Lighthouse Youth Development Center

Aaron Linn, Summer 2017

This summer I worked at Lighthouse Youth Development Center, a group home for teenage boys who have experienced a lot of trauma early in life, be it physical, mental, or emotional. Because of this, many of the boys have a distrust in adults. These residents come from a variety of backgrounds, but have one thing in common: their respective case worker has determined Lighthouse YDC to be the best place for them to develop from a teenage boy to an adult man. Thus, it is the staff and intern’s job to create an environment that promotes this transition.

As an intern, I worked 40 hours/week for 8 weeks at Lighthouse YDC. I would arrive in the morning and help get the boys ready for the day by getting them breakfast. Afterward, we would head to the large garden at Lighthouse Community School in Madisonville for the boys’ summer work program. This work program helps teach the boys good work ethic and encourages the development of personal skills, from gardening to team communication. At the garden, my role was to supervise the boys and make sure they stayed on task. However, I also got to work alongside them—tending the chickens, weeding beds, harvesting crops, maintaining the pergola, and much more.

After working at the garden, we would return to YDC for lunch, which I would help serve. The afternoons varied depending on the day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we had group therapy. The social worker led us through an introspective conversation about things like defense mechanisms and communication skills. On other afternoons, we would play basketball, video games, or lift weights in the garage. Sometimes, we would take the boys off-site to Kings Island, the movies, or the pool. My summer project was introducing the residents to weight lifting. I wanted to expose them to different exercises, starting with the major compound lifts: bench press, squats, and deadlifts. I started by explaining the mechanisms of action of each muscle group. Then we went over various examples of exercises to work these muscles, slowly increasing the resistance as the boys became more comfortable with the repetition. To help promote personal improvement, each boy tracked his gain in strength by recording the amount of resistance he could do on each exercise. As an incentive for completing a full workout, I provided them with a whey protein shake.

Working at YDC was an incredible experience. It was a great opportunity to work with people who grew up much differently than I did. Before this, I did not have a good grasp on the foster care and group home systems that many kids go through. Some days were a challenge. There were many conflicts between boys or between a resident and staff member, and I often found myself in the peacekeeper role. But it was the other small moments—a boy sharing his life story or his beaming smile when completing a new PR in the gym—that made my time at YDC unforgettable.