Lighthouse Youth Development Center

Jeremy Kearns, Summer 2013

The Lighthouse Youth Development Center is a group home that is designed to help youth mature and reach their potential as they move from the teenage years into adulthood. It serves as a refuge for up to 14 boys from the ages to 12 to 17. The residents find themselves at YDC for a variety of reasons. Many of the residents have a history of being abused or neglected. Many of the residents also have a history of run-ins with the law and are court ordered to be at YDC. Despite the reasons why the youth have found themselves at YDC, they are all promising individuals that struggle with many of the same challenges as other teenagers. As an intern at this site, your goal is to try to connect with the youth in order to help steer them in the right direction.

My summer at YDC involved helping with the summer work program and working side by side with the other youth workers at YDC. The summer work program for the youth involved preparation of a garden. Some of the gardening aspects that the youth participated in were: filling garden boxes, planting vegetables, harvesting vegetables, weeding, tending to fish and chickens, and building various structures for the garden. The summer work program was Monday to Thursday from 8:00 until noon. In the afternoon, I would assist the other staff in helping make lunch, cleaning up, and watching over the youth. One of the best ways I found to form relationships with the youth was to play basketball with them. It shows them that you aren't too far off being a teenager yourself and allows you to become that positive role model that they need.

Some of the most memorable experiences from this summer involved the relationships I was able to form. Towards the end of the internship, when speaking to one of the youth about going back to school, he responded with "so… you're coming back next summer, right?" While I felt bad about having to leave, it was nice knowing that I did form strong relationships with some of the youth. If you choose to work at this site, remember that laughter is the best medicine and be sure not to take anything too personally. Many of the youth have had rough experiences in the past, and need time to transition to a caring environment. In addition to working with the youth, I cannot say enough about the staff at YDC. It truly takes a special individual to work with troubled youth day in and day out for years on end. While it was a great summer experience and I would gladly do it again, there are many situations with youth that are exhausting and require a great deal of patience. The staff at YDC is comprised of wonderful people who truly care about the well-being of the youth. When working with them, I gained insight into influences leading to the behavior of the youth, as well as insight into the lives of the workers themselves. It was interesting to get to know another group of caring individuals outside of the microcosm that is med school. As I move forward with my career, I will take the lessons learned at YDC with me.