Et cetera : NCCC Oak 4 serves Appleton Youth in Summer Service Program‏

Appleton teens serve the Riverview Gardens by pulling out invasive plan species in the hoop house.

NCCC Oak 4 serves Appleton Youth in Summer Service Program

By: Nick Harper

NCCC team, Oak 4, is serving with the Appleton Police Department and the Truancy Reduction and Assessment Center in their Summer of Service Program until September 14. The Summer of Service Program enrolls 30 high school students that are having difficulty with their attendance, and allows them the opportunity to reach their full potential by serving their community.

Members act as group leaders and help youth complete various projects assigned by the RiverView Gardens and the Appleton Parks and Rec. The high school group is divided into three separate teams to partake in service. Two to three Oak 4 members lead a team of 10 high school students and help maintain the 72 acre garden by planting, pruning, watering, and harvesting the local vegetation.

At the Parks and Recreation center, NCCC members lead those same teams on maintenance projects in local parks by cleaning up trash and installing/replacing the playground surface. In addition, the NCCC team facilitates team-based activities with the youth and builds on valuable life skills.

“I enjoy serving with the youth in the various projects because not only do I have something to teach them, but they have been teaching me new things as well,” says Oak 4 member, Perion McKinney from Chicago, Illinois.

Appleton Parks and Rec is a program where high school students volunteer one month throughout the summer and help beautify the city of Appleton. They help pick up garbage, remove graffiti on buildings and repaint areas around the city. Upon completion of the program, the teens receive a stipend, a free bicycle through RiverView Garden's Earn-a-Bike Program, and service hours towards Truancy Court.

Appleton RiverView Garden is a program that utilizes green space and creates locally-grown produce. They are currently transforming an old golf course into a garden area.