In our high school we have a program called Project Graduation. The high school is open from post-graduation to 5 AM. Graduating seniors and invited friends can come and take part in a multitude of activities like basketball, cards, dancing, etc. I am not sure if this is a widely accepted or copied program, if it is not, it sure should be. It is an excellent idea. It sure does take alot of volunteers and local business support. From what I saw, it was well worth it.
Just in case you are wondering, ample food is available. From 2 AM to 3:30 AM the kids can go bowling courtesy of the school buses.
We worked the 9 PM to Midnight shift at the food court. It was slow at first, kids started coming in around 10:30 PM. At 11:40 PM we had a swarm of kids chowing down. Several of the volunteer parents made frequent trips to bring pizza, stuffed bread, cookies, chicken nuggets, and other tidbits. Kids would sit at tables, talk and eat. As with any gathering of kids, the tables and chairs were rearranged. At one point the a number of the kids got on the dance floor. The school had a good DJ.
It was so enjoyable to watch. Lots of conversations and laughter. Each kid was polite. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced I did not see kids on smart phones. They were enjoying each other's company. It was loud, so I did wonder if they heard any conversation. It did not seem to matter.
I must admit, it made me fondly recall my senior year in high school. You hope they will be friends for decades and will keep in contact. That is probably easier now with social media.
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