Blog
First Place For Youth
Jul 1, 2024
First Place for Youth’s Alameda County/ San Francisco County team hosted their first official Summer Bridge event on a beautiful sunny afternoon at Lake Chabot Regional Park, along the San Leandro/Castro Valley border. Lake Chabot is renowned for its towering redwoods, hiking trails, scenic lake views, and water activities, and its areas to liaise and simply take it all in.
Our participants were invited to a day of meditation, reflection, and self-care amongst the dramatic backdrop of a Redwood forest, including hiking and guided painting activities with staff, food, and games. An ice-breaker activity found them breaking “ice” together (by way of solid geodes being cracked open with a hammer) and discussing the meaning behind the broken pieces and varying colors and patterns.
Armed with facts and tidbits about the wonders of the majestic Redwood tree, youth were encouraged to embrace nature by using sustainably sourced natural materials from the area for use in their art projects, and by offering thoughtful and meaningful insights and inquiries of nature during the hike. Through fellowship and support, participants networked and collaborated, created, built, and shared experiences in a unique outdoor setting!
Every year, First Place teams across Northern California host weekly events and activities in the six-week Summer Bridge program! The Summer Bridge program provides opportunities for our young people to learn new skills, explore careers of interest, go on exciting field trips, and stay connected throughout the summer. Stay tuned for more updates from our Summer Bridge program.
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