Grand Opening Celebration for Teen Center Today

Surprises are in store for today's Grand Opening Celebration of a new Teen Center for at-risk youth. Former Super Bowl champion Eric Matthews of the Green Bay Packers will be in attendance, along with other special guests of the City of Kennesaw.

Members of the community are invited to tour and learn about the facility from 4-7 p.m. at 2775 South Main Street in downtown Kennesaw. Hamburgers will be cooked and served, courtesy of Mayor Mark Mathews and other city officials, and yes, there will be a karaoke machine.

But it's the kids' reactions that Mayor Pro Tem and Council member Bill Thrash says he's most excited to see.

Thrash has led the project for the past two years and said the teens participating in the program, recommended by local middle school and high school teachers and counselors, were able to give direct input into what they wanted at the center.

"The kids know what they need and know what they want. They just needed someone to ask," said Thrash.

Rebecca Whicker of Cobb County's Success for All Students program has worked closely with the city to help develop the center. Whicker, who has a marketing background, said they used focus groups to determine what the teens really needed and wanted.

The first thing the kids asked for was homework help, she said.

The center, which is currently being housed in a temporary facility, will include study rooms and a computer lab on its second floor. There, teens will have access to tutoring and career counseling. The kids also expressed interest in learning about running their own businesses, so plans are in store to help them develop entrepreneurial skills.

The first floor of the center houses a recreational area, where teens can create art, play Xbox or Wii, or even sing karaoke. The kids also asked for a stage area to conduct fashion shows and talent shows.

The program will operate from 3-7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Success for All Students will provide funding for transportation to the center.

Community members are encouraged to attend today's opening celebration to learn more about the center and volunteering, whether as a tutor, career counselor, business speaker or more.

Thrash said the center is needed in the community "because there's a need for reaching kids we haven't reached."

"We've got kids that don't have a place to go after school," he said. "They need a place to go, so that's why we felt it was important."