One of the Valley's best-kept secrets is that the San Geronimo Valley Community Center provides some of the most exciting programs within the Lagunitas Middle School, thanks to a very mutual and symbiotic relationship fostered for years between the SGVCC Youth Team and the Lagunitas Middle School staff and faculty.  Specifically, those programs are known as: The Lagunitas Middle School Student Meeting (aka Student Government), Parent Ed Nights, the Emotional Literacy classes and to a varying degree, the Middle School Elective Program.

For Information About School Linked Programs Contact Susan at 488-8888 ext. (210) or
Email schoolink@earthlink.net

The Student Meeting is going strong in its 9th year.  Their Mission Statement says:           "The student meeting promotes student leadership and youth empowerment.  We learn how to be active in our school community as well as our greater community.  We learn that our voices, if we raise them with respect and the intent to benefit, will be heard and recognized by the adults we work with." Aside from hosting 5 school dances a year serving up to 12 middle schools in Marin, the kids have donated thousands of dollars over the past 9 years to global and local non-profit orgs. Their global donations were made to PlayPump International, while their local donations were made to Camp Sunburst, a local summer camp for kids living with HIV/AIDS, Toys for Joys, a local group that purchase gifts for underprivileged kids, the SPCA and our Marin Humane Society. Lastly, they donated $1000.00 for their graduating 8th grade class who were low on funds for their graduation ceremony and dance. 

The Emotional Literacy Classes are thriving in the Middle School. The SGV Community Center's involvement with Emotional Literacy classes is rooted back to the Healthy Start grant received in the mid-nineties. The current configuration of classes is in its 6th year now. Last year, thanks to support and participation from the Middle School staff, students in grades 6-8 meet weekly for an extended period with trained facilitators and explore the useful and necessary toolbox of social and emotional health and balance. Games, song, dance, drama, art and positive imagery are only some of the fun, deep and varied methods used in the groups. In the world we live in now, we can at least rest assured that our students are developing a very solid and healthy self image, thanks to the parents, devoted Middle School Staff and talented EL facilitators. For that we are lucky!
Click here to find out more about the EL Program.

Parent-Ed nights have been sponsored by the SGVCC for the past 7 years. The topics range from community issues such as addiction to specific middle school issues such as internet safety and homework skills. The staff of the SGVCC Youth Programs are all ears-if you have a topic you would like to learn from, let one of us know and we will find the perfect speaker for it!

The vision for every school year is to continue expanding our bridge to other programs and age groups. There have been plans for the successful Emotional Literacy program to enter the younger grades in some form.

With the opening of The Loft, the new after-school youth center, we will have a new partner as well as new physical location to hold Student Meeting Action sessions both during and after school. It is also in the vision to begin a Student Meeting mentoring program with pre-middle school aged kids. All the School-Linked programs provide guidance for the topics of our Parent/Community Ed classes.Click here to go to the LOFT website.

 With the goal of engaging with our global and local communities by providing information, activities, workshops, classes and performances, we look forward to building on this year's hard work and finding even more inspiration through strengthening our existing and new partnerships.

For Information About School Linked Programs Contact
Susan at 488-8888 ext. (210) or
Email schoolink@earthlink.net