A teen center project was preliminarily approved by the Uintah School Board during a special meeting last week as one of the district’s capital projects for the upcoming fiscal year. According to an announcement from the district, funding for the project includes a $40,000 dollar grant in matching funds from The Policy Project, a Utah-based nonprofit, as well as a $250,000 dollar grant from the state of Utah. VCBO Architecture has agreed to waive a portion of its fees for the project and then the balance of the project will be paid for with money the district already has in its savings for capital projects. The project will remodel about 1,500 square feet of space in the high school that was previously used for the Agricultural Sciences classrooms. The teen center will house a food pantry, have a washer and dryer, study rooms, and 2 bathrooms with private showers. Once complete, it will be open during the school’s business hours and a main population it will serve are the Uintah High students who are experiencing homelessness and the Uintah County students that are defined as food insecure. The district reports that currently there are about 2 dozen students experiencing homelessness. “As we envision it, the Uintah High Teen Center would support all UHS students in various aspects of their lives,” shares USD Support Services Director Mindy Merrell. “This initiative underscores our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students.” The teen center will be staffed by a full-time employee already employed at the high school. A team from the Uintah School District recently toured 2 teen centers in Davis School District which prompted discussions on services that the teen center can provide. Among the ideas discussed, Merrell says the center can also serve as a spot for students to receive services from Vocational Rehab or the Department of Workforce Services and benefit an even broader section of the student population. Formal approval of the project is expected to take place during the June board meeting.
