The Chester Teen Center

Our vision is a safe space created for local teens, by local teens.

The Chester Teen Center serves our youth by creating a safe space in the community for local teens to connect with each other, have fun and be creative, develop leadership skills, and have access to support and mentorship.

Support the Teen Center!

Current Program Hours:

WEDNESDAYS + FRIDAYS
3:00pm - 5:30pm

MONDAYS (workshops only)
3:00pm - 6:00pm

at 469 Main Street in Chester, VT
(on the corner of Church and Main Street)

Please check the calendar below for any changes to the schedule

Participation is FREE and exclusive to local teens (aged 13 to 17, OR in grade 7 and up).

Teens must fill out the registration form below with a parent or guardian. If you have any questions, please reach out to info@braccvt.org.

Teen Center Registration Form

UPCOMING EVENTS + ACTIVITIES

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A Day at the Teen Center...

On a typical program day, we will have anywhere from 20 to 35 youth attending. Over 100 teens are currently registered to our program. While the majority of our participants live in the Chester-Ludlow area and attend Green Mountain Union MS/HS, we also serve youth living in Springfield, Cavendish, Andover, Bellows Falls, Londonderry, and Grafton.

At the teen center, youth enjoy both indoor and outdoor activities-- if the weather is nice, they are outside in the yard or in the parking lot (hanging out by the swing set or the fire pit, playing basketball, frisbee, volleyball, badminton, skateboarding, bike-riding, etc). On a rainy day, they'll be inside playing board games, watching a movie, building forts, playing air hockey, doing craft things (like bead-making, sewing, painting, slime-making, etc.), playing PC games, or doing homework. Food and drinks are provided every day, and around 4:30pm we have everyone clean up and gather for a group meeting to share program-related announcements.

During the school year, Mondays are reserved for teens who sign up for specific skill-building workshops (like guitar lessons, creative writing, archery bow-making, Dungeons & Dragons, mural painting, and leadership group activities). Our youth leadership group focuses on program-related projects (like fundraising & event planning, system-building & problem-solving, marketing/promotion, interior designing, and more). We also have a small group of teen ambassadors who represent our program on a higher leadership level by helping to develop peer assessment strategies and attending BRACC's monthly coalition advisory meetings.

Once or twice each month, the Teen Center holds extended hour program days for special in-house activities like late night social events (bonfire gatherings, karaoke nights, movie nights, dance parties). We also facilitate off-campus full-day events like field trips, fundraiser events, participating in local festivals, or community service activities.

Supporting Healthy Youth Development

At the Chester Teen Center, all youth attend for free. Here, they can spend unstructured time with their friends in a substance-free environment, decompress from the day, play games, be creative, and learn new skills. This is also a place where they can get a hot meal, do laundry, use a computer, do homework, receive 1-on-1 support from trusted adults, and get a ride home if they need one. We connect our youth and their parents with educational resources that address things like substance use, mental health, bullying, and stigma reduction. Through the program, BRACC also works closely with the Chester-Andover Elementary School, Green Mountain Union High School, the police department, health officials, and other local youth-serving organizations to strengthen the network of support and streamline the resources that are available to young people. At our program, we always use restorative practices when dealing with conflicts, maintain open communication with parents and guidance counselors, and build trusting relationships with our youth by protecting their confidentiality (unless there is danger posed to themselves or others).

We know that kids growing up in rural areas like ours face unique challenges that make access to afterschool programs more critical than ever. BRACC is committed to keeping our program’s resources accessible to individuals who need them the most and continues to waive the fees that would otherwise cost families roughly $2000 per participant, per year. Evidence-based programming shows us that when young people feel supported by their community, they are more likely to achieve their academic goals, make healthy choices, and be inspired for the future. For our youth, that support means simply having a safe, reliable space outside of home and school where they can be together with their peers, have their basic needs met, and be around trusted adults who they can talk to about anything.