PRESS ROOM > Story > In Business Magazine

May, 2009

Teen Center building leaders today for tomorrow
Financial classes, marketing among activities

By Woodie Walker
Forget the old image of a municipal teen center as a wide-open building for dances and gym activities. The Hampton Teen Center is re-writing the rules for youth involvement.
A multiple-partner operation 15 years in the making, the center is focused on becoming a national model for engaging young people in their communities, according to Cheryl Copper, outreach and resource development manager for the City of Hampton’s Coalition for Youth.
The center occupies a 30,000-square-foot building on Butler Farm Road, and is slated to open Aug. 29. Formerly a Sentara facility, it was purchased for $2.8 million by the City of Hampton, which took possession in February 2008.
Since then it has been under renovation, which is almost complete. Planned activities include a cyber café with career training, an art and creativity center, a recording studio and food court, in addition to traditional fitness and recreation opportunities.
The key is the center is for more than simply “hanging out” with friends. For example, the recording studio and food court are not only places to “jam” and enjoy snacks. Teens can learn to make and record music, or take culinary classes, and create an actual business to market their products.
“Our activities are a means to an end,” said Copper. “There’s nothing like it in Hampton Roads and well beyond. Its founding principle is that young people are community resources and stakeholders.”
Part of the growing movement in youth civic engagement that targets workforce development, teens are involved in every decision-making process, from planning renovations to setting the hours, establishing membership fees, designing programs and writing grants, Copper said.
The City of Hampton is very progressive in its work with young people, she said. Existing city agencies and activities are each contributing to the development of the Center, including the Hampton Career Café, Hampton city schools, the parks and recreation department, the health department and the city’s Coalition for Youth.
A major player is Alternatives Inc, a non-profit agency with offices in Hampton and Newport News. Ally Graul is director of youth civic engagement at Alternatives, which runs 30 youth development programs in the area.
“We are focused on outcomes,” said Graul. “We are concerned with making sure young people have specific competencies. They need to be culturally competent. They need to have interpersonal skills and be respectful in relationships. They need to know how to handle conflict.
“By taking part in these Teen Center activities, they’ll be more ready to move into the adult world. They’ll be better employees and better citizens in general.”
Many activities are linked to each other, said Copper.
“We’ll have ongoing financial literacy classes,” she said. “We’ll start with things like balancing a checkbook and how to open a savings account.”
Related to this, Alternatives Inc. received a grant of nearly $54,000 to launch a financial independence and entrepreneur program that trains teens to educate others in personal finance and business practices.
The funds will be used to purchase a pottery kiln and establish a kiosk so teens can “make it and sell it” at the center. Teens who take part in the financial literacy classes can also become co-owners of businesses they help develop. Possibilities include selling artwork, music cds or a food concession.
Profits will be distributed among the teens running the business, the center and a social cause.
“We really want to foster their entrepreneurial spirit,” said Graul.
“There are synergies taking place on so many levels within these programs,” said Copper. “The opportunities are limitless.”
Both ladies stressed the concept that teens will learn skills to help other teens, from career counseling and computer skills to music and more.
“We have an AmeriCorps grant that will bring 12 students here from Christopher Newport University,” said Graul. “They’ll teach their specialties, and then next year other students will bring a whole new set of skills to share.”
“Bringing it back home” is a fundamental theme at the center, said Copper. The concept is for teens to engage in community building and continue those efforts as adults.
Hampton natives Jacob Berg and John Terrell are helping plan the center’s recording studio, which could be used for everything from music to oral histories, such as those featured on National Public Radio (NPR). Berg is a former youth planner and now both young men are students at the Conservatory of Music of Shenandoah University.
They’ve researched studio design and estimate $20,000 will fully equip the facility. Fundraising for the equipment is under way.
“Their dream is to establish a music scene, a network of young musicians and programs to showcase talent,” said Copper.
While some teens hone their business skills for the future, others may be ready to enter the job market today. The Career Café is an ongoing project that will move into the completed center.
Directed at providing career opportunity assistance, the café has a computer lab and offers help with resumes and meeting other needs of job-seekers. A related enterprise is a performance center that helps high school students who are behind in credits.
It’s important to note the Center will offer things for all teens, not just those who need academic help, or a safe place to socialize, said Graul. It’s part of the continuing evolution in youth involvement programs.
“Problem-free does not necessarily mean fully-prepared,” she said. “All young people can benefit from the vast array of services we offer.”
The center will be open after-school and on Saturdays, plus have expanded hours during the summer, insuring multiple opportunities for involvement. With its centralized location north of the Coliseum area, it is not tied to a particular school or neighborhood.
“This is for all of our teens,” said Copper. “And with the entire building Wi-Fi’d and the equipment in our cyber café, they’ll have a chance to work with teen centers worldwide. This is truly a unique opportunity.”
For more information about the Hampton Teen Center, log on to www.hamptonteencenter.com, or call (757) 728-3283.

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