Academy Teen Center Open This Fall In Glastonbury For Grades 6-8

From the Town of Glastonbury:

September 17, 2020

The Academy Teen Center, located at 2143 Main Street in the Academy Building, is a youth center that focuses on an unstructured supervised space that kids in grades six through eight can use after school three days a week. This fall, the Teen Center will be open Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. The daily cost is $5 or a school year pass can be purchased online for $59. Transportation is provided after school from both Gideon and Smith Schools on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students should sign up at the Security desk when they arrive to school in the morning if they plan to go that day. A note is required at Gideon to sign up. Please note: face masks/coverings are required on the bus and at the Teen Center. The space has pool tables, ping-pong, air hockey, an updated video game lounge, and an arts and crafts area.

Research indicates that the hours between 3 and 6 p.m. are when kids are most likely to engage in risky behaviors - especially when left unsupervised. The Teen Center provides a supervised place for Glastonbury teens to have fun, socialize with peers, express themselves creatively, do homework, eat healthy snacks, and learn valuable skills. The staff is welcoming, helpful, and serve as positive role models for our teens. Teen Center staff have decades of experience working with youth and care deeply about the development of social and emotional learning in the kids of the community. Over the past 19 years, several programs have used the Teen Center space including preschool art programs, Coffeehouse, Friday Night Club, after-school art classes, one day workshops, birthday parties, training programs, and special events.

The program also has a ‘play it forward’ program for gently used sports equipment. Don’t let the cost of equipment keep you from playing! Cleaned equipment can be donated in the blue bin across from the Teen Center. If you are in need of new equipment, call Teen Center Director, Mandee Morris at 860-652-7838 or email mandee.morris@glastonbury-ct.gov to set up a time to pick up during Teen Center hours.

For more information on the Teen Center, please contact Parks & Recreation at (860) 652-7679 or recreation@glastonbury-ct.gov. You may also call the Teen Center during their hours of operation at (860) 652-7638.

This press release was produced by the Town of Glastonbury. The views expressed are the author's own.