Somerville Teen Program Receives Large Programming Grant

The organization said more than 14,000 people attended over 100 events and programs at the space last year.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Aug 12, 2026 8:07 AM EDT

SOMERVILLE, MA — A local youth program has been awarded $100,000 in city funding to expand free programming, mentorship, and leadership opportunities for local teenagers.

Teen Time @ The Dojo, a partnership between the Center for Teen Empowerment and The Dojo at Somernova, will receive the grant from the City of Somerville's Department of Health and Human Services. The funding will allow the program to offer consistent weekly, year-round programming while providing teenagers with a free after-school gathering space.

Teen Time will be open to Somerville youth ages 14 to 19, with outreach focused on immigrant youth, youth experiencing housing insecurity, and others facing barriers to enrichment opportunities. Programming will include visual, literary, and performing arts projects, STEAM and robotics education, climate technology, civic engagement, leadership development, workforce-readiness workshops, financial literacy, and life skills. Recreational activities will range from bingo and trivia to DJing and summertime water activities.

Books of Hope will also join Teen Empowerment and The Dojo in providing programming, including open mic nights. The Dojo, located on Somernova's innovation campus, is a youth-driven community space that includes an outdoor parkour course, youth art gallery, gaming consoles, creative studios, gardens, bike repair resources, and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. The organization said more than 14,000 people attended more than 100 events and programs at the space last year.

"Having attended countless great events at the DoJo, I'm excited to see this expansion of programming and looking forward to see where it goes," Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson said in a statement. "This will deliver exactly the kind of creative gathering space that our youth have been calling for more of -- and that the City is seeking to grow."

Wilson said the expanded program will give local teenagers more opportunities to develop skills, explore creative interests, and connect with other young people during their free time.

"The Dojo was created to be a place where every young person feels like they belong," Rafi Vice President of Real Estate Development and External Affairs Kristin Phelan said. "This investment in Teen Time reflects what Somernova believes: innovation begins by investing in people."