The Teen Center is a rapidly growing, energy filled, diversified place where middle and high school urban youth gather four days a week from 3:00 – 6:00. The Teen Center provides intentional safe space for relationship building, character development, fine art enrichment, homework help, and service emphasis. We are looking for individuals or groups of people simply willing to come and hang out with us. With our numbers growing, it is increasingly important for us to have adults present and scattered throughout our space. Most importantly, however, is the illustration that our presence paints; the picture that we are, in fact, interested in and invested in getting to know the youth in our community. Growing up anywhere is difficult; growing up in New York City brings challenges and temptations many of us could never imagine. Our desire to communicate to the teenagers that they are special, unique, and potential filled people is crucial. Plus, when we stretch our comfort zones and build relationships with people who are different from us, we wind up learning more about ourselves and life in the process.