* To skip the "why" and get to the "how" click here

What's happening at a high quality teen center?

According to reports, teens are more likely to "get into trouble" between 3 and 6 pm than at any other time (including weekends). In fact, after school most teens retreat to empty homes. Many watch television or movies, go on-line, play video games or listen to music... some are bored and depressed.

Most people (especially teens) crave involvement and interaction. Effective youth centers and after school programs staffed by caring adults provide opportunities for the uninvolved to be involved, to experience pleasure through challenging activities and interaction with peers and adults. Meaningful programming is the hallmark of any successful teen center.

What teens don't need are more "prevention programs". What are "guest speakers" and "experts" on "school safety" and "drug awareness" but strangers with no relationship with the members of their audience. Plainly said, teens don't respect adults they don't know. Heck, they barely respect adults they do know. Teens don't want lectures about abstinence and they're not particularly attracted to "smoking cessation" or "anger management" groups. More then anything, after school and on weekends teens want to have fun in the company of responsible, caring, open-minded adults. Alas, the need for youth centers and after school programs.

Consider a few cultural realities since 1980:

• increased divorce rate
• rise in double-income families
• existence of 24-hour access to internet, innumerable television channels and movies

Teens are exposed to an increase of influences (not in itself bad) but with less supervision to help process the information and the smattering of views. Divorce and double-income also mean youth have poorer connections with adults resulting in lower levels of support during the phase of life in which they (teens) are faced with new (and often painful) emotional experiences.

Teens need involvement in their communities. They need participation in social, environmental and political causes. They ought to be given the opportunity to change their world, now.

By providing opportunities for meaningful volunteer work teens make a difference while getting to know each other, helping the needy and having a good time. Every suburban kid ought to spend time in the hood rebuilding homes for their poverty-stricken brethren.

Teens who struggle academically or are alienated at school need a place to belong, and to take part in activities that either cultivate new skills or tap into latent talents. As of now, most teens hang out at the mall or the movie theater, neither of which engage, challenge or stimulate, and both of which cost money.

It is if we wish to prepare children for the challenges awaiting them.

What looms for the nation?

Will our children have the character to sustain economic downturns?

Will they be able to solve the energy dilemma, sustain the planet and maintain peaceful relations with other nations?

Will they be of firm mind and spirit?

Will they respond to challenges with dignity and compassion, self-mastery and self-restraint?

Will our children increase or decrease the national debt?

As of this writing, the US national debt stands at $8 trillion, having nearly doubled since 1996 when the ten-year wave of school shootings began. Might there be a co-relation between the ill-disciplined spending habits of adults and the ill-disciplined actions (i.e. bullying, exclusion, school shootings) of their children?

Will our children cease the violence among themselves?

Considering the inevitable social and economic challenges gathering strength, will our children have the fortitude, maturity, discipline, compassion, coping skills, awareness of social and environmental issues, knowledge, wisdom and ability to work together to create for themselves and their children an economic and social system far more pragmatic, humane, spiritual and conducive to equality, meaning and peace for all?

Ultimately, we must consider whether we are properly preparing children not just to be successful, but good.

To act in the best interest of teens is to provide them a center of creativity, intellectual freedom, activity, activism and enjoyment.

What is the cost of not opening a teen center?

Opening a youth center is an opportunity for adults to touch youth at a crucial period, to make a real and lasting difference in the lives of the most vulnerable.

Want to launch a program but don't know where to start? I can help you through the initial phase, to make sure your vision is well defined, your programming ideas are effective and/or that your center provides the right activities.

I can help you meet the needs of teens.

• I've worked with youth over eleven years
• I've started an after school program for teens
• I've volunteered and worked for numerous non-profits and teen centers
• I've studied and written about the causes of school shootings and "at-risk" behavior

AWESOME PACKAGE 1!

Consultation By Phone

• Includes guidance on how to design and launch after school programs and/or a teen center, including the essential components of an effective, exciting and successful enterprise. Great for teens, concerned parents, community leaders and non-profit groups

• 10 Steps to Successful Teen Programming
• 20 Do's and 10 Don'ts of Teen Programming
• Sample Grant Proposal
• Sample Volunteer Form
• Sample Membership Form
• Sample Youth Protection Policy
• most pieces are scattered: Reflections of a High School Shooter
• Five (more) Ways to Engage Youth

Inquire at ken@auburnpublishing.com

AWESOME PACKAGE 2!

Consultation in Your Neighborhood!

• Meeting in your community to discuss the design, launch and operation of effective, exciting and successful after school programs and/or teen center

• Full presentation and/or meeting with board of directors or interested parties (includes site hunting with one or more members of your organization, if applicable)

• Meeting with other organizations and, i.e. teenagers, principals, non-profit executive directors, members of the media, politicians, church ministers, youth groups

INCLUDES THESE SUPPLEMENTS:

• 10 Steps to Successful Teen Programming
• 20 Do's and 10 Don'ts of Teen Programming
• Sample Grant Proposal
• Sample Volunteer Form
• Sample Membership Form
• Sample Youth Protection Policy
• Five More Ways to Engage Youth
• 10 hard copies of most pieces are scattered: Reflections of a High School Shooter

"Alternatives programming appears to be most effective among those youth at greatest risk for substance abuse and related problems."
- A report by the U.S. Center on Substance Abuse Prevention

"Within the community domain, higher levels of neighborhood cohesiveness were significantly associated with lower odds of past year marijuana use..."
- National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Interested?

Inquire at ken@auburnpublishing.com!