Volunteers needed for Teen Maze
Published 12:00 am Friday, September 4, 2015
LaGRANGE — The Troup County Health Department is seeking volunteers for the Oct. 28 and 29 Teen Maze event at West Georgia Technical College’s Callaway Conference Center.
The Teen Maze is an interactive game that is designed to teach ninth grade students about the real-life consequences of actions — good and bad.
“The kids get to experience real consequences that they may face throughout their high school careers,” said TiShari McFarland, Troup County Health Department public education coordinator. “Our ultimate goal for Teen Maze is for all of our Troup County teens to graduate without having to experience unnecessary hurdles. … We just want our teens to graduate.”
Students are given random scripts and led through a maze of life that reflects choices they will have to face during their high school career. Some students will see the results of drinking and driving; they will go through the criminal justice system. Other students will discover the perils of teen pregnancy or the destruction of a STD can have.
Many professionals from the community will be on hand to share their expertise.
An actual casket will be brought in for students who “die” in the maze; a mirror will be placed in the casket to show students their reflection inside the casket. Funeral home employees will be on hand to help students write their own eulogies. Students will have their eulogy read to them.
McFarland said the goal of the maze is to get all students to the graduation stations in the maze.
“We’re just trying to get kids to think,” McFarland said. “(Students) can do all these things that can affect their graduation, and affect the rest of their life.”
This is the fifth year for the Teen Maze program. The health department partners with the United Way to produce the event. The maze uses actual statistics of Troup County.
McFarland said anyone who wants to make a difference in the life of a teen should consider volunteering.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the program should contact TiShari McFarland at the health department at 706-298-3650 or by going to the website and downloading the forms from www.TroupCoHealth.org under the Teen Maze tab. The deadline to register to volunteer is Oct. 2.
