A real cool place to chill'
Kids are free to be themselves at Eclipse Teen Center in Pequot Lakes
PEQUOT LAKES - The Eclipse Teen Center in Pequot Lakes is more than a safe place for teens to go after school.
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It's a hangout, the place where teens can go to be themselves as they play popular video games like "Guitar Hero," listen to music or play pool, do homework or jam with their garage band.
And oh, yes, the snacks are free, too.
"It's a really cool place to chill outside of home," Pequot Lakes eighth-grader Laura Sauve said of the teen center.
"It's a safe place to be when you don't have plans," added her friend, Celeste Yeats, also in eighth grade.
Emily Eck, a Pequot Lakes eighth-grader, rocked out on the drum set Thursday at the Eclipse Teen Center in Pequot Lakes. The teen center celebrates Monday Music Madness from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Mondays, allowing teens who enjoy playing guitar, drums, keyboards and the like to hang out and play. The teen center has the drum set, a keyboard and an amp for students' use.» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Jodie Tweed
Liz Ostroviak, a 2002 Brainerd High School graduate, has served as youth program coordinator at the Eclipse Teen Center since she was hired in December. Kendra Tscheu serves as assistant coordinator. The teen center, located at 4276 West Lake St., next to Pequot Lakes High School, is open after school four days a week and is closed Wednesdays through May while Ostroviak finishes her graduate degree in marriage and family therapy at St. Cloud State University this spring.
"I love this job," Ostroviak said. "I like hearing the kids' perspectives. It keeps me in tune with their lives and how we can be a resource for them. They're at an age where they struggle with really tough stuff."
The Eclipse Teen Center not only provides activities for students in sixth- through 12th-grade, but can provide support for teens. Every Tuesday after school, Amy Drown from Timber Bay Camp in Onamia leads discussions and activities for teens on topics such as life, living and personal exploration at the teen center. They also go on field trips.
Liz Ostroviak (right), youth program coordinator at the Eclipse Teen Center, helped Pequot Lakes eighth-grader Celeste Yeats form a word during a game of Scrabble ON Thursday at the teen center.» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Jodie Tweed
Last week, the teen center also started a new support group for teens, which also will do community service-type projects, on Thursday nights using a curriculum called "2gether." Also on Thursdays, other school-based groups such as Youth As Resources and the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention student group meet. The center also has an active fishing club that meets on Thursdays.
But they have unstructured activities as well. Monday Music Madness is a time after school on Mondays when aspiring musicians can gather and play. The center has a drum set, keyboards and an amp. The students plan to host an outdoor concert in May.
On Fridays, also known as "Free For All Friday," there are different types of video systems, along with 10 computers with Internet access, for students' use. They also host other activities on Friday nights, like themed parties, movie nights or "Girlz Night Out" and "Boyz Night Out."
Ostroviak said most of the teens who frequent the teen center are in middle school, but some older teens also come back to mentor the younger students. She is hoping to offer intergenerational activities, possibly once a month, for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. During the summer, the center sponsors four full-day field trips for teens in June.
Leanna Gonsorowski, a Pequot Lakes eighth-grader, played pool Thursday at the Eclipse Teen Center in Pequot Lakes. The teen center offers a variety of games and activities for students after school four days a week.» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Jodie Tweed
Snacks are free for students at the teen center, which relies on donations to provide them. Northern Food King and the Pequot Lakes American Legion have donated snacks for teens, Ostroviak said. Sometimes the teens make homemade meals themselves, too. Ostroviak said they try to offer only healthy snacks.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
The Eclipse Teen Center, located next to Pequot Lakes High School, is open four afternoons a week, providing activities and support for students in sixth- through 12th-grade.» Purchase reprints of this photo.
Brainerd Dispatch/Jodie Tweed