Located in the family-centric city of South Pasadena, Teen Convene is an after-school program designed for middle schoolers and centered around its core philosophies of movement, connection, and wellness.
Teen Convene offers an alternative to middle school and club sports programs for teenagers who want to be physically active in a non-competitive, judgment-free environment. Additionally, for teens participating in middle school or club sports, Teen Convene will provide a place for those athletes to decompress from the stress and anxieties often created by competitive, intense environments and offer balance and wellness.
Teen Convene will also celebrate the connective and social benefits of sports, fitness, and movement by offering classes, excursions, and events where teens, their friends, and their families can participate.
What is Teen Convene?
Fitness & Movement
Classes & Activities include: Cycling, Climbing, Dance, Hiking,
Running
Connection & Community
Activities include:
Peer Group Sessions, City Bike Tours, Local SP sports outings, Family outings, Food Bank
Wellness & Self Regulation
Classes & Activities include:
Meditation and Yoga, Refueling
The Brain, Developing Focus,
Coping with Anxiety and Pressure
About Us
Mission Statement
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To provide a safe and positive environment for youth to engage in fitness and movement based activities.
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To provide a place for teenagers to “unplug” and find balance in their busy and stressful lives.
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To encourage and promote connection and community.
Why It Matters
Per the March 2020 NYT article, The Benefits of Exercise for Children’s Mental Health:
“The World Health Organization recommendation is for an hour of moderate to vigorous
exercise every day for adolescents, in addition to whatever they do in school — that means
activity that gets you sweating and breathing hard. But many adolescents don’t exercise
anywhere near that much.”
“Even if children exercised only one to three days a week, he said, there was a strong correlation with lower rates of anxiety and depression — and there was no significant difference between them and those who exercised four to six days a week. Good sleep duration and extracurricular activities were also associated with better mental health. In fact, physical activity may improve sleep quality, which is closely linked to mental health.”
Learn More About The Team
Teen Convene Program Pillars
Program Pillars
Teen Convene’s programming will be broken down into three core pillars or components. Each pillar will offer an array of classes and activities designed to work in concert with the other pillars to achieve the Teen Convene mission
statement.
Sample Weekly Schedule
Discover how Next Gen Skills is transforming lives with practical education.
Flexible Track
Discover how Next Gen Skills is transforming lives with practical education.
Aids Brain Development
Ongoing changes in the brain, along with
physical, emotional, and social changes,
can make teens more likely to experience
mental health problems. The fact that all
these changes happen at one time may
explain why many mental illnesses—such
as schizophrenia, anxiety, depression,
bipolar disorder, and eating disorders —
emerge during adolescence.
Promotes Coping Skills
Teen brains may respond differently to
stress. This could increase teens’
chances of developing stress-related
mental illnesses such as anxiety and
depression. Recognizing possible triggers
and practicing effective coping
techniques can help teens deal with
stress.
Strengthens Brain Circuits
The teen brain is ready to learn and
adapt. Taking challenging classes,
exercising, and engaging in creative
activities like art or music can strengthen
brain circuits and help the brain mature.
Why We Need Teen Convene
Our Values
Meet The Team
Samantha Montes
Co-Program Director
Jose Gonzalez
Site Director
Alison Smith
Co-Program Director
Rich Fineza
Board Member