ENDICOTT, NY – (WIVT/WBGH) A local community center is hosting free, educational classes aimed at bettering the health and wellness of youth and their families.

The non-profit, Watch Us Change Us is hosting eight, free, one-hour classes at the Southern Tier Community Center in Endicott.

Watch Us Change Us is a minority-owned, grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring youth on how to become self-motivated. The lessons cover topics such as mental health, skin safety, allergies, sports safety, and water safety.

At each class, attendees will receive a care package filled with goodies related to the topic. For example, for the bike safety lesson, kids received customized bike helmets and water bottles. The founder of Watch Us Change Us, Kashif Summers says that the classes are just as important for parents and families, not just the youth.

“We’re guaranteed to make sure that everybody is going to have a good time. Because, these are interactive topics, they’re not just sit around and be bored and listen to people talk about stuff that we’re not understanding. These are topics that are affecting the world, affecting each and every one of us, in one way or another, whether we know it or not,” said Summers.

The next session will take place on Tuesday and will cover skin care and the effects of COVID.

Watch Us Change Us received a grant from the New York State Department of Health to fund the initiative. Every session is free and open to the public.

Summers says that there will be snacks and pizza, and participants will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course.