ANNUAL APPEAL 2022
The ordinary moments offer us something extraordinary. A couple of high school kids playing chess with some middle school students at our cafe. Looks ordinary. But what’s really happening is something deep and powerful. It lies at the heart of what makes Trackside special and why we’re intentionally a place, ”FOR teens, BY teens”. The interaction between these different age groups is transformative for everybody. It reflects our core mission, of offering all who step foot inside our doors, a safe and supportive place to escape from everyday life, and to socialize and have fun in a low-pressure, enriching environment. |
These seemingly ordinary moments, reflective of something far greater, happen daily at Trackside. It’s the reason I went from being a Board Member to Executive Director.
As our teens struggle to navigate a world much more challenging than when you and I were growing up, having a place to feel good about yourself, to feel like you belong is not just nice to have, it’s essential.
We’re committed to creating a culture and offering a wide range of exciting programs and experiences that help our teens develop a positive and strong sense of themselves. Feeling good about yourself at Trackside is how we measure success.
We’re in an exciting season of transformation & growth.
Since taking this position and partnering with Dr. John Priest, a longtime Wilton educator whose energy, creativity and devotion make the Trackside experience remarkable and memorable, we’ve immersed ourselves in a refresh across the organization.
We’ve refreshed the interior with new paint, furniture, decor and artwork. We’ve created a Makerspace in our loft. We’ve invested in new gutters and other exterior improvements.
A core team of high school leaders now run our kitchen and Cafe. We’ve expanded our programs to offer clubs like Robotics, American Sign Language, Intro to Acting, Homework Help, QuizBowl, Running Club, D&D, Gaming, Improv, movie nights, summer adventure trips and more.
This fall we launched a Talk Series to bring enriching conversations to our kids and community, alreadyseeing strong turnout and engaged kids.
We’re home to many community groups including Genesis High School, Safe Rides, Paul Green Rock Academy, Crossways Church, Wilton Garden Club, and serve as an event space for community meetings, sports banquets and more.
There’s much more we need to do, to better serve our kids and our community. We need your help to do it.
We're in need of a bathroom renovation which will allow us to offer a full day summer camp program, along with other improvements to our facility. We want to bring more speakers to our stage, and more programs and events to our community.
We’re grateful for the ways you’ve already supported us. Your faith in us and what we’re building keeps our energy high and our passion strong. We need your continued support.
Since stepping into this role, it’s been the simple moments that have made the biggest impact. Having deep and interesting conversations with our high school students, watching them grow as leaders, witnessing our middle school students feel more comfortable and confident, and having parents share the ways Trackside has changed, and in some cases, even saved their child’s life.
What happens here might look simple, but what’s really happening is something much more profound.
Your gift will provide us with a solid foundation for the year ahead as we continue to create a culture, space and programs that are essential to our teens and our community.
With great appreciation,
Lori Fields, LCSW, Executive Director
On behalf of the Trackside Team & Board
As our teens struggle to navigate a world much more challenging than when you and I were growing up, having a place to feel good about yourself, to feel like you belong is not just nice to have, it’s essential.
We’re committed to creating a culture and offering a wide range of exciting programs and experiences that help our teens develop a positive and strong sense of themselves. Feeling good about yourself at Trackside is how we measure success.
We’re in an exciting season of transformation & growth.
Since taking this position and partnering with Dr. John Priest, a longtime Wilton educator whose energy, creativity and devotion make the Trackside experience remarkable and memorable, we’ve immersed ourselves in a refresh across the organization.
We’ve refreshed the interior with new paint, furniture, decor and artwork. We’ve created a Makerspace in our loft. We’ve invested in new gutters and other exterior improvements.
A core team of high school leaders now run our kitchen and Cafe. We’ve expanded our programs to offer clubs like Robotics, American Sign Language, Intro to Acting, Homework Help, QuizBowl, Running Club, D&D, Gaming, Improv, movie nights, summer adventure trips and more.
This fall we launched a Talk Series to bring enriching conversations to our kids and community, alreadyseeing strong turnout and engaged kids.
We’re home to many community groups including Genesis High School, Safe Rides, Paul Green Rock Academy, Crossways Church, Wilton Garden Club, and serve as an event space for community meetings, sports banquets and more.
There’s much more we need to do, to better serve our kids and our community. We need your help to do it.
We're in need of a bathroom renovation which will allow us to offer a full day summer camp program, along with other improvements to our facility. We want to bring more speakers to our stage, and more programs and events to our community.
We’re grateful for the ways you’ve already supported us. Your faith in us and what we’re building keeps our energy high and our passion strong. We need your continued support.
Since stepping into this role, it’s been the simple moments that have made the biggest impact. Having deep and interesting conversations with our high school students, watching them grow as leaders, witnessing our middle school students feel more comfortable and confident, and having parents share the ways Trackside has changed, and in some cases, even saved their child’s life.
What happens here might look simple, but what’s really happening is something much more profound.
Your gift will provide us with a solid foundation for the year ahead as we continue to create a culture, space and programs that are essential to our teens and our community.
With great appreciation,
Lori Fields, LCSW, Executive Director
On behalf of the Trackside Team & Board