BAM!
Yes, it sounds like something that a celebrity chef would exclaim, or a door slamming open in the wind or half the name of a famous prehistoric cartoon baby boy. No, it isn't any of those, but explaining the local youth group is just about as easy. The enthusiasm behind those sentiments is just about the same too.
BAM is an acronym that stands for Building Assets and Memories, which makes it sound kinda boring, like an accounting term. More importantly, it also stands for giving our local youths a better sense of community, a better idea of being involved in the world, and a stronger sense of themselves.
"We're a different kind of group," admits Ben Huising, the youth co-ordinator of asset development who works with the city's Family and Community Support Services department. "We're a very tough group to explain to people because we're very unorthodox in a lot of ways."
Still, as tough as the group is to peg down, it's just as easy to see the results. In a city where some people still tip over bus benches or throw shopping carts in the river out of sheer boredom or a lack of better things to do, BAM seems like a solid backup. There are dozens of teens out there running the show, giving themselves, younger kids and even the rest of us stuff to do.
At the same time, it doesn't really have a formal structure, nor does it have any big lofty goal. If you look at its website (at www.bamforyouth.ca), it describes itself as a non-profit organization comprised of current and former high school students who enjoy volunteering in a somewhat structured and somewhat supervised youth for youth format.
"Everything we do is by youth with guidance and support from The City of St. Albert (FCSS) and the RCMP," it states, adding that it strives to promote "asset development in our community by creating exciting events, offering support and access to various resources, and by sharing our own life experiences with fellow youth as well as encouraging them to get involved." On another page, it adds, "We promote self discovery in youth by mentoring in the schools, promoting leadership skills and team building."
These descriptions are fine, but sound far too much like a stodgy investment company's mission statement. When one witnesses BAM in action, the results belie such a mundane heart.
Meetings
It all starts with atypical weekly Sunday evening meetings for the teens where break-off groups get together to discuss upcoming plans for activities or events, or anything else that they need to talk about. The youths have all the control. Huising is just there to nudge things in the right direction when need be.
He said that a lot of what BAM is about is building relationships. Nothing gets done without people getting along. He says that sometimes they just sit in a circle and chat, trying to figure out better ways of working with each other or just rapping about issues that affect them.
In this sense, it's really an extended network of close friends who have a knowledgeable mentor who can gently guide them through the sometimes tricky and delicate navigations of the interpersonal psychologies of people under the age of majority. Or something like that.
"You'll never see me up front telling them what they need to do," Huising adds. "We really want them to come up with solutions."
If it weren't for BAM's teenaged members figuring things out for themselves in this loose framework then there wouldn't be any interest or direction toward them hosting youth-centric events around the city such as the Canada Day longboard competition or last weekend's Slippin' on Seven – a massive double slide of either 90 or 180 metres for youths to enjoy on one of the last few weekends before final exams and summer vacations.
There's also BAM U, a way for the group's representatives to connect with other youths. They run bootcamps for teens who want to get in a great workout with others their age. They also host free sessions on how to be a DJ for those who are interested.
Then there are retreats, the BAM Factor talent show, BAM Jams…
Does BAM just arrange fun things for the kids around St. Albert? That's a part of it. When your job is to build happier youths with better connections between them, having things to do sure helps.
If there's something to be said for the effectiveness of a program for how well it makes those connections, then BAM is doing pretty well in business. In its first three years it has grown in popularity from eight members to the 120 or so that it has now.
Brent Saccucci was one of the first in the group three years ago and he's still active. He enjoys offering retreats for younger grades but it's what comes out of those weekends that makes everything else more worthwhile.
"At the end of the retreat, they tell you what they want from St. Albert and then I am the one that helps fulfill those initiatives."
He said that he would describe BAM as a group that "goes to youth, asks them what they want, and gives them the resources and the encouragement and support they need – as well as helps facilitate with them – the initiatives that they proposed. That's why it's youth for youth."
That's also why it works, and works well.
Presentations, events
Since BAM isn't a typical organization, it also doesn't make typical presentations to youth groups. Huising doesn't like to preach so his form of a presentation is actually a team-building exercise, the sort of task that would make for a time-wasting video game. It involves a green tape square on the floor and 30 numbered pieces of paper scattered all about the inside of it.
The 30 junior high students line up around the outside, feet not touching the tape. Each must take a turn to enter the square and step on the next number in the sequence and that one only. There must be only one person in the square at a time. There are time penalties for mistakes.
This group starts off taking more than two minutes with two penalties at five seconds each. Huising tells them that because they had such a good start, he's going to challenge them to get under 55 seconds including penalties.
There's an audible gasp, but Huising is still standing there already convinced of their success with a sly sideways look and his trademark grin. He looks like anything is possible with the right atmosphere and some gentle words of guidance. "Don't get angry at each other for making mistakes," he prompts.
To reach the goal, some natural problem solvers step forward and people work together. There aren't really ever any leaders. Any one person can ruin the whole thing. Regardless, they figure things out, adjusting physical elements and even improving results by thinking outside the box, so to speak.
Soon they can see the solution and it's just a matter of time to practise to get it right. By the seventh round, they've beaten it, clocking in at 41 seconds with two errors. Just in time too, as the end of day bell rings and the teacher can barely keep them contained to let the lesson soak in.
What was the lesson? Was there even one? Not really, it was just an exercise in working together and paying attention to solve a simple problem. Maybe that's the most important thing that many of us will ever have to learn. Huising watched as these 30 kids grasped that important life lesson in less than 40 minutes. Another important developmental asset checked off.
What are the 40 Developmental Assets then? They are a list of internal and external factors (described by the Search Institute) that are the building blocks of healthy, caring and responsible people. They refer to personality traits and life experiences. They talk about empowerment and effective use of time but also social competence and having positive values and identity.
Huising makes a compelling point that BAM is about youth for youth and all of the group members know that line too. But there's more because some of its members make regular visits to the Youville Home to visit with the residents there, play games and socialize. So, it's also youth for the elderly.
The way that team member Alliyah Samuel explains it, she's doing things that she wants to do. The Slippin' on Seven event, drama productions … those are her interests, things that just so happen to be the interests of a lot of other people her age too.
"The events we put on … they're fun. It's the things that you're passionate about that you're also going to be doing. It's youth for youth and you're volunteering for yourself too."
