Eighteen-year-old Joey Janski has high praise for Rock School at the City of Redmond’s Old Fire House Teen Center.
“Last year, it was the best two weeks of my life,” he said.
This will be his third summer attending the two-week camp, which is Aug. 1-12 and allows participants learn from local professionals in the music industry. Their experience culminates in a live performance and CD recording.
Rock School is one part of a lineup of summer activities offered by the teen center. Teens can learn graffiti art and fashion design from local professionals, or they can kick back and soak their friends in a game of water dodgeball.
“The kids come up with the ideas, and we help them with programming,” teen program coordinator Chris Cullen said.
Teens can delve into digital animation with Digital Double, a motion capture and 3D graphics company located in Redmond. The company has partnered with the teen center to offer instruction in professional-level software while allowing teens to design a character and bring it to life.
Activities such as the digital animation and motion capture camp hosted by Digital Double have reinforced the teen center’s commitment to find local professionals willing to share their expertise.
“We try to find organizations that are local, and we also try to find organizations that teens are interested in,” said Ken Wong, teen and 50+ administrator for the City of Redmond.
The teen center also hosts Resource Days on Mondays and Tuesdays where participants can learn to get over their public-speaking jitters or pick up a new instrument in a more academic setting.
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are designated Activity Days, where teens can enjoy a community dinner or play old-school video games such as Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong on Super Nintendo and the original PlayStation.
Friday nights are reserved for special events, including dances, performances and concerts by local teen bands.
Seventeen-year-old Sam Crenshaw first heard about the teen center from a friend and has attended several concerts, including one by her boyfriend’s band, Everybody Panic.
“You’re safe here,” she said. “If you feel like you can’t go anywhere but want to go somewhere, the Fire House if the place to go.”
Earlier this summer, Crenshaw happened across the audition form for “Speech and Debate,” a play put on by Matchbox Theatre Productions in conjunction with the teen center.
Crenshaw immediately decided to audition, having seen the production last year at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. She will play the role of Diwata, a high school blogger and aspiring playwright, alongside Janski who will bring his musical talent to the play. Janski portrays Howie, a gay student who finds himself and the other characters wrapped up in a sex scandal as they work to form the school’s speech and debate team.
The play will show at 7 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the Bellevue Youth Theatre and on Aug. 13 at the Redmond teen center.
The teen center also offers summer internships in recording, administrative work and event management. Its next major event is RedSkate, a skateboarding competition to be held at The Edge Skate Park from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 9 as part of Derby Days.
Cullen said the teen center tries to keep its summer camps and Resource Days affordable, and Redmond residents receive a discounted price.
Many of the other activities and services at the teen center are free.
To see the teen center’s summer schedule, go to www.ci.redmond.wa.us/ParksRecreation/Teens. To register for a camp or program, call the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center at (425) 556-2300.
