02 Oct Q&A: New Look, Same Mission: Ambrose Teen Center Revamps Space for Bay Point Teens

An interior shot of the newly renovated Ambrose Teen Center in Bay Point. (Nolan Mendoza)

Interview, Malcolm Marshall

Editor’s note: The Ambrose Teen Center in Bay Point recently unveiled a major remodel of its indoor space. Contra Costa Pulse spoke with Rande Ross, Ambrose Teen Center & Bay Point Youth Academy supervisor, about the upgrades and the role the teen center plays in supporting young people in the community. This interview has been edited for length and clarity,

Contra Costa Pulse: What inspired the decision to remodel the teen center, and what were your main priorities?

Rande Ross: The inspiration pretty much came from the fact that our kids are constantly growing and changing, and our teen center hasn’t been updated for at least 15 to 17 years. We need something that’s going to attract the new generation of kids. These kids are more into technology, smart rooms, smart devices and all that. And if we can’t keep up with that, then they’re going to go and stay home, cooped up in their room, on their phones. We want them here, and that way, they can also enjoy the technology that we’re going to provide, which is going to be leading to recreation and education.

Contra Costa Pulse: What are some of the biggest upgrades or new features?

Rande Ross: We have four new iMac computers for studying and homework support. We also have a 150-inch movie screen for movie nights that we’re going to be hosting with the kids. We have three new monitors that are mounted to the wall. We use them for different things —regular watching TV, possibly even video game tournaments, for our cooking program, so they can follow the instructions on the screen.

We also got some new furniture, new floors, a new paint job, a new barbecue grill, and new electrical, which allows us to run all this stuff. So we have a lot of upgrades that are going to be very attractive to the kids, and we’re super excited about that. 

Contra Costa Pulse: Did young people have a say in the remodel?

Rande Ross: Absolutely. Our leadership team and our Bay Point Youth Academy kids had a lot of input on what they wanted to see in their new space, so we collaborated with them. We asked them many questions, and they gave us feedback, and they even helped put it together. They were assembling furniture, putting chairs and couches together, cleaning the space. They really contributed to the upgrade.

Contra Costa Pulse: How have the kids responded so far? 

Rande Ross: For the kids who have seen it, they are absolutely in love with the space. They said it makes them feel like home.

Contra Costa Pulse: How does the new design support the center’s programs?

Rande Ross: Well, the new layout is more refreshing, and on top of that, we have a brand new mural that is right outside of the teen center. It’s the outside wall. So when the kids or their family or the community come to the teen center, they’re going to be met with a beautiful piece of art that represents diversity in the community, and that’s the first step. They’re going to see that, wow, this depicts me. It makes me feel like I’m represented here. It’s just another wow factor.

Contra Costa Pulse: Can you give an overview of the programs you run for Bay Point youth?

Rande Ross: The teen center is the umbrella program, and underneath the teen center, we have an amazing youth academy that is ran by our coordinator, Alondra Fuentes, and this year we’re hosting 35 new academy members. That program is more leadership training, life skill training. She has a curriculum planned out for the whole year. They come Tuesdays and Thursdays for academy days. Wednesdays are designated for homework and academic support. If you have a C or lower, it’s mandatory that you come to study hall until you can get above that C, and we hire a tutor to come in and help with the teachings and the academic support. Along with Ms. Alondra, she also helps as well. We just also hired an assistant that’s going to be helping with that whole program as well.

Another program that we have in the teen center is the leadership group. This group is responsible for planning the activities, the events, whether it be barbecue, going on college tours, and indoor/outdoor recreational activities. This gives them a voice on the things that they would like to be doing, instead of relying on adults to tell them what they’re going to be doing. So they have a voice here, and that’s what we’re really practicing and wanting them to know that, hey, come show up, because this place belongs to you, and you guys have the opportunity to plan and do the things that you want to be doing.

Our youth development leadership core group is seniors in high school transitioning into college or a credential program. We help them maneuver the challenges and what classes they need to be taking, helping them get set up with counselor appointments, taking them on college tours. That’s the older group that is going to be getting into real-life situations. We start them at the Youth Academy from ages 11 to 15, from 15 to 18 is the teen center leadership, then from 18 on through college or the credential program, that’s our youth development leadership group. 

Contra Costa Pulse: I’ve heard from parents who went to the center as teens and now send their kids. How does that make you feel?

Rande Ross: It feels incredible. We have a legacy that we’re building, not just in the community but with families. I’ve seen one family, they’ve had all of their kids come through, and that’s like five of them. So I’ve seen five generations of their family come through to the teen center and graduate, and they often come back and share their appreciation for what we have created, the things we taught them throughout the years. And they come back to volunteer. So that’s them paying it forward, and that’s all we ever want, is that we want to continue to do our job in providing these activities free of cost.

Nothing here costs the kids or their families money. We take care of all of the expenses, and all we ask is for them to come with respect, treat each other with respect, and come in and participate in the events and activities that we have going on here. And then when you get to a place you can now pay it forward, that’s what they’re doing now. The older generation is paying it forward by coming back and helping the younger ones.