Catholic Charities’ North Star Youth Partnership Hosts 23rd Annual Teen Maze: Community Initiative Guides Youth to Make Good Decisions

With age and experience, we realize that life can change quickly in the blink of an eye. As teens enter adulthood and face more complicated and difficult decisions, making the right choice can seem daunting. Unfortunately, the wrong choice can have life-altering consequences. For more than two decades, the North Star Youth Partnership of Catholic Charities, Matforce and Yavapai County Community Health Services have developed the Teen Maze, an interactive, life-size board game experience that helps young people do difficult choices, to suffer the consequences, and provide them with the information necessary to take the right path. This year 23rd Annual Teen Maze will take place October 16-18 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Grace M. Sparkes Activity Center in Prescott, with more than 700 young people expected.

At the exhibit, teens navigate their way through the maze by drawing scenario cards or spinning a wheel that tells them a choice. As they navigate the maze, they deepen their understanding of personal responsibility, learn peer resilience skills, how to make more effective life choices, and tips for planning a successful future. The courses are led by various professionals in their field who have a certain role to play and present the appropriate information to guide adolescents. The Teen Maze is a judgment-free zone that offers a creative, interactive and powerful method for delivering often life-changing information. Topics covered include drugs, alcohol, impaired and distracted driving, tobacco and vaping, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, online dangers, college, careers and goal setting, self-care strategies and much more.

Teen Maze is generously funded this year by APS, Dignity Health Yavapai Regional Medical Center, Matforce, North Star Youth Partnership and Prescott Sunrise Lions.

In addition to event sponsors, various community groups and businesses make Teen Maze possible. Special thanks to the Community Pregnancy Center, DEA-Operation Engage, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Granite Mountain Psychological Society, Matforce, Prescott Valley Police Department, Yavapai College, Yavapai County Community Health Services, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department, Yavapai Family Advocacy Center and Probation for minors in Yavapai.

The Grace M. Sparkes Activity Center is located at 824 E. Gurley Street, Prescott. Homeschooled students are encouraged to participate in Teen Maze on October 18. For more information or to reserve a spot, call Kasey Shaver, Teen Maze Coordinator at 928-899-7141. www.northstaryouth.org,

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About Catholic Charities Community Services:
Founded in 1933, Catholic Charities provides care to vulnerable people of all faiths in central and northern Arizona through foster care, early childhood education, and affordable housing (Housing for Hope) programs. , veterans services, refugee resettlement and homeless assistance. Learn more by visiting www.catholiccharitiesaz.org. Social connections include www.facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesAZ and Twitterr.com/CCArizona.