THRIVE Teen Expo a huge success

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Inspiration for the participants of the THRIVE Teen Expo in Los Alamitos. Courtesy photo.

The City of Los Alamitos Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Commission met during a regularly scheduled meeting to discuss a Recreation brainstorm that included expanded potential teen programming. As a result, the Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services Department proposed a teen event, THRIVE Teen Expo, a personal development conference for teens in middle school and high school. This event would be in partnership with members from the Serve Los Al committee.

The event was originally set to take place in April of 2020, but due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time of the event, it was postponed to a later date.

The THRIVE Teen Expo committee, made up of representatives from the City of Los Alamitos, Casa Youth Shelter, The Los Alamitos Education Foundation (LAEF), Summer Harvest, The Youth Center, Southland Credit Union, and Orange County Health Care Agency, is proud to announce that the very first THRIVE Teen Expo took place on Saturday, April 30 at the Los Alamitos Community Center. The event was a success with 38 amazing middle schoolers and high schoolers participating in a day full of interactive activities covering Life Skills, Self Confidence, Self-Care, Safety, and Real Life Adulting 101.

It was a special day full of laughter, hope, positivity, and knowledge! THRIVE Teen Expo was developed to provide local teens with resources and tools that will help them thrive in all aspects of their life in a fun, safe environment.

The event’s success would not have been possible without the THRIVE Teen Expo committee as well as speakers from the Los Alamitos Police Department, Los Alamitos High School, Tribe Functional Fitness, Tilly’s Life Center, and keynote speakers Dr. Gale Gorke and Southland Credit Union. In addition, the Los Alamitos Police Department provided partial funding of $5,000 through a grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) of California!

For more information on teen programs, please visit the City of Los Alamitos Recreation and Community Services website at cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation.

Participants in the first THRIVE Teen Expo at the Community Center in Los Alamitos. Courtesy photo.
Participants in the first THRIVE Teen Expo at the Community Center in Los Alamitos. Courtesy photo.