While there is the persistent stereotype that teenagers take away from a community, 20 youth from Merritt will give to the community this summer.

Student volunteers, all from Merritt Secondary School, will deliver seven weeks of sporting activities for the children of the Nicola Valley, starting Monday.

“We’ll be doing a bunch of different activities every week with the kids, ages six through twelve,” says Smart Step leader Briar McNaney.

Fifteen volunteer students and five leaders are making their final preparations for the start of the seven week program, appropriately called Summer Fun in the Sun, which will feature sports like street hockey, basketball, baseball, capture the flag, soccer, and rugby.

“We’re going to have a fun week to end it, and we’re going to have an association day with the Merritt Rugby Barbarians club,” says McNaney.

Last year, proceeds from the $65 registration fee that children paid were donated to the Nicola Valley and District Food Bank—some $1235.

Smart Step volunteers say they expect about 20 kids to sign up this year. Fees will be donated to Journey Into Tomorrow, a shelter for battered women in the valley.

“I like volunteering and getting involved in the community,” says Megan Cary, a grade 11 student who is new to the program this year.

Smart Step, founded by former Merritt Centennial Nick Kang, was designed to recruit youth leaders from the community and help them develop skills through planning, organizing, and leading activities for children.

“A lot of students don’t know what they’re capable of,” says Kang.

“The big thing is the confidence.”

Kang says he hopes the volunteers will learn enough leadership skills that they can run the program themselves and keep it going as a legacy.

“I’ve learned to network lots, and this is my first time running a group,” says McNaney. “It’s helped out a lot with self confidence, getting things done, and making sure you stay on top of everything.”

While some teenagers are out and about causing trouble, Smart Step teens are using their time constructively, and perhaps that will change a few of the perceptions out there.

“It shows that we're not trouble makers. We can serve a purpose too, and we have our own voice,” says McNaney.