Building a strong connection to school helps teens thrive 

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** La Barra
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Connecting teens to school, peers and trusted adults

La Barra cheering section at a Gaithersburg High School soccer game this fall.

This year, a loyal group of Wellness Center youth cheered, sang, waved flags and played the drums for the Gaithersburg High School soccer team at every home game, rain or shine. They call themselves La Barra, after the tradition of such cheering sections across Latin America, which sing and play non-stop throughout the match. The cheering then spread to home football games and there are plans for basketball this winter.

But La Barra is about more than just school spirit. It is about school connection that leads to better attendance and focus on education, about belonging and forging trusting relationships with peers and adults.
When you support Identity, you help teens connect to school, the community and the future. ([link removed])

Rolando Quintanilla founded La Barra when he was a Wellness Center participant in 2017 and revived it this year when he joined the staff team.
Rolando is proud of the teens who cheer, because “it's more than just supporting the soccer team, it gives a lot of the Latino kids a voice. And myself growing up in this area, I know it can be hard to have nothing to do after school. It keeps them engaged in school life."

"We also have a lot of newcomers who love the idea because it connects them to their roots and helps them make friends", Rolando says. "It helps them get to know the GHS Wellness Center staff and feel more comfortable coming to the Center because of the relationships we built already.”
La Barra is one of many ways Identity youth are building skills and protective factors to help them reach their full potential. When you give to Identity, you help these teens connect to school, the community, and the future.

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