The Community Leadership Crew made the six-hour car trip to the Court Youth Center in Las Cruces for the New Mexico Americorps kickoff. Some of us had never been south of Albuquerque and marveled at the unique desert landscape and all of us certainly enjoyed the warmer temperatures.
Upon arrival we dove into an array of workshops like First Aid and CPR, True Colors- personality assessments, energy harnessing, drumming, Positive Youth Development, working with youth, and conflict resolution. That night students from the charter high school, Court Youth Center, served a delicious meal prepared by the culinary art students, while the flamenco dance team swirled around on stage.
The next morning we participated in a World Café and had the opportunity to talk with fellow AmeriCorps members about their reasons for joining their projects and future plans. We also learned what other AmeriCorps programs in the state are doing this year. After lunch our crew created a six-word vision statement “Developing Communities, Improving Landscapes, Reaching Youth” and an accompanying presentation to share with the kickoff participants. We all went on stage to present our statement and artistic interpretation.
On Make A Difference Day we helped paint a house across the street from the Court Youth Center, participated in recycled art, including making a mosaic garden table for the garden at the school and making earrings and magnets out of bottle caps. We enjoyed the chance to let our creativity flow and socialize with other AmeriCorps members around the state.
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