As soon as kids walk through the doors of the Brown County YMCA into the rec room on Tuesday afternoon their energy is renewed.
An announcement sign welcomes them in. Instruments sit by a circle of chairs as two keyboards face each other on one wall and a ping pong table is nearby ready for play.
Whatever weighed on their young minds during school hours or beyond the school walls is soon lifted when they find themselves at BETA.
Since 2011, BETA — Brown County Enrichment for Teens Association — has served teens from sixth grade up through their senior year, offering after-school activities every Tuesday, as well as summer programs.
Lindsey Lewis has been the program director since right before Christmas last year. She is currently in a 90-day trial run with the position.
Anna Hofstetter, who serves as the president on BETA’s board of directors, sent Lewis a message asking if she’d be interested.
Lewis had been in an after-school program at Harmony Baptist Church when she was a teen, which was directed by Jacqueline “Jackie” Watson, who passed away in 2020.
Watson was not only an educator to Lewis, who had Watson as a teacher at Columbus East High School, but she was also a mentor.
“I was in a horrible position in life, but Jackie would sit me down and tell me how it needed to be,” Lewis said. “I wonder sometimes if she’s my guardian angel out there.”
Watson asked Lewis to take over at Harmony years before it ended. Lewis said no at the time due to the kids being older and not coming as much.
When Hofstetter asked Lewis to take over BETA, she said she felt Watson on her shoulder, so she said yes.
Lewis hopes that if kids need a place to express themselves creatively or emotionally, they can do that at BETA. She also hopes to help them to look forward to the future and beyond their school years.
“These kids need some direction and to know that life isn’t just today,” she said.
This means helping kids get good jobs, deal with emotions in a healthy way and understand self-love and self-care.
“I remember thinking, ‘This will never change,’ but no one told me it will be different when I’m older,” Lewis said. She said she is comfortable being that person for the kids that walk through the doors of BETA.
‘Way to give back’
Lewis worked in the Brown County School Corporation and switched to the night shift when COVID-19 hit and caused shutdowns.
Her 9-year-old son had health issues and was spending time at home. She is now homeschooling him.
“This little community has given back to us for the last 17 years,” she said. “(Serving in BETA) is a way to give back.”
Lewis didn’t know how big BETA was until she started. The group had about 16 kids at their meeting on Feb. 1.
“I took the reins and I’m trying my hardest,” she said. “You show up, you see them, you appreciate them; you keep it about the kids.”
Part of keeping it about the kids means teaching them boundaries in a helpful way, Lewis said.
“I don’t know if I’m bringing a different light to this program, but rules and respect were things that Jackie talked about in our programming,” she said.
One of the things they’ve got on the books is a trash pickup day at the Y, going around and cleaning up the campus. Lewis said the Y is supportive of their group.
In turn, BETA kids are able to use the pool. Lewis said it’s a way to “give back and get back.”
BETA is a nonprofit and raises a larger amount of its funding through different events throughout the year.
One of the upcoming fundraisers is an art auction. Lewis has been calling on artist friends and locals to donate. So far, bird houses, pottery, hand-made bait and other items have been donated by at least seven people. The auction will be held on BETA’s fundraising page on Facebook next month.
Winning bidders will be able to pick up their purchases at BETA the following Tuesday, and meet the kids that their money helped.
BETA is run by volunteers at the meeting and on the board of directors. Local artist MK Watkins has donated her time to instruct art lessons, as well as Bill Hastings. Michael Wilmer instructs music lessons at the meetings.
Board member Terry Wilmont also volunteers to help at the meetings.
In the summer, the group takes field trips and this year Lewis plans on helping the kids to see what adventure awaits in their own backyard.
The Brown County State Park will be the location of at least one, Lewis said.
Some other material needs are a particular drum stand and someone to tune instruments.
They also need transportation for field trips.
In addition to funding, transportation and donating food, Lewis and Hofstetter both said BETA is always looking for volunteers.
Whether it’s serving on the board of directors or joining in at meetings on Tuesdays with the kids, they will always take more help as they work to make BETA a safe space for kids.
“We want everyone to realize that BETA is a completely free, arts-focused, secular after-school program,” Hofstetter said. “The teens in the Brown County community could use a little empowerment. We want all kids to feel confident and valuable.”
BETA was an item of discussion at the Brown County Parks and Recreation meeting on Jan. 26. BETA had been meeting in the former parks and rec office space at Deer Run Park before moving back to the Y.
The board of directors had been sent an email from the former president of BETA, Annie Hawk, notifying them that she was stepping down. She said the BETA board wanted step away and find other alternatives or agencies who might be interested in hosting the program.
Hawk had also sent a breakdown of the program’s budget, which parks and rec Director Mark Shield said ranges from $19,000 to $23,000 per year.
Parks and rec board member Kara Hammes said in the meeting that the work that BETA does is complementary to what the Purdue Extension Office does.
Hammes mentioned that they, along with the Brown County Public Library, showed interest in combining efforts and partnering to support BETA.
“I think there’s a lot of pieces and there are enough groups in the community that have an interest and see the worth in what BETA’s doing that there’s no reason for it to really go away,” Hammes said. “But what do they need? What money is there, what are ongoing costs? It seems to me it needs to be a conversation with more groups in the room.”
Safe place
After school in the Y on Feb. 3, teens were playing a variety of instruments with different songs playing at the same time, ping pong balls were flying and many laughs could be found in every corner.
The kids acted freely for one reason that they all know to be true: it’s a safe place.
Ten of the kids at the Feb. 3 meeting shared why BETA is important to them.
“My favorite thing about BETA is how you can actually get kids who are completely opposite from each other to actually work together or intermingle a lot more,” Ireland said. “They usually stay in their friend groups, but it’s cool to get a lot of different activities to do (together).”
For Makayla and Rain, being able to spend time with friends and hang out is important. It’s also a place to “get away.”
“It’s like a space where you go to get away from school or home and it’s a fun place to be,” Makayla said.
“You’re able to get away from schoolwork or if you have trouble with parents, then you can get away from all that and stay in a calm place,” Rain said.
Nico said it’s a safe place to go and be with friends.
Walking to BETA from the school along the Salt Creek Trail is a way to get out spend time with friends. “I just really like hanging out with everyone. It gives us a safe environment,” Leon said.
“I like that it’s a place where all sorts of friends can get together and laugh,” Grace said. “It’s just a safe place for a lot of people to go if maybe they don’t want to go home.”
For Alivia, seeing her friends is the most fun aspect of BETA. Mackenzie agreed.
John said spending time in the gym at the Y and being active with friends is his favorite.
Tuesday’s meeting was Max’s first time at BETA, who normally goes to the library after school.
“It’s my first time here, but it seems really inclusive and like there’s a whole lot of things to do, which I really like,” Max said.
The kids added that it brings people together with its inclusiveness, they have a friend group that is family and it’s the best place to be if someone needs a safe place.
These kids who call BETA a “safe place” will have influence on the future of BETA, too. On Feb. 3, they had a “family meeting,” where Lewis went over the rules and announcements then asked for the kids’ input on what activities they’d like to see.
Seven kids that night signed up to be a part of the student-led BETA board, which will meet once a month and discuss everything BETA. Four others signed up to participate in Brown County 4-H.
“I want them to give back to their community and get back (from their community),” Lewis said.
Some kids that come into the group face adversity, every day, Lewis said, and she wants to be who Watson was to her.
“Kids are important,” she said.
“They need proper representation to be helped well.”
Visit BETA’s fundraiser page at facebook.com/Beta-Teen-Enrichment-Fundraiser-108783655048603 for more information on how to donate.
