Center Hosts Trax Finale Event
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
ONEONTA
The Oneonta Teen Center will host a free, all-ages event on March 23 at 7 p.m. to showcase original artistic endeavors by the youth members of the center’s Trax Program and to deliver fresh takes on existing works, including music, short films, readings, and animation. The event will also feature live performances by the AJ Jackson Music Group and Moppy, among others.
“There are multiple original video projects created by the youth which will be premiered at the event,” said Kaler Carpenter, program manager of the youth clubhouses of Friends of Recovery Dedicated to Others, also known as FOR-DO. “This includes original short films and live performances of original songs written by our youth, as well as a new episode of our ongoing ‘Club Oddity’ series—an ‘Office’-style sitcom about the day-to-day happenings at our two youth centers.”
Previous episodes of “Club Oddity” can be found on Club Odyssey’s YouTube page, @clubodysseyoneonta, Carpenter said.
According to organizers, the Trax Program offers young people the opportunity to build healthy networks during challenging times, helping them avoid self-destructive or risky behavior. The program’s goal is to empower and inspire them through self-expression and creativity while teaching invaluable life skills.
“More than a dozen youth and young adults will be featured in the Trax Program finale portion of the event in some capacity,” Carpenter explained. “Members featured on the flyer who will be performing songs are Cade, Eliana Miller, Layla Rakaba and AJ Jackson.”
Youth participating in this event have been working for 10 weeks to prepare, Carpenter said.
The Oneonta Teen Center, for ages 12-18, and Club Odyssey, for ages 18-25, are youth and young adult Office of Addiction Services and Supports clubhouse programs, hosted by FOR-DO. Per the OASAS website: “Youth clubhouses are drop-in centers for youth and young adults in recovery from or at risk of developing a substance use disorder. These programs provide recovery supports—including peer support—as well as skill-building and community engagement opportunities, educational and vocational support, recreational and prosocial activities, family engagement activities, and sessions on health and wellness.”
Friends of Recovery Dedicated to Others Inc. is a public nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting addiction recovery through every available means, including advocacy, education, and peer support.
Located at 4 Academy Street, the Oneonta Teen Center has been in operation since 2006, according to Carpenter.
“In 2017, the Oneonta Teen Center was officially adopted as FOR-DO’s youth clubhouse program. Club Odyssey [at 80 Water Street] was founded in 2016 as FOR-DO’s young adult clubhouse program,” Carpenter said.
“We have more than 12 members participating in the Trax Program, and a few dozen more members who participate each week at both centers,” Carpenter said. “Cade and Eliana are youth members from the Oneonta Teen Center who will perform original music. Layla Rakaba and AJ Jackson are Club Odyssey members and SUNY Oneonta interns majoring in music industry. The other performers listed on the flyer, Moppy and The AJ Jackson Music Group, are local young adult and student performers that will be performing as part of Club Odyssey’s, SUNY Oneonta-sponsored ‘Club Night’ Saturday concert series.”
FOR-DO’s youth programs have been working with the Road Recovery Foundation to host the Trax Program since 2019, Carpenter continued.
“We host two or three Trax Program cycles and finale events each year. The next Trax Program cycle will begin the week after this event, with a finale event scheduled for May 4,” Carpenter explained. “This will be a shortened cycle and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Teen Center at 5 p.m.”
Participation in the Trax Program is free; any youth and young adults between the ages of 12-25 are welcome to participate. To sign up, contact Carpenter at (607) 431-0612. The Road Recovery Foundation Trax Program is made possible by grant funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.