A collective effort has led to the opening of the new Teen Center located inside Uintah High School. The Uintah School District announcement shares that the Teen Center is a welcoming space designed to support all Uintah High students. It includes a food pantry stocked with nutritious snacks and meals, washers and dryers, two bathrooms with private showers, semi-private study rooms for individual work, and comfortable spaces for study groups and student meetings. “As we envision it, the Uintah High Teen Center will support all UHS students in various aspects of their lives,” shares Uintah School District Support Services Director Mindy Merrell. “This initiative underscores our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students.” The District explains that the Teen Center will be staffed full-time and will be open before, during and after school. It will serve students who are experiencing homelessness with access to laundry facilities, showers, and meals — while also offering all students a safe space to study, meet, and network. The project was largely funded by $250,000 in grant funding from the state of Utah, matching funds of $40,000 from The Policy Project, and $19,000 donated by the UHS Class of 1969 to furnish study rooms. A ribbon cutting for the Teen Center is happening on August 29th at noon.
