The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis recently opened its brand new Teen Center of Excellence in Ferguson, Mo.

Inspired by a need to expand services in neighborhoods with a scarcity of quality youth programming, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis constructed the nearly 28,000-square-foot facility on West Florissant Ave so that it would serve four neighboring school districts. The $12.4M center is one of the first in the county and will serve an estimated 1,500 teens ages 12-18 annually, giving them a safe and prolific place to go each day after school and during the summer. The facility offers a nutrition education center, outdoor garden, gymnasium, intellectual commons, theater, green and drama room, fitness zone, gaming room, music and art studio, innovation center and office space.

“Teens deserve a safe place to grow and learn, exercise their creativity, explore their interests, and build meaningful relationships with peers and caring adults,” said Dr. Flint Fowler, President of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. “Imagine how wonderful it would be if every community expressed this level of support for children.”

Programming at the Teen Center will focus on health and wellness (including yoga and gym time), education and workforce development (including college tours, ACT/SAT prep, tutoring, job readiness, internships and summer employment), STEAM education (including lessons about visual and performing arts, coding, app creation and robotics) and leadership and civic engagement (community service, character programs and advocacy training).

The facility will offer a ratio of 1 staff member to every 16 children, not including the center director, with additional staff, volunteers and occasional visitors from local universities or places of employment. Teens can use the facility with the purchase of a $25 yearly membership, though scholarships are also available for memberships.

The Dana Brown Charitable Trust is proud to partner with this organization to better serve the needs of children in the St. Louis region.