The town of Danville gets an A+ for its approach to teens and teen centers. Our community is full of busy families and busy kids, and keeping the kids safe is a family’s highest priority. This often involves keeping them occupied and supervised.
Many families in the community have two parents working, just one parent, or parents who are very active. What happens to middle school kids when their folks can’t pick them up from school at 2:45? Some young teens are involved in after-school activities and youth sports but they’re not for everyone and they are not all the time. The town of Danville does not want kids to be attracted to using their time unwisely or dangerously when they should be more interested in playing with their friends or just “hanging out” with them in a safe environment. Middle school kids are the ones who are most often quoted saying, “I’m bored” and “I have nothing to do.” These kids need a safe and fun option, and this is the age when there are the fewest options available to those with no transportation.
Many cities talk about building multi-million dollar teen centers and some in our area have either built them or are in the process of doing so. These standalone centers specialize in either middle school or high school activities. The two groups are not usually mixed, due to the different interests of the age groups and the socialization problems of mixing the groups. As a result, two facilities are required or different days and times are used. There are successful examples of standalone teen centers, but often they fail because they become the favorite hangout of a particular “clique” of kids and others feel uncomfortable there. Often they are the rage for a short period of time and then become passÈ, much like any other fad among this age group.
Danville has taken another approach that we believe will be much more successful and will stand the test of time. The town has decided to expand its after-school activities by adding modular buildings to be used as teen centers on the Los Cerros, Charlotte Wood and Diablo Vista campuses. The teen centers will be on location at each of the schools where children can “hang out” in a supervised environment when classes are over. Middle-school children will now have the opportunity to stay on campus with their friends and do homework, get involved in activities or simply sit and talk. The facilities will be theirs to plan, and it will truly give them a place to call their own. They will also be available for camps and activities during the summer.
We applaud the town of Danville for a “hecka” good idea!
