Mundelein-area junior high school students invited to dance

By Abby Scalf Daily Herald Staff Writer

The Mundelein After School Coalition will host a community dance from

6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Mundelein High School gym, 1350 Hawley

St.

The dance is open to any Mundelein-area junior high school student.

School ID will be required for entry. 

This is the first event organized by the Mundelein group, an extension

of the Lake County After School Coalition. The coalition is made up

of park, library, police and all four Mundelein school districts,

as well as Santa Maria School and community resource organizations.

Mundelein Chief Raymond Rose said between 3 and 6 p.m. is when most

kids get in trouble and most are victimized. The coalition's mission

is to provide a preventive, alternative method to reduce crime and

protect young people. 

Seeking input from Mundelein students, Rose said there has been

a lot of dialogue such as what after school programs kids would like

to see. 

The kids said they wanted the first event to be a dance, an environment

where they can dance or hang out and get a feel as to where to take

this group.

Melissa Buenik, social worker at Mundelein High School, said it

is important that kids from the feeder schools come together before

they come to the high school.

The dance will feature music played by a disc jockey from KISS 103.5-FM

recommended by the high school students, Rose said. 

To keep the dance free for students, the police department took

funds from its drug asset seizure fund to buy decorations and snacks.

To help the kids who are organizing the dance buy supplies, Rose said

police officers took them to the store. 

High school students will chaperon at the dance, along with police

officers. Rose said parents need to be assured their children will

be safe.

"If parents don't feel comfortable letting kids go, it won't get

off the ground," he said. "That is where parents get involved. We

want parents to understand what we are doing and that their kids will

be in a safe environment."

The 25-member coalition hopes to plan a variety of after-school

programs at new locations each month like the library or park district

community center. It then can progress to offering programs each week

at a different school.

"We want to attract and appeal to a larger school age population,"

he said. 

Rose said a lofty goal, but the next step, would be to offer a teen

center where kids can go after school daily.

After watching the kids who have joined the coalition and organized

the dance, Rose said they have much to offer. The coalition is impressed

with how intelligent, logical and analytical the kids were.

"We were confident of the future of our community watching these

kids," he said.

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