Following the lead of the Museum of Contemporary American Teenagers and the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival (July 2-7) in Washington, DC, the Washington County Coalition for Children (WCCC) will be hosting a series of conversations and activities to honor the CenTEENial, 100 years in the lives of American teenagers.  Events will include our 2^nd annual Youth Mental Health Summit to be led by youth on Monday, May 19, 2025.  Be sure not to miss this event!

Why the CenTEENial?  In 1925, 100 years ago, famed anthropologist Margaret Mead traveled to American Samoa to explore whether adolescence was a universally traumatic and stressful time due to biological factors or if the ‘storm and stress’ she witnessed among adolescent girls in the United States was unique to American culture.  The term ‘teenager’ was coined in the 1920’s, hence the ‘CenTEENial’ celebration.

We are excited to highlight this pivotal period of youth development.  Adolescence is a time of remarkable opportunity and growth. Teens discover, learn from, and adapt quickly to the world around them. They forge who they are and aspire to be. They learn to make decisions, drive cars, begin jobs, and create deeper relationships with their peers and other adults in our communities as they grow more and more independent from their parents. Teens build resilience, develop passions, and often craft meaningful goals that begin to shape their adult lives. While their developing brains are well suited to these tasks, our culture does not always support them or give them the resources they need to succeed.  Throughout this year, we will celebrate the wonders of teens in our lives and explore ways we can better foster their optimal growth and development with local youth guiding us.

We are eager to partner with other community organizations interested in joining us in this celebration.  Just as they are doing in Washington, DC, we would love to showcase youth art and organize youth focused activities and discussions throughout the year.  If you or your organization are interested in getting involved, please contact us at wccc@washcokids.org.