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What is the Serteen Program?
Youth are the future of society – and of Sertoma. Serteens are young
men and women, ages 11 to 19, who are interested in what’s going on
in the world and who are motivated to improve their world through SERrvice
TO MAnkind. The Serteens program is a great avenue for teens to identify and
contribute to community needs, as well as to fulfill the community service
requirement established by many schools.
Serteen Benefits:
* Serteens form friendships and have fun planning social activities, service
projects and fundraisers.
* Personal development, including the development of leadership and social
skills, is important to Serteens. Many Serteen clubs attend college fairs
and invite guest speakers to their meetings. They learn to appreciate our
country’s history and culture through outings, ranging from canoe trips
to visits to national historical sites and radio and television stations.
And, they “see the world” during end-of-year trips. They don’t
just visit radio and television stations – they make the news!
* Serteens develop added respect for themselves and others.
* The potential opportunity to attend the four-day Freedoms Foundation program
at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
School and Community Benefits:
* Serteens initiate projects to assist their schools, such as holding a drug
education fair or Valentine Ball, organizing teacher appreciation days or
buying needed equipment for the school. Annually, Sertoma International selects
a Serteen Club of the Year.
* Serteens exemplify community service in projects such as adopting a stretch
of highway for litter pickup, providing Christmas gifts for the needy, assisting
with Special Olympics or volunteering at a local senior citizens center, soup
kitchen, elementary school or troubled teens home. The Serteen of the Year
award is a special recognition for one of the many Serteens who are particularly
dedicated.
Serteen Club Organization:
* Serteen groups are organized by Sertoma clubs. Each Serteen club has a club
advisor who is a representative of the sponsoring Sertoma club, and/or a school
advisor, usually a teacher or employee of the school where the Serteen club
is formed. An annual Advisor of the Year award recognizes a deserving advisor
who has shown exemplary commitment.
* The Serteen clubs are run by their members who decide which needs are most
important in their schools or communities. They elect their own leaders, raise
their own money, choose their own service projects, plan their own activities
and make the news.
Serteens Promote:
* Service to the less fortunate
* Service to local communities
* Good citizenship and good government
* Freedom and democracy
* Opportunity for everyone
* Mutual understanding and tolerance for all people
* Positive peer association
* Friendship and fellowship as opportunities for Service to Mankind
