Offering support and good advice

A year and a half after it started, the Five Towns Community Center Teen Center is providing a pretty cool space for a total of 25 high school students where they can watch television, play games, do homework and mingle with friends.
The activities might seem routine, but the teen center’s mission is anything but.

It’s all about keeping young people off the streets of local neighborhoods, where they might run into trouble.

The not-for-profit Five Towns Community Center addresses a number of issues faced by local residents, many of whom are immigrants, ranging from inadequate housing to HIV/AIDS, gang violence and drugs.

For three hours after school Monday through Friday, the teen center sees about 10 Lawrence High School students a day.

Veronica Ortiz, of Far Rockaway, the community center’s youth advocacy counselor and youth employment coordinator, started the teen center in September 2015. Before that, since 2008, she had done one-on-one counseling, helping young people ages 14 to 21 to find employment.

The idea for the teen center grew out of Ortiz’s participation in the New York Community Trust Leadership Fellows Program at Baruch College, which she completed in July 2015. Participants were required to develop projects that could be implemented at an agency, and Ortiz saw an opportunity to launch an after-school program for high school students at the community center. `“My goal is to make a safe and comfortable space for the Lawrence students,” ]she said, describing the teen center as a “second home.”

“I think it’s awesome to watch the kids grow,” said Alejandra Iglesias, a community center staff member who works part-time for the health and prevention program and part-time with the teen center. “It’s amazing how much of a difference a year can make,” she added, referring to the time spent with the students throughout the school year.

Iglesias, an Inwood resident, first began volunteering at the center as a Lawrence High student through the bilingual and soccer program. She is now a student at York College, studying psychology, and said she wants to continue working with young people.

Brandon Aboua, a Lawrence High School senior who plans to study accounting in college this fall, has been involved with the center from the start. He took part in focus groups and completed surveys to guide the teen center program’s trajectory. “Ms. Ortiz — she’s pretty cool,” he said, adding that she encourages young people to get involved with the program.

Aboua said that the teen center has a different atmosphere than school. He appreciates that it is a place for students in all grades to come together. “You’re in school and you’re there to learn, and you don’t get to interact with other grades,” he said.

“The adults are cool,” said Lily Cervantes, a Lawrence High junior, referring to Ortiz and Iglesias. She feels comfortable talking to them, she said. She and her friend Diana Valle, also a junior, met at Lawrence Middle School, and have been going to the center together for two years. “We mostly come whenever we know there are events we can help with,” Valle said.

“We literally had tables and chairs and a boom box,” Ortiz recalled of the teen center’s humble beginnings. Since then, the students have conducted fundraisers to buy a TV and a new couch. They did a “haunted asylum” show the weekend before Halloween last year to raise money for the couch. They rehearsed for a few weeks, and dressed as frightening characters for the performance.

The room where the students meet has an academic center, with college-prep books and a computer, as well as a store offering snacks and drinks. Most days, the students also have access to the community center gym and game room to play pool, air hockey, ping-pong, foosball and basketball after 5 p.m.

“Veronica Ortiz is a highly effective counselor with her finger on the pulse of our community and teens,” said Lawrence School District Superintendent Gary Schall. “Her impact is far-reaching with the teens she works with directly, and so many with whom she works indirectly.”

Every few weeks, Ortiz said, she hosts workshops on a variety of issues such as stressors at home, family dynamics, leadership, study skills and college preparation. Another teen center activity is Debate Wednesday, when, Ortiz explained, she picks a controversial topic and asks the students questions about it. It allows them to express themselves in a safe, supportive environment, she said.

Ortiz said she loves to work with teenagers. “When they have good days, it’s so much fun,” she added. “But I’m glad I can also be there when they’re not laughing.”