Area Teens Find Opportunities and Connection at Avenue A

Teens, like people of all ages, need and deserve the comfort of a welcoming public space. As the only teen center in the Monadnock Region, Avenue A Teen + Community Center in Antrim has become that safe landing zone for many young people on the eastern side of the region. Avenue A is part of The Grapevine Family & Community Resource Center and serves ages 11 to 19 with activity-specific programming that aims to "build resilience, navigate challenging circumstance and develop young leaders," according to its website. Last year, Avenue A welcomed 352 teens from 18 towns that span the ConVal School District and surrounding town like Jaffrey, Rindge, New Ipswich, Wilton, Stoddard, Nelson and Deering, said Director of Teen Programs Jacqueline Roland. "No one is turned away," she stressed of the center's open-door policy and its free programs that welcome youth of all abilities, including those with chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, neurodivergence and mental health challenges. It provides evidence-based support with programs that follow the "HOPE: Health Outcomes from Positive Experiences" framework for building resiliency and healthy development, which was developed by Dr. Robert Sege and published in "The Journal of Academic Pediatrics." A recently completed building expansion has made that mission even more achievable, thanks to a one-million-dollar forgivable loan funded by the Community Center Investment Program and administered by the N.H. Community Development Finance Authority. The new location was built as an addition to The Grapevine and has allowed for larger capacity, safe access and parking, improved accessibility and an increased ease in providing wraparound services, Roland said. They moved in May and a grand opening for the new building was held on Aug. 23. "It was so exciting for us!" Roland expressed. "Our outdoor space has always been at Grapevine, so now everything is together." The center first opened back in 2007 after a coalition of local community representatives deemed a teen center was needed in 2006, and a committee of teens, Grapevine staff and parents began to develop a vision for the center and organize fundraisers. The center's name originated from the musical "Rent" and was chosen through a naming contest. Year-round afternoon and evening enrichment programs include activities like cooking, music lessons, woodworking, pick-up basketball, writing, art and a lawn chair drill team. Some activities are seasonal sessions, and teens are given input as to programs they'd like to see offered at the center, Roland added. Roland has been an employee at the center for nine years now and initially started as an intern before becoming Avenue A Coordinator and later taking on her current role. "I just fell in love with it," she said of the participants, the work she does at the center and the entire community. "It just gets sweeter every year. The alumni come back to visit and volunteer, and they share how much the space meant to them over the years." With only two full-time employees (including Roland) and a part-timer, the center relies heavily on the contributions of its more than 70 volunteers to lead programs and teach a variety of skills. "I love them so much. They're really great to us," she emphasized. Roland stressed the fact that Avenue A is not a drop-in center and that its activity-specific programs have defined age groups. The only drop-in hours for grades 8-12 happen on Friday evenings, she added. She's heard from teens that they enjoy the opportunity to engage with different students from other schools, or who are homeschooled, and to meet new peers. "It's a melting pot from across the region," she noted of Antrim's central location. "Even though it might be a 20-to-30-minute drive, they're happy to drive here and find a community and things to do. ... They can pick and choose programs to share common interests and try something new." Avenue A is also the only teen center in the state that is embedded within a family resource center, Roland said. Both in the same location allows for multi-generational interaction and a good synergy where teens can see what's offered and ask for any help that may be needed, like accessing The Grapevine's wood bank. Other fundraising efforts for Avenue A include participating in NH Gives, an annual auction, a spring walk and its now-annual Blindfolded Boat Race in June, a community favorite held on Norway Pond where costumed teams of two feature a front paddler who is blindfolded and a back participant who gives instruction without a paddle. "It really took off this year," Roland said of the race. "There are a lot of spectators, and we have a barbecue." Taking programs off site is another way to involve the community, she said of their 22 partner organizations and activity hosts like the Peterborough Town Library, the commercial kitchen of the Antrim Presbyterian Church and MAXT Makerspace. "It lets us mix things up and keep it exciting," Roland said of off-site opportunities. "One of the joys of working with teens is that they have so many different interests." It's the caring community members who keep Avenue A going strong with their helpful mentorship. "The relationships that form are rich and make it a safe place," she said of the valuable connections. "We hear so many stories about how (Avenue A) brings the community together and creates intergenerational units." For more information or to find a schedule of programs available at Avenue A, visit avenueatc.org. Follow on Facebook: @AvenueATeenCenter and Instagram: @avenueatc.