Since 1997, TEENS, Inc. has been a trusted resource for children and youth in the mountain town of Nederland and the surrounding Peak to Peak region. TEENS, Inc.’s array of programming supports youth and families throughout our community. We deliver programming from our 8,000-square-foot facility in Nederland and throughout the Peak to Peak community and Front Range.
Each year, TEENS, Inc. directly serves more than 450 teens, 175 elementary students, 60 parents and 40 preschoolers through the following programs:
Education: TEENS, Inc. operates two alternative schools: Chinook West, an alternative high school for those at risk of dropping out, Lookout Academy, which provides education and career & technical education to incarcerated young men ages 14–21, and New Explorers Learning Center, the only year-round preschool in west Boulder County that serves numerous Gilpin County families.
Employment: Four employment programs provide youth transferable job skills: Teen Youth Corps employs youth to work on summer community projects; TeamWorks pairs urban and rural youth to work on paid summer conservation projects; Peer Supervisors work at the drop-in teen center, and Youth Leadership Academy employs youth to lead the Mountain Coalition for Youth, focused on promoting healthy youth development throughout the community.
Outdoor Leadership & Recreation: offers after school rock climbing camps and four multi day leadership retreats to build resilience, and a weekday drop-in center offers a safe place for teens to hang out. TEENS, Inc. also runs Peak Soccer, a soccer league for area 5- to 13-year-olds.
Community-wide Initiatives: TEENS, Inc. serves all area youth and children and their parents at local schools through its Social Emotional Learning (SEL) training to positively impact mental health and social attitudes leading to greater resiliency and academic success.
TEENS, Inc. supports, educates, and empowers youth and their families to make healthy choices and thrive.
TEENS, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization was founded in March 1997 in Nederland, Colorado as an outgrowth of the Town of Nederland Youth Services Programs to ensure that Nederland area youth are not only safe during after school and out-of-school hours, but also have access to a wide range of activities that help them develop the life, educational, and job-related skills they need to become productive, responsible citizens.
In 1999, TEENS, Inc. assumed full responsibility for administering the Teen Center to ensure its youth programs would not be affected by local government instability or political pressures. Through a three-year capital campaign begun in 1997, TEENS, Inc. raised over $1,000,000 to fund the construction of a new Nederland Teen Center. This 6,800 square foot facility opened its doors on January 2, 2000 and currently provides programs for youth of all ages and their families. Programs are free for youth 11-21, while activities for other age groups require a nominal use fee, creating a diversified revenue stream.
In 2002, TEENS, Inc., in collaboration with Boulder Valley School District, established Chinook West in response to the #1 need identified in the community. Since its inception, Chinook West has served 175+ area disadvantaged youth who have dropped out or are at risk for doing so. Recently receiving a unanimous 5-year accreditation from AdvancEd, Chinook West has the highest graduation rate of any alternative high school in Boulder County.
In 2015 we entered in to a contract with the State of Colorado for an education program modeled on Chinook West to serve incarcerated youth, ages 14-20 at the Lookout Mountain Youth Services facility in Golden, Colorado.
In 2019, two of Nederland's long-standing Early Childhood Education centers, Little Bear and Aspen Grove Community Preschool, decided to close their doors, creating a critical gap in quality child care programs in the Nederland community. TEENS, Inc., stepped forward to fill this gap creating the New Explorers Learning Center (NELC). We are excited to have begun this new endeavor and commit to serving Nederland's youngest learners. For over 20 years, TEENS, Inc. has historically responded with programming to fill youth and family needs within the Nederland community. As with all our programs, we will serve all families and no one will be turned away for inability to pay.
Organization name
TEENS, Inc.
1997
Tax id (EIN)
84-1380016
Category
Youth Development, Education, Employment
Organization Size
Large Organization
Colorado State Tax Credits
Colorado Child Care Credit
Address
151 East St., P.O. Box 1070Mailing
P.O. Box 1070Boulder County, CO, US
Gilpin County, CO, US
Jefferson County, CO, US
Denver, CO, US
Adams County, CO, US