MYP Opening Day—Friday, September 29, 2023, Over Zoom Conferencing By Tom Leavens

The MYP kicked off their 51st season with a Zoom event on Friday, September 29th. The Team wanted to use this gathering to discuss what the teens hoped to experience in the upcoming MYP season. The discussion was enlightening, in that what teens are looking for in today’s world is the same as what we all are.

We started the event by discussing our 2023-24 theme and how they interpreted it. That led into the discussion asking how the teens saw life in their high schools. They said that it can be competitive with grades and their work, particularly for those looking at colleges. Regarding the world, they expressed that it can feel argumentative, as expressed in the news and conflicts with those of different beliefs and views.

Their hope was to feel more connected to each other. They do not want to “throw people down to lift myself up.” They would like to see more from people, to “do unto others as you would have done to you.”

In regards to our upcoming events, they most look forward to Christmas Day, and any others that are holiday themed or focused. They enjoy having service project incorporated into our events because they want to participate in giving back to others. Finally, we discussed what the best are to reach them for upcoming events, which is email & Instagram.

The feedback received from the teens will definitely guide the Team with creating talks and activities. As our theme challenges us, we need to respond to our teens “because to this you are called.”