Change is coming to the Boys and Girls club, as Youth Out Reach Cordinator, Brody Bayus, works to remodel The Club teen room. She wants a place for teenagers to hang out that is positive for them and the community.

“When I started working in Jackson County as a youth out reach cordinator, I started talking to adults and youth in this community to see what teens did for fun. I found out if they weren’t involved in an after-school activity, they had nothing to do unless they wanted to hang out at someone’s house or Wal-Mart. I knew we needed to do something, so the youth had more to do. I decided to work with the Boys & Girls Club to make a space that teens would actually want to be in,” said Bayus.

Bayus isn’t alone in the remodeling, she has been receiving help from three others for the painting and spray painting. All of the decisions were made for and by the teens who regularly attend the Boys and Girls Club. They were asked to give ideas about the way they want the teen room to look.

“I started working with a group of about 15-20 teens last year and we talked about colors, flooring, activities, furniture, and other things they wanted to have in their space. Basically, we want to work with the youth as much as possible and give them what they want since they will be the ones using the space. Soon we will be going on a shopping spree and need help with the decorating. I think that will be a fun job for any youth that is interested in interior design,” said Bayus.

Remodeling the Boys and Girls Club is a working progress that is coming along very well. It’s simply waiting for a wall to be knocked down and new flooring to go in so that the rest of the decorating can begin. Change starts with one person with an idea. From the beginning, Brody has had an image in mind of a place in the community for teens to go that they can all take part in events like dances, karaoke, host a mic night, video game tournaments, or something as simple as their homework.