[YL] attracting teens

[Liz Scott]

I run a small youth technology center in a rural area: 3,000 people in the county, about 80 youth come to the center, luckily, not all at the same time. Youth from 8 - 18 use the center, but is most popular with middle school age youth. We've been in operation for 4 years, starting w/5 computers. Now, in our 1-room schoolhouse, we have 20 computers, Karaoke, big-screen tv, musical instruments, Playstations, and Dance Dance Revolution. We've added a double basketball court for basketball, badminton, skateboard ramp. We have volleyball, pingpong, soccer, football, and horseshoe pits. We run prevention programming and alternative activities during day camp, afterschool, and weekends. We've grown, in part, to meet the requests of the youth: our county has no movie theaters, bowling, or skating. The kids take "ownership" by doing chores, helping cook, and improvements. What's really neat, is that whatever we do, they want to go do with us. Most of these kids have never been
 asked to contribute to the community through organized clubs, they are "left out" of so much. They serve on tech center board (non-voting) prevention coalition, and Camp Wood YMCA youth activity boards. We also write, film, and produce for the local access tv channel. 
   I've banned blog sites and chatrooms, but let them instant message people they know only. I can monitor the computers w/ "Log Me In" and thru trial and error, it's all working. 
   
  We still have trouble engaging older teens. But, those that start out with us as younger visitors, are remaining with us. I'm hoping that is the key to our sustainability and growth.
   
  I really believe the key to our success is engaging the youth to the point that the center is "theirs". Once they claim it, we've been able to prove "worthy" of multiple funding sources. We've received small grants from corporations, foundations, state, and local donors. Local government also helps fund us. 

		
---------------------------------
Ring'em or ping'em. Make  PC-to-phone calls as low as 1¢/min with Yahoo! Messenger with Voice.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.edc.org/pipermail/youthlearn/attachments/20060525/e1e9e8db/attachment.htm