In this issue, you'll read:
Kidstock Is May 19th
ASU Teaching Fellows Contribute Valuable Gift
Project Venture Adventures
Mentoring Changes Lives
Upcoming Events
Dare to Discover the Magic of WYN

Kidstock Is May 19th

Kidstock V, an annual fundraiser for Western Youth Network and Parent to Parent Family Support Network of the High Country will be held on Saturday, May 19th at Watauga High School from 10:30am to 4:00pm. Don't miss this opportunity for entertainment for all ages: a silent auction, featuring a football signed by the 2006 ASU National Champion Football team for adults; a Battle of the Bands for middle and high school students; and crafts and air walk games from JUMP! of Boone for young children. There will also be plenty of wonderful food. Admission is only $4 for adults, $3 for students ages 18 and younger, and free for children under 2. All proceeds will benefit the missions of Western Youth Network and Parent to Parent. We hope to see you there. If you would like to receive free admission, contact WYN at 264-5174 to volunteer for a shift and receive free admission for the remainder of the day's activities!

ASU Teaching Fellows Contribute Valuable Gift

WYN was very fortunate to have received $2,500 worth of school supplies from the ASU Teaching Fellows group. The supplies included scientific calculators, books, audio CDs and CD players with headphones. The generosity of the Teaching Fellows is seemingly boundless, as they already give of their time by tutoring youth in WYN's after school program. We are grateful for the continued support of the Teaching Fellows and all of Appalachian State University.

Project Venture Adventures

WYN's Project Venture Program continues to create opportunities for youth to participate in outdoor adventures and cultural experiences in the High Country. At the Western Site After School program, students had the opportunity to assemble dulcimers, and now, each Tuesday and Thursday, they receive lessons on how to play them. They will celebrate the end of the school year by having an old time dance at the Old Cove Creek gym on May 22nd.

The Project Venture Program also went on an overnight canoe trip over spring break. You can view their adventures on our website at http://westernyouthnetwork.org/photos/.

Mentoring Changes Lives

Angela McMann, WYN Mentoring Director, submits the following success story: "I took a little boy and his mentor out yesterday for their one-year 'match' anniversary celebration. I was amazed by how much the young man had grown both physically and socially over the course of the last year. In the past, this young man struggled significantly with school, and had a huge fear of social settings. When first matched with his mentor, he could barely get any legible sentences out on paper without calling on his mother for help. At this match celebration, however, the first thing this young man told me was that he had good news. He said, 'I almost made the A-B honor roll! I have never been so close before.' I asked him about a required project I had heard he did at school, in which he had to stand before his class and make a presentation. I was curious how he was able to do this, given his shyness. His response was so thoughtful and articulate it was hard to believe that I was talking to the same person I had met the year prior. He responded, 'If I don't look at the other people, I don't get so nervous.' All of these things are enormous leaps for this little boy, who, the year before, crumpled at the thought of taking a swimming lesson or participating in P.E. class. The mentor has been a consistent presence in this young man's life over the last year, and has consequently helped change his life."

Upcoming Events

May 19: Kidstock V at Watauga High School, 10:30am-4:00pm
May 22: Old Time Dance at Old Cove Creek Gym, 3:30-5:30pm
May 26: Antique Car Show Fundraiser at First Baptist Church Parking Lot in Boone, sponsored by ASU Student Government Association
May 26: Avery County Mentor Recruiting Event at Newland Elementary School, 11:00am-1:00pm
July 13: "The Grizzly" Bike Ride Fundraiser for WYN (in conjunction with the Bear Run and Highland Games). Register by calling WYN at 264-5174 or Boone Bike and Touring at 262-5750.

Dare to Discover the Magic of WYN

To learn more about volunteering in our mentoring, after school, or prevention program, or to make a referral, please visit our website www.westernyouthnetwork.org or contact Jennifer Grubb at (828) 264-5174.