Use of Teen Center Hits All-Time High

Participation at the 8-year-old Thousand Oaks Teen Center continues to grow, according to Conejo Recreation and Park District officials.

“Every time I do one of these [seasonal] reports, we seem to get bigger and better,” said Brenda Coleman, teen services director for the park district.

This summer, 635 teenagers were enrolled in classes and programs at the center from June 1 to Aug. 31, according to Coleman’s quarterly update.

That is an all-time high, up 150 kids from last summer, she said.

And that number does not include the 2,800 teens who dropped in for special events or general recreation at the Janss Road center, which boasts video games, pool tables and rooms for lectures and studying.

Coleman attributes the success of the center, in part, to public awareness.

“The longer we’re around, the more the community knows about us,” she said. “After eight years, we seem to become more and more part of the community.”

Also included in Coleman’s report is a list of the most popular recreation programs this summer.

Inner tube water polo, boys basketball, and classes in beginning ceramics, guitar, modeling and step aerobics topped the list.