The SEYM Youth Program provides fun and meaningful activities for all ages of youth at the SEYM Gathering, Half-Yearly Meeting, and other events throughout the year. Our goal is to support young people to build community, grow spiritually, and deepen their understanding of and sense of empowerment within Quakerism. We also seek to release parents and other caretakers to participate fully in the life of the yearly meeting as individuals, in addition to their roles as family members and caretakers.
We recognize that young people’s presence and depth of spiritual and community life is integral to the life of Southeastern Yearly Meeting as a whole.
Each age group is encouraged, at a developmentally-appropriate level, to discern focus, activities, and themes for their own programs. The SEYM Youth Committee, youth clerks, dedicated volunteers, and the SEYM Youth and Young Adult Coordinator work together to create and run programs based on youth discernment and priorities.
SEYM youth programs are designed for young people from birth through age eighteen, and are divided into groups by age and/or grade. If an individual young person’s grade level does not “match” their age, or they do not have a grade designation, we work with youth and their caregivers to find solutions based on the needs of the individual young person and the community.
All Program leaders and Youth Workers are screened and trained through our Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAPP).