In her new office at Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School, Gardnerville resident Shannon Harris said that although she has changed job titles, her professional focus remains the same.
"I've always been focused on the health and safety of the community," said Harris, the new branch director of the Boys & Girls Club of Carson Valley. "I'm just working with a different population now, a younger generation."
Harris, who graduated from Douglas High School in 1992, has spent the last five years working for the Family Support Council.
Starting out as a helping hand in the organization's thrift store, she soon became a domestic violence/sexual assault coordinator and eventually assistant director of the agency.
"I've always chosen jobs that were service-oriented," she said. "Something internal drives me. I've gained incredible knowledge and self-satisfaction from the results I've seen, knowing I can really make a difference in people's lives."
Harris said board members of the Boys & Girls Club approached her about the director position.
"They gave me some details, and once I started researching the mission and philosophy of the Boys & Girls Club, I was hooked " it's a great organization to work for," she said.
The Boys & Girls Club of Carson Valley was started at the middle school in the summer of 2007. Harris said that during the school year, the club averages about 80 students a day, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.
"That number will triple in the summertime," she said.
During her second week on the job, Harris was trying to catch up on program materials and administrative duties. She said she was also getting to know her six part-time employees.
"From 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., I'm out with the kids," she said. "I like to sit down with all of them."
Harris said the first hour of the after-school program is usually set aside for homework. The kids then branch off into different activities, such as art and sports. Older members often hang out in the teen center where they can play games.
"We also have contracts with other agencies and offer a variety of other programs," she said.
For example, Boys & Girls teams up with Douglas Juvenile Probation for the Too Good for Drugs program. The club also has its own life-skills program called Smart Moves, which focuses on decision-making.
Harris said the biggest challenge in her new job has been acclimatizing herself to the kids.
"They are very energetic," she said. "It's a fine line with the teenagers. You want them to have a safe, respectful place to come to, but you also want them to start building their independence."
Harris said the club's board members eventually want to build a separate facility, but that Pau-Wa-Lu suffices for now..
"Their (board members') passion and drive is why I wanted to work for them," she said. "We eventually want to expand, and we really want to get the word out that we're here."
Harris said registration for the summer club starts today.
Unlike the after-school program, the summer program runs 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cost is $20 a week for the first child, and $15 a week for the second.
"The club is really about integrity, honesty and respect," Harris said. "We want to build on those core components and get kids off the street. I just know how important it is to be part of something. I know how important it is for kids to belong to something and have a place to go."
A welcome reception for Harris will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Two Guys from Italy in Gardnerville.
For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of Carson Valley, call (775) 443-7642 or e-mail shannon@bgcwn.org.
