Often when people ask me about programs I’m particularly proud of or that seem to be really unique at our YMCA, I have to take a moment to think through all of the dozens of great programs that touch and change lives here each day. One of the programs that is unique and different, and that I am always impressed by is called Boomerang. Boomerang was created to provide short-term suspended middle and high school students with a supervised, positive environment during their time away from school.
Boomerang is resiliency-based. Resiliency is a strength-focused concept that aims to increase a student’s protective factors. This attitude involves searching for, nurturing and reinforcing the gifts and strengths in every student. It strives to provide students with a sense of self, goals, spirituality and other factors so that these students can be the best people they can be.
Boomerang has translated this research into programming that values interpersonal connections with the students they serve. Students who come to Boomerang are offered a fresh start and an opportunity to use the time to reflect on their lives: what choices are working well and which people, both in their families and at school, are supporting them.
Simply stated, from what I’ve seen, this program takes kids who may have been left with the idea that they’ve reached the end of their road, and helps them to discover their strengths, and see that making a mistake doesn’t mean that there’s no hope. Below is a first-hand account of one teen’s experience at Boomerang.
My Experience at Boomerang
Kent
While I have been at boomerang, I learned so much. Before I was suspended from East Chapel Hill, I was smoking marijuana daily and drinking every weekend, but going to boomerang and talking with the staff made me realize how I needed to structure my life.
When you first enter the program, the staff shows you that you are not as alone as you think. Everyone who is in the program is going through the same thing as you are. So you can relate to what everyone is talking about. In the mornings there is food provided if you didn’t eat breakfast and everyone just talks and gets to know one another. The point of boomerang, as explained to me by the staff, is not to punish you but to show you what your strengths are, and how to use those strengths to further yourself in life.
There are several activities done throughout the day that show you what your strengths are. One such activity is to draw a tree. This might sound insignificant and childish, but it is structured in a way that shows what your obstacles in life are and what you can use to your advantage. While in the program you also construct a timeline of your life. This timeline is meant to show you how you ended up in boomerang and maybe how to avoid getting back into boomerang in the future.
During the duration of time your in boomerang, you will get 1 on 1 time with several staff members, who talk with you and try to help you. They ask you several questions about your family and friends. They also teach you to avoid risky situations. There is a specific schedule you follow everyday.
At the end of the day there might be a guest speaker who comes in to talk about a wide variety of things such as dating, drugs and violence. When everyone in the room participates in the activities you really find yourself in deep and engaging conversations that you learn a lot from.
I learned so much while in boomerang. It really showed me what I was doing wrong, and how to fix it in a fun and constructive way. I feel like everyone no matter what they do should spend a week in boomerang, because it teaches you how to get your life on track. I feel like if I hadn’t gone to boomerang when I did, I wouldn’t have been able to get my life together until it was too late.
For more information on the Boomerang program, visit http://www.boomerangnc.org or email Julie Wells at jwells@chcymca.org
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