REIDSVILLE, N.C. — This Saturday, the Reidsville Park and Recreation Teen Center will re-open for the first time since closing its doors due to COVID-19 more than two years ago.
The Teen Center was established in 2004 to serve youth ages 10 through 17. It offers after-school programs such as homework assistance, STEM Programming, career readiness, and more.
Parks and Recreation Superintendent Quintin Robertson says the reopening of the teen center will offer many different and innovative programs.
“We're tapping into things like visual arts and graphic design,” Robertson said. “Incorporating things like different musical techniques that we see kids are doing, TikToks and creating their own music videos. So, we're trying to create content or a place where kids can kind of create content in a safe haven, but also tap into life skills."
In addition to academic and mentorship programs, the center will offer special events like field trips, holiday parties, and cookouts. Robertson says it's important to create an atmosphere for youth, where they can develop skills in whatever they have an interest in.
“Once we have them in a program at five we want to make sure that they're there when they're seven, we want to make sure they're there when they're 12 and by that time they have some skills, and some ethics, and some development of what it is that they might want to go and pursue then,” Robertson said.
The Teen Center will be open on Saturdays from Noon to 8 p.m. and Mondays-Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.