Maze of Life (Maze) is an interactive youth engagement activity that provides real-life scenarios for choices made early in life and the impact they have over time. The Maze is a regional endeavor that has been engaging youth for over a decade with effective results, and thanks to several strategic partnerships it has made its way to Lea County!
The inaugural Lea County Maze took place on September 25, 2019 at the Lea County Fairgrounds Zia Building. Approximately 280 Taylor Middle School 8th graders went through the Maze in three different 90 minutes sessions.
The Maze was presented by the Lovington Youth Center & Nor-Lea Hospital, narrated by MyPower, and instructed by several committed community partners who make up InforME (community coalition addressing teen pregnancy prevention and adolescent health). The topics of the Maze included:
- Social Media and Sexting (Option, Inc.)
- DWI (Lea County)
- Pregnancy Prevention, STDs Awareness, & Vaping (Department of Health)
- Substance Abuse Awareness (Community Drug Coalition)
- Suicide Prevention (Guidance Center of Lea County)
- Domestic Abuse and Healthy Relationships (The Phoenix House and Children’s Advocacy Center)
- Zika Virus Awareness (Emergency Management)
- Cost of a Baby (Lea County State Bank)
- Nutrition/Diabetes Education (Nor-lea Hospital)
- College Readiness (New Mexico Junior College)
Teachers were pleasantly surprised with the level of engagement from students and pleased to see they were learning about tough issues that they deal with often. The students learned some interesting facts, and the STDs booth was a surprising favorite according to many of the students.
The Maze will be coming to Hobbs for all 8th grade students April 21-23, 2020. The Foundation is proud to partner with community organizations to address the health and safety of adolescents through this fun, informative approach.
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