The Place is offering a free, 10-week program called "Why Try" for Chenango County youth aged 7 to 17. The classes teach youth life skills and resiliency through the use of ten metaphors. (Photo by Sarah Genter)

NORWICH — The Place is offering a free youth resiliency program titled "Why Try" to Chenango County youth aged 7 to 17.

The program runs for ten weeks at The Place, with classes held every Wednesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m., beginning on Wednesday, December 4. There will be no classes on December 25 or January 1. Dinner will be provided to participants each week.

Pre-registration is required, and The Place Executive Director Sharon Vesely said they will accept registrations up until December 11. To register, contact Vesely at 607-336-9696 ext. 103 or execdirector@theplacenorwich.com.

The program is facilitated by Kelli Curley and Abby Flynn, who will provide local youth with strategies and resources to motivate themselves, improve their engagement, and increase academic success.

Curley said the program utilizes ten metaphors to teach youth valuable life skills, including decision making, positive self esteem, emotional regulation, having a resilient mindset, peer influence and relationships, problem solving, hard work and determination, responsibility and expectations, relationship building, and self efficacy.