Help Us Reach Our Goal
Our summer program at Western Avenue is an annual eight week program where 30 children of middle school age participate in a host of different activities around the twin cities. We introduce these children to different industries and businesses in the area. This year we have integrated with Illinois State University for an on campus experience staying in the dorms and working in one of the academic labs. State Farm invited the kids to be part of a STEM exercise and helped launch a weather balloon that carried their names high into the atmosphere before returning to earth. They have learned through the generosity of Connect Transit how to ride the city bus to some of their activities. And, weekly sessions on character building and leadership development are introduced with assigned readings from the book, "7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" led by our camp counselors.
The program is named after Willie Brown who was a former State Farm Executive, and Western Avenue alum and supporter of the centers youth programs. At the end of the eight week program, the children will have learned from caring adults in a safe environment to have respect for each other and those they interact with.