Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Building Assets in Shopping Malls

New York's Greece Central School District has figured out a new way to reach young people - they have an Assets Kiosk at the Greece Ridge Mall.

Yep, the same kind of kiosks that sell everything from skin care products to hair extensions. But this kiosk aims to sell young people on positive ways they can be involved in the community.

The kiosk is the first of its kind and features multimedia presentations with asset-building/leadership activities on three 37-inch LCD screens. The Kiosk is also stocked with Asset-Building handouts and other informational materials, such as the Asset Messenger we write each month. They occasionally have students at the Kiosk distributing materials to mall patrons.

Greece Central School District Assets Coordinator Conor Cusack proposed the kiosk as a way to showcase the positive choices youth in Greece are making and highlight their community contributions. Wilmorite, owners of the mall, liked the idea and agreed to donate a kiosk in front of the Charlotte Russe store. The costs of the televisions were incurred by the school district with our Superintendent's approval.

What an innovative way to reach parents, families, teens and children!!

For more information about the Greece Community Assets Initiative and the Greece Central School District, contact Conor Cusack at conor.cusack@greece.k12.ny.us or 585-966-5398.