West PDX Today

Friday nights at Hidden Creek Community Center are for teens. Every week, the 51,000-square foot facility is reserved for youth in grades 7 – 12 who play games, hang out with friends, and can try something new. And it’s free. 

It’s called Ohana Teen Night, and it’s been steadily growing in programming and participation since it launched in 2021. 

“It’s really all about the kids,” said Eddie Acosta, Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Youth Program Coordinator. “We are constantly bringing in new activities and partners based on what we hear from the kids.”

Since the program started, several different community partners and speakers have engaged with the teens at Ohana. 

That includes local author Nicky Byma who led writing activities, local chef Amelie Rousseau who taught cooking classes, actors from Bag&Baggage Productions who led theatre classes, gamers from Rune & Board who led tabletop gaming, Paralympic gold medalist Rico Roman who shared his story and let participants try on his medals, and Hillsboro Police Cadets who played dodgeball, among others.

While there are structured activities at Ohana Teen Night, youth can also just go with the flow.Teens can shoot hoops in the gym, pick up a game of ping pong, play the Nintendo Switch, try their hand at arts and crafts, or just lounge around and chat. There’s plenty of beanbag chairs and comfy seats. Word is spreading about this awesome program. “We have a core group of kids who come regularly, but there are also new participants every week,” said Tasha Lovell, Sports & Cultural Enrichment Recreation Supervisor for Hillsboro Parks & Recreation. Last year, 414 teens attended Ohana Teen Night more than 1,600 times. That was across 43 Fridays including two special events. Many of the teens are super engaged. One started as a participant, transitioned to the Ohana Teen Leader role, and has since been hired as staff. The Ohana Teen Leader volunteer position is open to high school juniors and seniors who are responsible for welcoming new participants, giving program tours, sharing program expectations, ensuring people feel welcome, and generally acting as program ambassadors. Once they graduate from high school, Ohana Teen Leaders can apply as staff. Eddie, Tasha, and the Ohana Teen Night team have even more in store for 2023. Sign up and join the fun!Ohana Teen Night runs from 6 – 9 pm every Friday at Hidden Creek Community Center. Registration is required and can be done in advance or on site. For more information, contact Hidden Creek Community Center: 503-693-5900.

Original source can be found here.