The Record Delta
Friday, August 31, 2019
Page 5A
FROM THE COVER
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HOMETOWN HERO Stockert Youth and Community Center (SYCC) By Alison Harrison Staff Writer
BUCKHANNON — With summer ending and school back in session this month, it seemed very fitting that the Hometown Hero for August should be Stockert Youth and Community Center (SYCC). A hub of the community, SYCC offers year-round programs and a safe haven to youth who might otherwise retreat home after school to a lonely house with no supervision. It has been 25 years since the passing of the center’s namesake Joyce Stockert, who generously bequeathed hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a youth center for the community. Debora Brockleman has been the Director of SYCC for 16 years and worked there a couple years before taking the lead. She stated, “The Stockert Youth Center is 100% about kids, this is their place. We are a community center, but kids come first.” Brockleman added, “Mrs. Joyce Stockert had a vision years ago, and today, and in the many years to come, her vision has become our vision.” The building for the youth center was donated by the Upshur County Board of Education in 1998, and in that same year, the County Commission inherited Stockert Youth Center. The City of Buckhannon took over the care and control of the center in 2004, and it has remained under the umbrella of the city as a flourishing non-profit community organization. Through the generosity of Joyce Stockert’s estate, thousands of Upshur County children have enjoyed the benefits of having a safe, caring place to play, grow, and learn. The facility is housed in the former East Main Street School and is run by the City of Buckhannon with cooperation from the Upshur County Commission and the Upshur County Board of Education. SYCC also participates in the AmeriCorps VISTA program and is a West Virginia Site of Promise. SYCC offers an abundance of activities year-round for Upshur County, including an after-school program that provides superior care and attention to those who need it most. The center is fun, vibrant, educational, and it is so needed. Other Stockert programs include the popular Camp Buccaneer, seasonal basketball leagues for children and adults, martial arts, wrestling programs, and so much more. Stock-Art has also
introduced many local youths to painting, sculpting, and an appreciation for the arts. SYCC’s after-school kids program offers an affordable, safe, supervised and fun environment where kids can go until parents pick them up for just $15 per week. The program is geared toward elementary-age children with working parents. Offered Monday through Thursday from 3:30 until 6 p.m., children can participate in various activities and even get help from tutors in the community who are energetic and excited about working with youths. Children are the focus of the programs, so all planned activities are focused on what kids like to do. Activities include ping pong, pool, air hockey, foosball, board games, gym time with dodgeball, kickball, basketball, tag, circle games, arts and crafts, homework help, and time in the computer lab. Children receive a healthy snack as soon as they arrive off the bus. There is also a playground where they are encouraged to play outside when weather permits. Tutoring is also available at SYCC Monday through Thursday from 4-7 p.m. for students Kindergarten through grade 12. The tutoring program provides youth with a one-on-one tutor for an hour, twice a week, in any subject needed. Most of the tutors are West Virginia Wesleyan College students and volunteers of SYCC. Other tutors may be community members or retired teachers who want to help those who need it. All volunteers have had background checks and received the SYCC tutor orientation. Transportation is provided by the Upshur County Board of Education bus system and the SYCC bus. There is currently transportation available from Buckhannon Academy, Tennerton, French Creek, and Union Elementary Schools, as well as B-U Middle School. The first and longest enduring program of Stockert is the SYCC drill team. Organized in 1995, the drill team has seen hundreds of primarily little girls learn to shake their pompoms, twirl their batons, and adorn parade routes with flags, as well as wooden rifles. Camp Buccaneer, another long-standing program offered through SYCC, provides a safe, supervised, and exciting summer opportunity for many local kids under the direction of
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a professional, responsive, and caring staff. Camp Buccaneer is a summer day camp for children ages 5-12 offered from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. daily. The cost for Camp Buccaneer is $20 per day, with a discounted rate of $15 per day offered to families with more than one child. Participants are taken swimming at the Upshur County Pool every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, weather permitting. Programming includes a wide variety of activities at SYCC, as well as off-site field trips to places such as the WV Wildlife Center and a boat trip around Stonewall Jackson Lake. Camp attendees stay engaged in arts and crafts, outside play, gymnasium games designed to keep them active, and occasionally are given opportunity to help with community service projects. A new addition to SYCC is Girl Talk, which stems from a national program. It is a group mentoring program that is open to middle school aged girls. The group meets every Monday evening at 6 p.m. with mentor, Tiffany Shaw. The girls are free to talk about anything they want – good, bad, or troublesome. The program aims to teach girls how to become positive role models. SYCC is also home of the Children’s Festival, which is held annually on the third Saturday of September, which is just around the corner. The center is also a centralized information hub for other youth sports in the area, and early learning classes are offered at various times of the year. Party room rentals are also available to the public and are perfect for birthday parties, showers, and other events requiring ample space. SYCC party room rentals are affordably priced according to the amount of time needed for the party. SYCC provides youth with the opportunities and support they need to become healthy, responsible, and caring adults. Programs are provided with minimal fees and scholarships are offered so that all youth are able to participate. The center facilitates thousands of student participation hours every month. Because it is a continually growing program and the community need for the center is so great, SYCC needs more space to accommodate everything it offers. A capital campaign has been underway for some time now and community members are encouraged to donate to the SYCC new building fund. Brockleman appreciates all the community support and said, “The Staff at SYCC, the City of Buckhannon, all the folks and businesses who support what we do, do it for the kids. This is why we are here doing what we do.” Follow the link http:// buckhannonwv.org/about-thecity/donate-syc/ to make an online donation, contact SYCC at 304-473-0145, or call City Hall at 304-472-1651 if you’d like to offer support for a very worthy cause and the youth of Upshur County.
Stockert Youth and Community Center building on East Main Street in Buckhannon.
The 25-year celebration of Joyce Stockert, benefactor of the youth center, being celebrated with after school kids, leaders, and community members.
The Stockert Youth and Community Center bus that is used to transport kids after school and during the summer months for activities participated in the annual WV Strawberry Festival Parade.
SYCC’s Drill Team.
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