Life sized game of life teaches 8th graders the importance of choices.
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DYERSBURG, Tenn.– An organization in West Tennessee recreated a giant version of a popular family board game to teach teenagers how to make better life choices. “We’re all about empowering our youth and empowering our teens to make better choices, and we believe that educating them is to give them that power,” said Marla Kennedy, Life Choices Project Director. The organization “Life Choices” and “Right Choices” built a human-sized version of the board game “Life.” Teens were presented with scenarios they may face, and had to make tough choices to get them through. “I’m very pleased with it we’re tired, but I’m pleased with it. It’s been a good week,” said Kennedy. The teenagers started with four scenarios that range from drugs, to bullying, to texting and driving. They were then led around the maze by the results of their choices. “It’s definitely a learning experience, cause if you made some of these decisions in real life of course it would be way more serious than something here,” said Gunner Hopkins, 8th grader. Project coordinators said that in the three days of this event about 600 students have gone through the maze. They said it takes about 85 volunteers per session to make this happen. Some volunteers are the real deal. Sheriff’s deputies, E.M.T.s, and probation officers all volunteered. Laura Busch has worked with life choices for more than a decade. She said these issues are important, especially at this age “It”s good for them to have that knowledge before they go into high school, about the things they’re going to encounter,” said Busch. Kennedy said this took months to put together, but that she hopes the teens walked away ready to make tough choices. “Hopefully that will teach them ‘hey okay, I need to think a little bit more and be a little wiser.’,” said Kennedy. Kennedy also said there’s a kit so other communities can re-create the project for their teenagers. To find out more go to their website, http://lifechoicesdyersburg.com/
