October 19th 2023.
The 19th ward in Rochester, New York, has welcomed a new teen center. The Center for Teen Empowerment, designed to employ, train, and empower youth, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to start the construction of the Barack and Michelle Obama Youth Center on Genesee Street. This event was seven years in the making, and thanks to $1 million in funding, the Obama Youth Center will offer a large community room, study areas, and a multi-media recording studio.
Doug Ackley, executive director for Teen Empowerment Rochester, said that the resources, expanded space, and additional programming will make the center accessible to the whole community. “This has been a community project, and we want to keep it open to the community as we move along.”
Since 2003, Teen Empowerment Rochester has provided opportunities to hundreds of kids ages 14-19 in the central New York City area. The goal was to help to lower the violence that crippled urban neighborhoods. After three teens were shot and wounded last June, Rochester’s Mayor Malik Evans announced that he had to shut down entire streets and businesses. Police say that these crimes are often committed by youth.
The Center for Teen Empowerment intends to empower young people to find their voices and talents to involve large numbers of their peers and adults in building peace, tolerance, and community. The organization currently has chapters in Boston and Somerville, MA, and Rochester.
While youth are often seen as part of the problems facing urban communities, the Youth Center believes they can be part of the solution. By providing resources, expanded space, and additional programming, the Center for Teen Empowerment hopes to give these young people the opportunity to create positive change in their communities.
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