Like most Newton teens, Christian Kurker remembers what it was like to live in isolation, separated from friends, school, and other in-person social networks due to the Covid pandemic.
An only child, the high school senior said it “was a big relief” when he could finally leave the Zoom screens behind and get back to face-to-face activities. For Kurker, that meant reuniting with friends at the boisterous teen room in the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton.
The Watertown Street facility is one of just a few free or reasonably priced options in the city offering tweens and teens spaces where they can socialize and regain a sense of normalcy lost since the pandemic.
Kurker, 17, as well as Tyler Vazquez, 13, had been regulars at the Club before Covid forced its temporary closure.
Vazquez, an eighth grader, said he joined in fourth grade, and relished coming back once the building reopened.
“Having spaces like this is like gaining back lost time,” he said.
While the teen area has a PS5, a pinball machine, and pool table, “what [items] you have in the room isn’t as important as the staff members you have in the room,” said David Sellers, the Club’s executive director.
Ian Sotoloff, the recently hired Teen Director, attended the Newton Boys & Girls Club as a child and is excited to be back. As kids strolled into the teen room on a recent weekday, he greeted them with friendly words of encouragement.
Vazquez and Kurker both value their relationships with staff members who act as mentors. In fact, Kurker will be following in their footsteps when he becomes a camp counselor this summer.
Warm welcome back
While the Boys & Girls Club’s teen space reopened in June 2020, the West Suburban YMCA last month held a relaunch party at its teen center (at its 276 Church Street facility) to welcome former and new members.
During Covid “there were so many opportunities lost in terms of socialization,” said Kimberly Benzan, the Y’s Chief Operating Officer. “We can see first-hand the impact of the last two years.”
During the celebration, Seamus Bruno, director of the afterschool program, greeted kids who stopped by the teen room to play video games and foosball, make jewelry or simply hang out with friends. Staff members also have been asking for teens’ input on future offerings so they can make the area their own.
“I think this is really important [that kids] feel a sense of belonging,” said Bruno.
“We want this to be a space where they look forward to coming,” said Benzan.
While the Y and the Boys & Girls Club offer many activities and amenities for members ages 12-17, including areas to exercise, the teen rooms are oases specifically designated for them within the larger facilities.
Kids want “a little bit of independence,” but because the spaces are supervised, they have more structure, said Benzan.
“This is sort of a happy medium,” she added.
Spencer Friedberg, who oversees the Y’s teen room, said that through the end of the school year kids can drop in during the center’s opening hours from 6-8 p.m. on weekdays (except for the first Friday of each month). Bruno said summer hours will depend on staffing, and Benzan advised checking the website for updates.
Quiet, dynamic space
When the Newton Free Library shuttered its doors in March 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, young patrons temporarily lost access to the newly refurbished teen and tween area on the first floor.
Since the library reopened, there has been a resurgence of interest in the colorful, comfortable space.
Megan Coffey, Assistant Supervisor of Youth Services for Tweens & Teens, said that anecdotally, she has seen “more regular tweens and teens in the space since we’ve fully reopened.”
In addition to finding a good read, “We’re seeing more tweens and teens come to just be in our space with their friends. It might be just to talk at our tables or play card games or use our Nintendo Switch,” said Coffey.
Like the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club, library staff members respond to what kids would like to have in their space.
“We try our best to meet them where they’re at, in terms of what they want to see from their library, whether that’s the books they want to read or the activities in which they want to participate,” she said. “We’re definitely seeing more interest in events and casual gaming.”
Overall, like the other two facilities, the library’s “Teen and Tween Space is meant to be a safe space for tweens and teens to be themselves – to study, to hang out, or to play games, etc.,” said Coffey.
More information
- The John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club of Newton is located at 675 Watertown Street in West Newton.
- The Newton Free Library is located at 330 Homer Street.
- The West Suburban YMCA’s teen center is located at 276 Church Street in Newton Corner.
Update: Although the New Art Center (61 Washington Park) does not have a teen center, it does hold classes for teens, and it offers need-based partial and full tuition assistance to children, teens, and adults to attend its programs.
If you know of any other free or low-cost spaces in Newton for tweens and teens, please email us at info@figcitynews.com, and we’ll add the information to the story.
