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Teen Outreach empowering, inspiring area’s youth

3 min read
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Courtesy of Common Ground Teen Centerof

The Common Ground Teen Center, a part of the Washington Health System Academy for Adolescent Health/Teen Outreach, is a gathering place for youths to participate in a variety of activities and events five days a week. Teens recently decorated Christmas cookies and played games.

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Courtesy of Common Ground Teen Center

Teens recently decorated sugar cookies and celebrated the holidays at Common Ground Teen Center in Washington.

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Courtesy of Common Ground Teen Center

At a recent holiday get-together, teens decorated the Christmas tree at Common Ground Teen Center, a part of WHS Academy for Adolescent Health/Teen Outreach.

On a recent Thursday evening, the teenagers who gathered at the Common Ground Teen Center on North Main Street in Washington cooked a pot of chicken noodle soup.

Which is fitting.

Since it was launched by Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski in the 1970s, the Washington Health System Academy for Adolescent Health/Teen Outreach – which includes Common Ground – has, in many ways, provided chicken soup for the teenage soul.

“The primary thing is, I believe is each person is a person of worth,” said Podgurski. “Working with kids is what makes my heart happy. People underestimate these young people. If you give them expectations and responsibility, they rise to the occasion.”

Adolescence has never been an easy time. But, the issues teens are confronted with today – the COVID-19 pandemic, gun violence, climate change – are especially challenging.

Teen Outreach’s programs are designed inspire and empower children, and Common Ground, run by local teens with the support of Washington & Jefferson College students and young adult former peer educators, hosts events including movie night, game night, and cooking night five days a week.

“Everything we do is for young people. We provide a connection for kids,” said Podgurski, pointing out that for the first six months of the pandemic and amid school and business closures, Teen Outreach held virtual events twice a day. “We never went a day when those kids weren’t connected.”

Podgurski said “phenomenal community support” has helped Teen Outreach continue and grow its programs over the years.

Among Teen Outreach’s many programs are Pregnant and Parenting Teen program (the graduation rate of teen parents in the program is between 84 to 100%, compared to the national graduation rate of about 30%); ECHO (Educate Children for Healthy Outcomes), a one-on-one mentoring program for at-risk students; peer educator program, which has, to date, trained 15,000 youths to teach with Podgurski and her staff; and the Adolescent Advisory Board, which hosts an annual youth conference (past topics have included mental health, civic discourse, and drug and alcohol abuse).

Podgurski said Teen Outreach is in need of adult volunteers, monetary donations, and contributions such as food and snacks for Common Ground (one donor regularly drops off frozen pizzas, macaroni and cheese, cereal, and staples for the kids to use when they cook).

“Common Ground, it’s like a house, and kids eat a lot,” Podgurski pointed out, laughing. “Every donation and contribution is important. When adults do something for kids, it’s a validation. It’s affirmation from the community. And it doesn’t have to be money or gifts. It can be words, it can be how you model. They see encouraging Facebook posts and comments on the things they’re doing, like the see-saw marathon we had, or the gingerbread competition they won, and they pay attention. Validating their worth is so important.”

For additional information on the Academy for Adolescent Health and to see how you can volunteer or help, please visit the website at www.healthyteens.com.

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