The Mokena Youth Commission sought this week to clarify the mission of the organization, and members insisted at the session that the group’s role was to provide young people with a positive, supportive atmosphere, not a round of activities.
A recent complaint about a lack of activities for teenagers indicates a misunderstanding of the Youth Commission’s role, said Rev. Bob Campbell, the commission chairman.
“People had confusion,” he said. “They thought we were going to do activities and programs.”
Education to acquaint people with the commission’s asset building approach will be one of the primary goals, he said.
Asset building is based on “the power of each individual” to have a positive effect on a child and focuses on beneficial aspects of development, such as support from family and community, and a regard for young people as valued members of the community, said Chuck Wanner, a Frankfort Township youth worker and member of the commission.