Goodman Community Center

How did Be the Good look through TEENworks’ eyes? 📸👀

Current sophomore Houja spent last month’s dinner and fundraiser as the official TEENworks’ event photographer. Houja moved confidently through the many event spaces — front and back of house — catching authentic moments that only she (and co-participants Jayden, Keneth, and Daelin who got a few moments with the camera themselves) could capture.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FRIDAY JUNE 12 ⛱️

Help the older adult program put on one of their most anticipated annual events: The Summer Patio Party ☀️Have fun, play games, serve food, and spend time in the summer sun!

Two shift types available⏱️Each shift runs for 3.5-4 hours.

9:15 AM Start - setup and event support
10:30 AM Start - event support and cleanup

Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/VolunteeratGCC

MMSD confirms school busses will transport elementary youth to Goodman Community Center from Emerson and Lowell for the 2026-27
school year 🚌🤩

Community members made testimonies at the school board meeting, written comments were submitted, messages were sent directly to the board of education. Direct community action was taken. Positive change was made.

Long term conversations are still being had amongst leaders, but we are confident our decades long productive relationship with MMSD will lead us to the
best choice for our organizations and youth.

And we are especially confident in this community’s strength if your advocacy is needed again. Thank you to everyone who lent their voice to this issue. Your support matters deeply — to us and to the kids safe from crossing our busy Madison streets.

You can hear more about this decision in:
Isthmus: https://isthmus.com/news/news/madison-school-district-restores-busing-for-goodman-after-sc/

Wisconsin State Journal: https://madison.com/news/local/education/local_schools/article_d76674b2-ca82-41f7-a1fb-90d285f3cd19.html

Busing is restored for Goodman after-school program Goodman staff, parents and advocates protested the move by the district to end the transportation.

Happy Pride Month from us at GCC 🌈 May every LGBTQ+ human find where their authentic self is protected, safe, and encouraged to shine. In the Atwood neighborhood, Madison, and across Wisconsin; from kids to older adults and all ages in between ❤️🧡💛💚💙

May's Ballweg Gallery exhibit by Urban Sketchers Madison is coming to a close, but this beautiful sketch of our Ironworks building is here to stay.

Created earlier this month by Lily Chang, this piece was generously gifted to the Goodman Center. Find it displayed in the lobby across from the front desk. Thank you Lily and Urban Sketchers!

“The best camera is the one you have with you.”

Sam from Dutcher Photography facilitated an intro to photography session with TEENworks last week, focusing on the camera pretty much all teens have access to: their phones. Sam gave the teens a few techniques to help them take their photos of friends, sunsets, and stuff to the next level, demonstrating each technique on a photo walk around Goodman’s grounds. The teens also got to ask questions and show Sam some of their own photos.

Thank you to Sam for spending her afternoon with TEENworks, and to her son Ben (who is a TEENworks participant himself) for being the sessions demonstration model.

Check out some of these photos taken by Sam and some taken by staff using the tips Sam shared.

🚶🏻‍➡️ Our older adult walking club has been getting out and enjoying the warmer weather with weekly strolls through the neighborhood around Goodman led by Badger Volunteer Sama. A recent Thursday afternoon walk to Olbrich Gardens brought sunshine and early spring blooms.

Starting in June, the group will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays to trek the area, weather permitting. Ages 50+ are welcome to join in for a stroll!

Our Assistant Director of Youth and Community Development Howard Hayes was the special guest on the premiere episode of Brian Emerson's podcast FREE SEEDS 🌱 a gardening and farming podcast.

Howard and Brian dove into the longstanding middle school summer program course 'Garden Fit.' Garden Fit, which Howard refers to as a gardening "choose your own adventure," takes a rotating group of incoming 6th graders to one of Rooted's education community gardens up to 3x per week. But like any good conversation with Howard, the pair also discussed gardening as connection to the land, others, self, and to our ancestors.

You can listen to the full premiere episode of FREE SEEDS online now at wortfm.org (link in bio).

Goodman Community Center and all its associated programs and services are closed today, Monday, 5/25, for Memorial Day, including the fitness center. Please contact 211 to find open organizations for services.

See you tomorrow, Atwood!

On Wednesday, the older adult program had a very special conversational presentation with renowned local weather forecaster Scott Rippee of Rippeology . The group talked about our current whether patterns, how this year's super El Niño will impact Wisconsin and the country, and the reasons for our current state of accelerated climate change.

Scott's presentation was incredibly engaging, and brought every audience member into his love of weather. Thank you to Scott for spending your late morning with the older adults!