NLYC Newsletter: January 2025

The North Liberty Youth Council, established in 2022, the invites local high school students to engage more deeply with the city, develop leadership skills, plan and host community events, support the community through service projects and advocate for other young people in North Liberty. One of the primary focuses of the Youth Council Newsletter is on mental health. At the beginning of last fall, the Youth Council sent out a survey to youth in North Liberty asking them about their thoughts on the North Liberty community. One question in the survey asked the youth what they thought were some of the big problems in North Liberty. The clear major problem was mental health, as it was voted the biggest issue by many. Thus, this newsletter aims to address ways to help youth improve their mental health. You can subscribe to have them delivered to your inbox.

Mental Health Corner

One source of stress that is prevalent in teenagers’ lives is homework or any academic-related matters. While studying may only seem tangentially related to mental health, mismanagement of one’s time usage and study habits may lead to unnecessary anxiety. Thus, learning how to organize one’s study routines and methods is vital. This is the topic of this issue’s mental health corner.

One way to alleviate stress related to studying is spacing out one’s studying. This is especially important before important exams such as final exams or AP exams. Students often have many finals or AP exams that they need to study for, and as the test day looms nearer, the students’ stress levels increase as they try to cram everything the night before the exam. Therefore, spacing out studying is important. For example, start as early as March for AP exams if needed. Distribute all the necessary topics to study over many days, and allot a small amount of time each day to review a few topics at a time. Once the test date starts to approach, one won’t be stressed anymore, as one has already covered a lot of the material through spaced studying. Spaced learning also helps with retention and long-term memory. If one crams for an exam the night before, the information is only stored in one’s short-term memory, causing one to forget everything in a short period of time after the exam. Spaced studying and repetition, however, causes the information to be ingrained in one’s mind.

A corollary to spaced learning is studying with multiple short breaks included. Taking breaks while studying helps the brain rest and recover after an intense period of studying. Once one resumes studying, one’s productivity will increase. A good example of this is to use the Pomodoro technique, which is where one studies for twenty-five minutes and then takes a five minute break. After four study cycles, take a longer break, about fifteen to thirty minutes. The Pomodoro technique is not set in stone. One can adapt in ways one sees fit, for example studying for one hour and then taking a fifteen minute break. The Pomodoro technique is flexible to one’s needs.

These study techniques will increase one’s productivity and decrease one’s stress. Happy studying!

Upcoming Events

Pickleball Tournament

The NLYC invites all high school students to participate in a friendly pickleball tournament in early April (date TBD). We aim to bring people together for some friendly competition and fun! This event is a fantastic opportunity for kids to meet new friends, showcase their skills, and enjoy a fast-growing sport that anyone can play. Join us for a fun experience and help us build a stronger, more connected community.

The tournament will take place at the Penn Meadows Park Tennis & Pickleball Courts. Admission is $5 per person and will be played as a 2v2, double elimination tournament.

Flag Football Tournament

The NLYC invites all middle school students to participate in a friendly flag football tournament that will take place in May (date TBD). This event is a great chance to team up with friends, enjoy some friendly competition, and show off your skills on the field. Come be a part of a day filled with energy, teamwork, and community spirit!

The tournament will take place at the Liberty High School Football Field. Admission is $5 per person and will be played with 7 people per team. 

Hygiene Products Drive

The NLYC is hosting a Hygiene Products Drive from January 6th to the end of the month (31st). Our goal is to support those in the community who lack access to essential items. We are thankful for any and all hygiene products; however, we are mainly looking for toilet paper and feminine products (pads and tampons). Together, we can make a difference in someone’s daily life. Drop boxes are located at Hills Bank on Zeller, Fareway, Liberty, and CCA, and the Community Center (not sure if it has been confirmed).

STEMpact: Youth to Youth

STEMpact: Youth to Youth is a highschool mentorship program. Our goal is to help younger students explore exciting STEM topics and spark their curiosity. By connecting high school mentors with the youth, we can inspire the next generation of innovators while fostering learning, creativity, and confidence. Mentorship sessions will take place once a month. All sessions will be led by high school students and targeted toward elementary or middle school students. The first session’s topic will be computer science and it will take place on January 25th from 2PM to 3PM at the North Liberty Library.

Registration is required and all of the sessions will take place at the North Liberty Library. For the first lecture, please bring a computer or device.

Past Events

School Supply Drive

We recently hosted a school supply drive to support students in need, and we are incredibly thankful for the generosity of everyone who donated. Your contributions have provided essential supplies that will help students. We are very grateful for all of the donations we received and plan on hosting another school supply drive in the future!