The Bridge Teen Center to host Open House & Orientation

ORLAND PARK, IL – Each year, The Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park provides more than 350 different afterschool programs and events FREE OF CHARGE for thousands of local teens. This summer alone, 100 free programs will be offered, plus weekly Friday night entertainment events that feature live music, themed nights and free food from local restaurants.

This summer, Orland Park’s Lisa Thomas Salon, Art-a-la-carte, Stan’s Roofing and Siding and many other businesses from the Chicagoland area will volunteer their time to lead programs for students at The Bridge Teen Center.

To kick-off the summer, The Bridge Teen Center will host a Community Open House and New Student Orientation on Saturday, June 1, 2019 at its facility located 15555 S. 71st Court in Orland Park, Illinois. Families with teens who will be in 7th–12th grade in the fall are welcome to attend this event. This includes those teens currently in 6th grade who will graduate this spring.

The New Student Orientation will begin sharply at 10:00am and end at 11:00am. New families and teens will meet Bridge staff, tour their space, and get the inside scoop, including how to sign up for the free summer programs and events. Advance sign-up is strongly recommended for the orientation, as space will fill up quickly. Families can call 708.532.0500 or email info@thebridgeteencenter.org to sign up.

From 11:00am to 1:00pm, the public is welcome to attend the Open House and celebrate The Bridge’s 9th Anniversary. This will be the perfect opportunity to get a behind the scenes tour of The Bridge Thrift Store, and enjoy light snacks provided by Creative Cakes, Legendary Baking and more. Attendees will also get an exclusive look of upcoming summer programs. All students must be accompanied by an adult during this event, as this is not a supervised student function.

“We are very excited about this event because every June means hundreds of new students will become members of The Bridge Teen Center,” said Priscilla Steinmetz, the Founder of the organization. “In many cases, it’s truly the genesis of what will become a major influence in their lives.”

New students are encouraged to complete a FREE Student Membership Application several days in advance to save time and avoid long lines. The application takes less than 5 minutes when completed online at www.thebridgeteencenter.org. Orientation guests are also asked to park in our overflow parking area behind Traverso’s Restaurant located on 71st Court and Wheeler Drive in order to save close spaces for people who are physically limited. A shuttle bus will transport guests to The Bridge’s front door.

The Bridge Teen Center is a nationally-recognized nonprofit community center that is designed around the needs and interests of teens in the suburbs. The Bridge provides free holistically-designed afterschool programming and a safe environment for Friday night entertainment. To date, over 7,300 unique students from 128 different communities have been served by The Bridge. The Bridge receives no government funding, and is supported by individuals, businesses, and foundations in the community. They are located at 15555 S. 71st Court in Orland Park, Illinois. For more information about The Bridge Teen Center, visit www.thebridgeteencenter.org or call 708.532.0500.

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