Yahoo Autos Season for Sharing: The Hub at George Washington gives high schoolers a safe space to grow
Corrections & clarifications: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated when The Hub was created and who it was founded by. It was created in 2009 by a group of students with guidance from various mentors.
Students at George Washington High School gathered for their own “Friendsgiving” celebration the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and while enjoying a hot meal, shared what they were thankful for.
Some said they were thankful for just being able to wake up that morning, others thanked some administrators that helped them on their journey and others were thankful for the opportunities that a club like "The Hub" has given them.
The Hub at George Washington High School is an enrichment after-school program that aims to provide fun and fulfilling activities for high schoolers on the near-westside of Indianapolis.
The Hub was started in 2009 by a group of students with guidance from various mentors with the goal of creating a safe gathering place for high schoolers to have fun but to also provide programming to help them think about their future goals. Brandon Buckley then took over leadership of the group in 2012 and has been with the club ever since.
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Tasia Caneler has been with the club since she was a freshman and is now a senior at George Washington High School. She said her older sister encouraged her to join the club and has made a lot of connections through it.
“Being with the upperclassman my freshman year made me a bit more mature,” Caneler said. “It’s helped me meet new people and create new bonds.”
Caneler is hoping to get into Tennessee State University and is looking into majoring in psychology.
Buckley said that he had never seriously considered being a teacher when he was in college, but once he saw how successful he was at interacting with the youth in his community and seeing how the kids looked up to him, he discovered what he was good at.
“Now it’s a passion for me,” Buckley said. “I love what I do and I love to see even some of the kids that are in the worse situations and come into my program and by the end of it come out strong and have opportunities for jobs or are even considering going to college.”
Buckley also wears many hats, other than being the founder and director of The Hub. He currently runs his own talent agency, has been a brand ambassador and is a popular personality on TikTok. He said all his entrepreneurial work has helped him create connections in the community which has led to creating fun opportunities for the students.
Some programs the club has done include lessons on personal finance, mental health and recently an actor came in to do acting exercises with the students, but Buckley said he tries to provide the kinds of activities that the students want to do.
“I give the kids the lead because this is for them,” Buckley said.
The club mostly runs on funding secured through various grants or donations and just received a $35,000 grant from the Indianapolis Foundation, a member of the Central Indiana Community Foundation. But Buckley says it’s been a challenge to get people interested in funding programs for teenagers compared to younger, elementary-aged student programs.
“I tell people all the time, don’t forget about the high school students, because those students need that support,” Buckley said. “They need that mental health support, and they need people to talk to and see that people show up for them.”
It was evident at the club’s Friendsgiving party that Buckley has continued to show up for his students and several former students of The Hub shared how he had influenced their lives.
“I’m 22 years old and I still get on his nerves,” Cynda Chandler, a former student at George Washington High School said. “But I know I can come to him for anything I need and I’ll always be able to get help for whatever I need.”
