Teens capture 'legacy' distinction

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The Youth Center's Teen Council here recently learned from the Boys and Girls Clubs of America that they achieved a Keystone Legacy Level.

The Keystone Legacy Level is the highest level that a Teen Council can attain.

"This achievement is a first for the Hanscom-based Teen Council, who were required to demonstrate that they are 'Champions of Teens' in their community by completing numerous objectives," said Shana Wickham, the Teen Council's former advisor, who has since moved on to a new position at the Child Development Center.

The Boys and Girls Club Keystone leadership development program is for teens ages 14 to 18. At Hanscom and other Air Force bases, the Keystone program is known as Teen Council.

According to a description of the Legacy requirements on the Keystone website, Wickham explained that teens must complete two of a possible five objectives.

"The teens organized six teen outreach events at the Youth Center and were active in community organizations, councils and committees as part of their objectives that led to this accomplishment," she said.

The Legacy level, also known as Legacy Society, requires that teens maintain a Keystone gold-level for two consecutive charter years, which has its own separate set of requirements.

"The Legacy title is a level of prestige a Teen Council achieves through teamwork and friendship, overwhelming dedication and strong leadership," said Uriah Wardlaw, Teen Council treasurer and recent Bedford High School graduate. "There isn't a member on our team, from the youngest members through our senior officers to Ms. Shana, who hasn't shown mastery and growth in all aspects."

In addition to gold and legacy, other levels of the keystone program are charter, which is the lowest, and silver.

The Air Force Teen Council Movement challenges local Teen Councils through a series of high-achieving programs and events to maximize a teen's impact on their communities. There are four focus areas: academic success, career preparation, teen outreach and community service.

As part of community service, the Hanscom teens logged more than 1,400 volunteer hours over 18 months, according to Youth Center officials.

"The title was really only our focus, not our motivation," said Wardlaw. "It was inspiring to see the people I worked with be enthusiastic about performing community service at an animal shelter, or to see a teen constantly step up to push through a community event."

Colleen Davis, the Youth Center director, highlighted that while the accomplishment is something the Youth Center is proud of, the recognition goes to the teens who dedicated themselves during the past two years.

"We have a lot of teens that have tremendous leadership skills," said Davis. "I think they really felt like the sky was the limit and they could accomplish anything collectively if they set their mind to it."

The Youth Center offers programs that emphasize character and leadership development, education and career enhancement, health and life skills, the arts and sports, fitness and recreation.

To learn more about the Teen Council, or to become a member of the Youth Center, call 781-225-6043.