Waterville’s South End Teen Center marks 20 years

PHOTO: Nirav Shah, head of Maine CDC, fourth from right, joined KVCAP staff and others at the 20th anniversary open house of Waterville’s South End Teen Center Sept. 21. (Submitted photo)

WATERVILLE – KVCAP’s South End Teen Center celebrated its 20-year anniversary on Sept. 21 with an open house that included youth-led tours of the newly updated center.

Upgrades include freshly painted walls in all rooms and new appliances, with the addition of a washer and dryer for members who need to do their laundry.
Special guest Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, attended the event, and agency leadership discussed with him ways staff was able to shift operations during the early phase of the pandemic via virtual visits. Shah commended KVCAP’s effective programming to help local youth stay safely connected and supported throughout the pandemic.
The teen center was formed in 2002 as a result of input provided at a forum, at which South End residents shared concerns about the lack of afterschool activities in the neighborhood. In partnership with the Alfond Youth & Community Center, KVCAP opened the teen center as a unit of the Boys and Girl Clubs of America. It’s at 5 Libby Court, off Water Street, on KVCAP’s Waterville campus.
Over the last two decades the center has provided resources, academic and social supports, opportunities for community service projects, and enrichment activities to hundreds of local youth. Many members have been the first in their families to graduate from high school, and the majority have gone on to post-secondary education or directly into the workforce.
For more information on what the center has to offer middle and high-school aged youth, visit kvcap.org or call 207-873-5621.
KVCAP is the nonprofit Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, headquarted in Waterville, with offices in Augusta and Skowhegan.