Imagine the impact of a teen team conducting a lesson on water quality to a group of senior citizens. Teens have received high marks from coaches on both competence and dependability. The broad educational objectives of TRY are for teenagers to increase self-esteem and feelings of belonging in their community and to assume responsibility for self and others. Teens teach younger youth ages six to 11. Teens develop and test lesson plans and sequence learning experiences for youth.
Teens involve and teach other teens to teach younger youth.
The program was designed to bridge three life stages from adults to teens to younger youths. Adults are involved with teens as coaches and mentors at all levels. Teenagers work with younger youth as well as their peers, providing them with information and positive role models. Having the younger age group as learners makes teens feel needed, respected, and loved, thus meeting basic developmental needs. The TRY program is experiential.