volunteer basis.
