TEENS, Inc. officially began in 1997 when it was granted its 501(c)(3) status and formally took over youth services from the Town of Nederland. Prior to 1997, Nederland Youth Services ran Teen Centers at different times in many locations throughout town, including a small space under the current Mountain People’s Coop and in the old elementary school (now the Nederland Community Center).
It was obvious during the early years that the youth wanted more. As one 10th grade student put it to the Board of Trustees in August 1996, “We need a place to go. We’re obviously being limited to where we can hang out and we have no place to go. We want to be treated as equals, not like trouble-making kids just because we’re teenagers.” The Nederland Marshals were asking youth to not hang out in the areas that the youth wanted to. At the time, juvenile crime in Nederland was extremely high, especially when it came to theft and shoplifting. The Nederland Marshal also expressed to the town trustees that graffiti and curfew were challenges as well.
On December 3rd, 1996, the Nederland Board of Trustees heard over an hours worth of public comment urging the town to increase funding for youth services. Despite the impassioned pleas by youth and adult community members the Board felt their hands were tied by the realities of their budget. At this same time the youth found their ally in Kim Gershon, the newly hired director of Nederland Youth Services.
It did not take long for Kim and an empowered group of teens to work towards what the teens were crying for: “a place of their own, a hang-out; a safe, comfortable place to spend time away from home.”
With 15 talented and committed board members, over 250 individual donors and an untold amount of volunteers, TEENS, Inc. was born as a non profit organization with the goal of separating youth programs from any instability caused by local government or political pressures that can arise thus allowing the youth and community to take priority over everything else.
In three short years, after a generous donation of town property and a million dollar capital campaign, TEENS, Inc. Youth and Family Center opened to the public on January 2, 2000. This 6,800 square foot facility that houses the Nederland Teen Center also offers a variety of programs for youth of all ages and their families. Although teen activities are free for youth between the ages of 11-21, all other activities require a nominal use fee, thus creating an earned income opportunity to help sustain the building and teen programming.
Since opening our facility in 2000 we have:
- Provided a safe, drug and alcohol free place for over 33 teens per day to recreate.
- Averaged of 9189 visits per year by area teens.
- Averaged 19 leadership / risk reduction education workshops per year on topics such as sexual health, diversity, communication and conflict resolution.
- Taught valuable job and leadership skills to an average of 37 different teens per year through various youth employment opportunities.
- Continuously demonstrated that committed participants increase self esteem, self efficacy and community involvement.
- Contributed to a 58% decrease in juvenile crime in the Nederland area since teen programming began.
- Contributed to a nearly 50% decline in the drop out numbers at Nederland High School since the Chinook West Alternative High School began in 2002.
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