MONROE — For middle schoolers in the district, finding something to do after school can be difficult. 

It was with that in mind that Kathleen Rinear, together with Rick Gleason, Ben Dornacher, Kim Zettle and Nancy Pehl, formed the Monroe Youth Center Board of Directors. They set to work making the center a reality. 

On Tuesday, the idea was fully realized as pre-teens and teenagers from the Monroe school district eagerly waited in line to sign in at the front desk. 

Monroe Youth Center Coordinator Christina Johnson was one of the adults there to greet them as roughly 20 students filtered in within the first half-hour of the initial day of the MYC operation. 

“We expected not as many so far, but it’s great,” Johnson said. “We did not know how it was going to turn out, but it’s looking perfect.”

When planning, organizers set out to offer students an alternative to sitting at home alone after school. They also hoped to provide activities for those with little to do while promoting a healthy, responsible lifestyle. The youth center gives students a safe place to spend time after school, Rinear said, adding that on top of giving students a place to be, the center will have high school volunteers helping students with homework if needed.

“Our focus is on helping them be good, healthy, responsible young people,” Rinear said. 

Board Treasurer Mary Lou Campbell was able to find a location for the center just two blocks from Monroe Middle School in the 1500 block of 11th Street, and from there, the donations came in, helping to fuel renovations and create the space that filled with young people on the first day of school.

At the open house a week earlier, students, donors and families were able to see the finished building, with fresh white paint coating the walls and assorted furniture giving attendees plenty of room to hang out. 

Throughout the space on the first day, shelves were stocked with games like Jenga and Uno, while two foosball tables across the room were manned by animated students competing at each side. A popcorn machine sat on two wheels in the kitchen area, next to a fridge and water cooler, while in the back corner, a handful of children were seated at a table, filling out sheets of paper or laughing nearby while sitting in a circle of bean bag chairs. 

Along both walls, and on some doors, posters about smart decisions and self-esteem reminded students of life lessons. Near four chairs by the front door, an artistic piece using discs and Scrabble pieces displayed expressions of gratitude for donors by providing names from larger companies and individuals who helped create the space. 

The center was made possible through donations from community members, organizations and businesses, with donations ranging from monetary donations to time, food or furniture.

Working closely with the school district and public library, the center will use the same protocols with students to encourage healthy growth and maturity that the middle school does in an atmosphere separate from their school lives. 

Attending the Youth Center will be free to all students and they can come however often they want with no registration necessary. Students will get snacks, access to wireless internet and have the option to participate in themed activities every day. 

On Monday, the students can sit down with an adult and talk about any serious topic they have been dealing with; Tuesdays will be creative days that give students the option to make blankets for local nursing homes or simply create other projects, Johnson said. 

Those who spend time at the center on each Wednesday, dubbed “Game On,” will have the chance to compete in a video game tournament. The TV will also come in handy on Fridays, Johnson said, when the group will switch to movie watching with freshly popped popcorn. 

Thursday was named “Fit Day” for its focus on physical activity, Johnson said. Instructors will lead groups in yoga, but if students prefer not to find balance with a mantra, they can always spend time shooting hoops. There is even a plan to have an adult lead a group in a walk around the downtown Square. 

Johnson added that on the first day it seemed like students were enjoying possessing their own space, rather than filling the library or wandering around downtown. 

“They are excited,” Johnson said. “When they came to the open house, a lot of them were like, ‘this is going to be great;’ a good, safe place for them to come hang and be with their friends.” 

— Bridget Cooke contributed reporting for this story