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Southlake youth, ages 9-13, are invited to take place in The Hunger Games Southlake, which takes place on Saturday at 9 a.m.
The outing will not feature the strange brutality that the world has come to know through the Suzanne Collins series, but rather will teach youngsters necessary survival skills, like shelter building, campfire building, plant identification, first aid, camouflage and more.
In light of the upcoming event, coordinator Amy Bennett took some time to answer our questions.
Southlake Style: I'm sure a big part of the inspiration for the event is the upcoming movie, but where did the idea of holding an event like this stem from?
Amy Bennett: I have been wanting to to a survivalist program for some time it is something I am personally interested in. Plus with the popularity of shows like the Walking Dead and The Hunger Games, interest in survival type programs have grown. The release of the new movie was just good timing and helps to create excitement about the program.
SS: What type of coordination/effort went into the planning of the event?
Bennett: Planning has been mainly focused on gathering information and ensuring that the staff are knowledgeable about the skills we are going to focus on. We have also spent time developing our own version of the Hunger Games to be something that will be fun for the participants and incorporate the skills they will learn.
SS: I see the goal is to teach kids teamwork and leadership skills... Are there specific methods/ideas that will be used to accomplish this through the games?
Bennett: Our staff will give the basic information about each skill, like fire building, but it will be up to the participants to work together to accomplish given tasks. They will have to talk through different circumstances, what will or won't work, and take everyone's input in mind. In a true survival situation the participants won't have a staff member to tell them what to do so we are trying to replicate that as close as possible. Ultimately, whether the whole group survives or fails depends on the kids ability to work together.
The outing will not feature the strange brutality that the world has come to know through the Suzanne Collins series, but rather will teach youngsters necessary survival skills, like shelter building, campfire building, plant identification, first aid, camouflage and more.
In light of the upcoming event, coordinator Amy Bennett took some time to answer our questions.
Southlake Style: I'm sure a big part of the inspiration for the event is the upcoming movie, but where did the idea of holding an event like this stem from?
Amy Bennett: I have been wanting to to a survivalist program for some time it is something I am personally interested in. Plus with the popularity of shows like the Walking Dead and The Hunger Games, interest in survival type programs have grown. The release of the new movie was just good timing and helps to create excitement about the program.
SS: What type of coordination/effort went into the planning of the event?
Bennett: Planning has been mainly focused on gathering information and ensuring that the staff are knowledgeable about the skills we are going to focus on. We have also spent time developing our own version of the Hunger Games to be something that will be fun for the participants and incorporate the skills they will learn.
SS: I see the goal is to teach kids teamwork and leadership skills... Are there specific methods/ideas that will be used to accomplish this through the games?
Bennett: Our staff will give the basic information about each skill, like fire building, but it will be up to the participants to work together to accomplish given tasks. They will have to talk through different circumstances, what will or won't work, and take everyone's input in mind. In a true survival situation the participants won't have a staff member to tell them what to do so we are trying to replicate that as close as possible. Ultimately, whether the whole group survives or fails depends on the kids ability to work together.
We will be using the Amphitheater and the Day Camp Area at Bob Jones park, these are located near Boo Boo's Buddies Dog Park.
We are really excited about this program coming up - it is something completely new and will be a great opportunity for the youth to learn important survival skills and really challenge their ability to think creativity and work together.
The cost is $30 to participate. Register online at SouthlakeParksandRec.com or in person at Southlake Community Services located at 1400 Main St, Suite 210. For more information, call 817-748-8019.
The cost is $30 to participate. Register online at SouthlakeParksandRec.com or in person at Southlake Community Services located at 1400 Main St, Suite 210. For more information, call 817-748-8019.