This summer, Trackside Teen Center will host Former HGTV and YouTube host Derek “Deek” Diedrickson for a two-day immersive, hands-on experience building a small treehouse to be donated to Circle of Care, a Wilton-based organization that supports families of children facing cancer.
The organization has identified a local family who is overjoyed to receive this treehouse gift.
Through this experience, students will develop hands-on skills in carpentry as well as grow in teamwork, compassion and social responsibility. Teens in grades 6 and up will not only learn to build a treehouse, but the workshop will be packed with a wide variety of unique art and mini building projects, designed to get the kids thinking outside the box for alternative uses for everyday objects.
Sample activities include creating a mini disc golf course, graffiti art with found materials, learning how to build items from scrap materials and mixing concrete to make molds.
Ring’s End Wilton has generously donated $500 in supplies to help make this inspired project a reality.
“We love this offering a great deal,” Trackside Director Lori Fields said. “It’s a powerful opportunity to discover how deeply satisfying it feels to make a tangible difference in someone else’s life, while also developing your own abilities.”
“Service is not only a way to help those in need, it’s also a powerful path for personal growth, something we care deeply about at Trackside,” Trackside Program and Executive Assistant Liz Sims said. “As young people learn, grow, and begin to discover who they are, giving back to others can ground them in empathy, purpose, and connection.”
For the past year Trackside has been donating a percentage of the profits from its teen and community events to local charities, including Circle of Care, Malta House and the Melissa McFadden Scholarship, and is looking to increase the number of scholarship opportunities Trackside is able to provide.
“While we recognize that we are nonprofit ourselves and rely on financial support from the community around us, it’s become incredibly important to us as an organization to give back each time we receive.” Fields said. “We want our donors to know that when you support Trackside you’re not just strengthening our organization, you’re also allowing us to give even more to the community around us. “
This inspiring building and service project takes place Wednesday-Thursday, June 18-19 at Trackside. Space is limited.
Learn more and register online. Interested sponsors can reach out via email.