Center receives $5k from ADK Foundation for Teens Off Screens!

The Elizabethtown Social Center (ESC) is excited to announce that we have received a $5000 grant from Adirondack Foundation’s Generous Acts program for their Teens Off Screens program.

ESC started Teens off Screens as part of their year-round Teen Rec program to address the steep increase in the amount of time that teens spend on screens – now at over 8 ½ hours per day according to a recent Common Sense Media study.  Director Arin Burdo notes that “Statistics show a massive spike in youth mental health issues that correspond directly with screen time.  Online video games and social media are increasingly designed to be addictive and kids have a hard time managing their time on screens. We have seen that when kids do everything virtually, they become out of shape mentally and physically”.

As part of Teens off Screens, the monthly program GRIT instills confidence and skills through challenging outdoor activities such as winter hiking, mountain biking, ice climbing and rock climbing.  Teen Rec Program Coordinator, Jon MacDonald, says “G.R.I.T. allows us to meet the teens wherever they are. While rock climbing, it was a huge victory for some kids to just take a step off the ground.  Others challenged themselves by finding the tricky routes.”  

ESC's weekly program Unplugged gets teens involved in hands-on activities such as cooking, the arts, basketball, chess, music and field trips to musical theater performances.

The Adirondack Foundation grant allows ESC to continue and expand this vital programming.  Next up is a lesson in wilderness skills followed by an overnight canoe-camping trip.

Established in 1939, ESC an 84-year history of enriching the lives of community members through concerts, arts, crafts, classes, fitness opportunities, trips, a meeting place for civic groups and a vibrant Teen Rec program.

This work is generously supported by Generous Acts at Adirondack Foundation. The Foundation

connects people, ideas, and resources to improve lives and expand opportunities throughout the Adirondack region.