Union of Youth

The Northfield Union of Youth’s 15 anniversary celebration and open house went off without a hitch and was quite a celebration. Around 100 visitors came to the celebration; many old friends and many first time visitors (and quite a who’s who). About 20 youth from the NUY were on hand to talk about the past, current programming, and the future of the organization. Guests were treated with a wide array of food and drink and a lot of conversation with the youth. Guests were also asked to fill out a survey about the organization and building involving first impressions and potential improvements. All in all a very successful night and a HUGE double high five to the youth for pulling off such a successful event. Way to go Key! Ready for 15 more? Check out photos here. My flash was not working for the first hour, so apologies on the blur. The shot below was taken right after clean up. A big thanks to Griff and Locally Grown for helping us get the word out. Check out some of the comments here.

On Thursday, February 5th, The Key, in conjunction with The Northfield Middle School Youth Center and Northfield High School, River Bend Nature Center, Rice County Waste Management, and made possible by a grant from State Farm Insurance Youth Serve America, present “It’s Not Easy Being Green.”

The event, being held at the Northfield High School Auditorium, is open to the Northfield community.  It’s a great opportunity for everyone to come and learn about how to reduce the amount of waste they create, as well as learning what materials are recyclable and where your recycling goes once it leaves your curb.

The program starts at 7 p.m, and it’s FREE.  There will be refreshments as well.  So please– won’t you join us?

download the flier designed for the event here: being-green

The Northfield Union of Youth recently did something they had never done before. They let a 14 year old freshman teach a cooking class. How could a 14 year old have the cooking experience to teach a cooking class? Well young chef extraordinaire Danny Dobrow currently is employed at Fermentations in Dundas and is in the process of setting up his own entrepreneurial French bakery (fingers crossed) through the new Key/HCI microgrant program. He also makes a darn good homemade pasta (as in homemade noodles and sauce). About 15 kids showed up to the cooking class on January 22nd at Emmaus Church (a big thanks to them) and learned how to make his delicious homemade pasta. The class was a giant success and plans are in the works to get Danny back.

The Northfield Union of Youth will be hosting a 15th year anniversary open house at The Key Thursday, January 29th from 5:00-8:00pm. Everyone in the community is invited to come and down and check out the space, listen to some music, learn about the organization, eat some snacks, and help us think about our future. 2009 is a year in which we have many goals and ambitions on the horizon, including moving to another location. We would love to have your opinion on the current space and what a potential new Key should look like. As always, check us out online at www.unionofyouth.org and please RSVP northfieldunionofyouth@gmail.com (you can still attend if you don’t RSVP). The Key is located at 303 S. Water St.

Members of the Primetime Collaborative, including Northfield’s Promise Fellows and youth at the Middle School attended a field trip to the Rice County Recycling Center to learn about recycling in the community. The recycling process and the do’s and dont’s of recycling were covered in the comprehensive field trip at the Recycling Center. Did you know that anyone in the community can make the trip to the center along highway 3 and grab free paint for their own personal use? Did you know that you can recycle old tires, paint, and an assortment of cleaning supplies? This trip was one in a series of event for the Promise Fellow’s National Global Day of Service events. There is an important Recycling Summit that will be held February 5th at the High School Auditorium at 7:00pm in which everyone in the community is invited.

The Northfield Union of Youth had a handful of volunteers help out at the “Swim and Gym” at the Northfield Middle School. Elementary and Middle School students ate pizza and pop and swam in the school’s pool while members of The Key helped youth make friendship bracelets, cards for Meals on Wheels, and taught participants about Martin Luther King. It was tough competing with the pool, but a number of youth sat down and participated in the activities.

bumpersticker_copy-2

The Key has been without their classic bumpersticker design and new generation of kids have been salivating for them. So, without further adieu, we have the stickers at the Key (as in lots) and are free to anyone who makes a venture down there and asks politely.

It’s harsh, but accurate. Here is the new Seatbelt Challenge poster that the Key has been putting up lately.

The Northfield Union of Youth took President Elect Barack Obama’s words to heart by volunteering on Martin Luther King Day. Eight from the Key went to the Rice County Humane Society in Faribault and cleaned out the dog kennels, walked the dogs, and played with the cats. None came back with an animal (our moms would kill us) but I’m thinking of adopting a poor kitten that must have lost a fight with a raccoon. The Humane Society is always looking for volunteers and you can contact them by clicking the preceding link.
Update: I did get the kitten and she is at my new apartment as I write this. Her name at present is Harpo but I don’t know if we’re sticking with it. If anyone has any suggestions please suggest away. She’s black, small, and has half of one ear chewed off and was born with one arm that doesn’t work and will need to be amputated.

We hope you have one too, comrade. No, we’re not communists or Marxists. We’re just a group of kids with a sense of humor. A certain college bound student thought he would come in and make the mural during one of his breaks. Why a staffer let him is beyond me.