The list contains requirements at various levels of importance. Some are “must have” items, others “nice to have.”
We can add more items to the list as we learn about them.
Overview
- Based on Nardine’s experience, we can expect 20-30 visitors max at a time in the youth center, with a minimum of 10 visitors at a time.
- Age ranges are best set by grade. Grades 7-12 are the target range. Ideally there would be a way to separate the younger from older visitors. (The Naples area has about 300 people of this age based on the 2010 census.)
- Some visitors of the youth center will face behavioral and emotional challenges while others will not
- Supervision is required
- Nardine stresses that it is important to refer to this as a “youth center” rather than a “community center.”
Assumed requirements
- Climate control
- Rest rooms
- Accessible/compliant
Interior spaces
- Common room
- Quiet room for reading and homework
- Game room, possibly containing a pool table, foosball table
- Music amplification-Nardine says youth carry music on their phone and just need a place to plug in
- Quiet gaming area, such as D&D, chess, puzzles
- Craft room, life skills, sewing machine, ideally washer and dryer, easel
- Sports equipment storage for outside play
- Outside-basketball hoop
- A small indoor stage, for karaoke, for example
- Food prep area-full kitchen, coffee, popcorn machine
Potential Events for inside the youth center
- Events-by professionals
- Spa day-hair and nails
- Yoga
- Strength building
- Meditation
- Dance
- Artists
- Jewelry
- Painting party
- Baby sitting with certificate
- Cooking classes
- Acting classes