Teen Center continues to draw crowds of students
By Angela Greiner Community Reporter

In the game room of the Boys & Girls Club Teen Center, (front, l to r) Shannon Boyle and Kelly Donahue play Guitar Hero, while (back, l to r) Taylor Chesler and Erin Macora play NOK Hockey. PHOTO/SUBMITTED

Marlborough - Video games, pool tables and a caring staff are just a few elements that mark the Boys & Girls Club Teen Center as a cool place to be after school. Tammy Pudlo, the director of the Pleasant Street Clubhouse in Marlborough, said that often the biggest problem facing communities is providing safe, fun activities for teenage kids. As a means of combating this problem, the club off ers wide range of daily after-school programming for students in grades six through 12.

The Teen Center, which aims to provide a balance of structure and freedom, is open for students in grades six through 12 daily from 2:40 to 6 p.m. After that, from 6 to 9 p.m., the center is transformed into the ultimate high school hangout for students in grades nine through 12.

Teen Center Director Brent De Braga said that although the students get the freedom to come and go once during the day, the staff keeps a pretty close watch on them.

"We try to limit their time out of the club and keep them here," DeBraga said.

The center averages more than 100 teens a day, according to DeBraga, who added that it was a busy center compared to others in the area.

"We are fair, but [we run] a strict club and fortunately, because the kids like to come here, they accept the rules," he said. "Teasing and treating the kids who are low on the totem pole at school diff erently is not accepted here."

In fact, kids who might otherwise be teased at school are often taken under the wings of some of the older kids, DeBraga said.

DeBraga attributed the success of the program to the club's staff, with members devoted to the students and to creating great activities for them. Both contribute to making the students comfortable.

"When the teens first come in from school, we hear everything good or bad that happened during the school day," DeBraga said.

The center has a homework center, an art room, a technical area with computers and an activity room with pool tables, air hockey, Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, among other fun pastimes. So that the teens are free to make their own choices, activities are not scheduled.

DeBraga said that each day has a theme or a featured activity; Wednesday is video game challenge night. Thursday, DeBraga said, is popular, with dinner and a movie.

"It is nice," he said. "We get some take-out and we all sit down together and watch a movie."

Field trips are scheduled every other Friday.

DeBraga has worked at the club for the past six years and said it is not uncommon for students to be there from the dismissal of school until 8:59 p.m.

"I grew up in the Boys & Girls Club since the time I was 5 and it was a good place to be, especially when I started to be influenced by peers and felt the tug of war pull between the good and bad sides of life," DeBraga said.

Many of the kids come from happy homes as Braga did, he said, but still want to spend time at the center hanging out with peers.

The center is currently launching registration for the upcoming six-week "Summer Challenge." The program will feature daily field trips, like hiking Mount Monadnock, exploring Georges Island Military Fort in Boston (followed by a Capture the Flag game on the island) and spending the day at Six Flags theme park.

For more information about any of the programs, contact Brent DeBraga at 508-485-4912.