The Malden Teen Enrichment Center (MTEC) held their second fundraiser on October 2nd, 2015. The fundraiser was held at the Irish American Club in Malden for a night of music, food, raffles, and fun.
MTEC opened around four years ago. “The teen center is driven by the students,” says Mayor Gary Christenson. Talking with valued MTEC teens Ariel Garnett, Omar Khsohafo, and Jason Supris revealed that all of them believed MTEC was about engaging the community. MTEC holds various programs for teens, including peer tutoring, jewelry making, movie nights, and karaoke.
The MTEC task force states in the Executive Summary found on the City of Malden’s website, “According to the 2010 U.S. census data, the City of Malden has a population of 59,450, including 3,336 teens between the ages of 15 and 19. […] as they struggle to navigate through [life] issues, they must also deal with society’s unresolved stereotyping of teens.” The task force also states that the Teen Center would be a place the youth in Malden could go to for guidance.
MTEC’s mission is to engage the community, care for youth inside and outside of school, and give students a way to relax and have fun, while getting homework finished. When the teen center was being discussed, there were many different issues to choose from. Mrs. Marie Brown (Principal Brown’s wife, who is also the president of the board) came up with the idea for MTEC. Mrs. Brown mentions that the center receives great support, and that the fundraiser this year was the most successful.
At the annual fundraiser, the teens involved at MTEC attended, along with the heads of the board of MTEC, Principal Dana Brown, and Mayor Christenson. “The teen center is one of the best things Malden has ever done,” says Mr. Brown, after expressing how important he sees MTEC for the community of Malden. Ms. Brown says that she hopes to see more people from Malden’s city government at the next fundraiser. Ms. Brown also thanks “everyone who attended and helped out, it was a very successful night”. Regarding the future of MTEC, Ms. Brown would like to expand their programs, and continue to plan fundraisers.
The Malden Teen Enrichment Center is a place very important to Malden, and very important to the teens who go there.
