Montezuma County teens need safe weekend spaces to gather with friends. That need inspired local nonprofits and businesses to launch Saturday Teen Hangout Nights, held at rotating local venues to fill the gap.
The series is organized by Team Up Southwest Colorado’s Safe Spaces Action Team with Off the Bench, Bitterblossom Games, Cortez Recreation Center and Cortez Public Library. Events offer free entry and snacks. The program launched in December and runs through January, with calendars updated quarterly.
“It’s a collaboration between the members of Team Up Safe Spaces Coalition, and then these businesses can create these spaces for teens to be able to connect with one another, to have connections with safe and caring adults and then, again, to have the actual space to do fun things,” Kristen Tworek, assistant director of the School Community Youth Collaborative, told The Journal.
The initiative is funded by the LOR Foundation, and teens helped choose businesses and community facilities willing to host.
No registration is required. Events are drop-in, and teens can come and go during scheduled hours. Arriving early at venues such as Bitterblossom Games is advised because games typically start at the beginning of the evening.
Some locations will feature organized games or stations; others will provide casual spaces for teens to connect.
Off the Bench hosted Dec. 6, and the rec center hosted Dec. 13. Bitterblossom Games will host Dec. 20 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Events are scheduled through January: Off the Bench on Jan. 3 from 5 to 8 p.m.; the rec center will host a middle school-only night Jan. 10 from 5:30 to 8 p.m.; and Bitterblossom Games will hold another game night Jan. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The final January event is Jan. 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Cortez Public Library.
For details, email tessiaf@teamupsw.org. Updated calendars are online at www.scyclistens.org.
