The YMCA of Lincoln began hosting Teen Nights at its downtown location in the 1990s. This event was highly attended by teens from all over Lincoln with numbers sometimes reaching as high as 120 participants. With the closure of the Downtown YMCA in 2020, the event moved to a new space in the Northeast YMCA.
Teen Nights are designed to be a safe place for teens aged 12-15 to spend time with peers participating in recreational games and activities. Each event is overseen by eight staff members and has been limited to 30 participants in an effort to be compliant with all COVID restrictions. As part of the evening, guest speakers are brought in to talk about resources within the community that can be beneficial to the youth and their families. Throughout the night, participants have an opportunity to participate in many activities including sports, arts and crafts, dancing, swimming, and games. In order to serve the community, Teen Nights are advertised in area schools, throughout the Lincoln YMCA locations, and in school-age childcare centers in northeast Lincoln.
Our first Teen Night at the Northeast YMCA was held on January 30th from 5:30-8:30pm and was a great success! Under the supervision of experienced staff, teens were busy playing basketball, completing planned crafts, swimming, and playing board games. “It is really exciting to have this program running again. We hope that this event can have as positive an impact in northeast Lincoln as it did in downtown Lincoln,” commented Geoff Weller, Northeast YMCA Executive Director. “We are confident the event will grow over time through additional marketing and increased awareness of the event in this area of our community.”
Teen Nights are scheduled on the last Saturday of every month from January to October, with a short break over the holiday season. Over the next few months we are looking forward to safely expanding the activities offered at our event while continuing to serve our community. If you are interested in partnering with the YMCA for a future Teen Night, please contact Luke Stege-Tompsett at lstege-tompsett@ymcalincoln.org.
To register for the next Teen Night on April 24, click here.