Apalachicola revs up plans for youth center

Front row left to right, Mario Pugh, Mayor Van Johnson and Caci Wallace.  Middle row left to right, Deanna Quick, Brandon Walker, Morgan Martin, Cheyenne Martin, Shameika Lake and City Administrator Betty Taylor-Webb.  Back row left to right, Eric Springer, Bobby Pickles, Jamie Gordon, William Collins, Tyler Howard and Joe Taylor.

The City of Apalachicola's vision to transform the old Apalachicola High School Gymnasium fondly called the “Matchbox” during the Sharks basketball team glory days into a dedicated Youth Center is finally coming to fruition.

After holding back to back town hall meetings dubbed “community conversations” called to gather input from local youths - emerged an advisory group comprised of Franklin County High School students to develop and manage a Youth Center for the city and surrounding area.

The students calling themselves “Kids United Together” (K.U.T.) will operate the Youth Center in collaboration with the Franklin's Promise Coalition, and the Apalachee Center all under the City’s Community Pride Partnership Initiative.

The community conversations were facilitated by Apalachicola Mayor Van Johnson, along with Apalachee Center outreach staff Caci Wallace and Mario Pugh, with parents, grandparents, students and concerned citizens in attendance lending input to a plan to begin programs by mid-May.

Joe Taylor, Executive Director for Franklin's Promise Coalition, explained to the group the importance of the partnerships between agencies. "The City has the facility and limited funding for supplies and repairs, but no money for programing. As a contractor for Apalachee Center, the Franklin's Promise Coalition has been given the opportunity to provide outreach and health education through a BP funded grant, with outreach workers Wallace and Pugh providing activities for the youth and encouraging good health and wellness”, said Taylor

Taylor also told the group that the administrators at the Apalachee Center, which is Franklin County's State designated mental health provider, have encouraged and empowered the facilitators to maximize the funding and to reach as many people as possible through these activities

Betty Taylor-Webb, City Administrator told the students about the work that was already in the process of being completed to get the facility open. The plan is to get the gym open first and then renovate the two locker rooms into separate spaces, one for younger participants and one just for teenagers.

The students shared their ideas to have a social lounge to hang out with their friends complete with a flat screen television, video games and music. They also expressed an interest in having movie nights, dances, sport and video game tournaments, parent interactions, field trips, and a for profit concession stand operated by the students to help fund a host of other activities for the students.

For more information, click HERE and check out the discussion tabs on the KUT’s newly created Facebook page.