DETROIT (WXYZ) — As city leaders work to address dangerous teen gatherings across metro Detroit, one longtime nonprofit says the answer starts with giving young people something many say they're missing — connection, community and a safe space to belong.
Teen HYPE has spent more than two decades creating programs designed to bring teens together, build leadership skills and keep them engaged in positive spaces.
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"I think we underestimate the power and brilliance of young people," Teen HYPE CEO Ambra Redrick said.
The nonprofit, now in its 22nd year, serves more than 2,200 teens annually from all walks of life. Its approach centers around fun activities while allowing teens to guide their own programming — aiming to help them advance into the next stages of their lives by building leadership skills and exposing them to new experiences.
"Just like grown ups and just like littles, teenagers need a place to play," Redrick said.
Teen takeovers have made headlines nationally and within Detroit, in some cases claiming lives. Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and Police Chief Todd Bettison have sought to address the issue by finding teens places to congregate.
"They need structure and occupied things to do," Sheffield said.
"And have a safe place with activities," Bettison said.
Redrick said her organization offers exactly that.
"They need a place where they can find their tribe," Redrick said. "They surround themselves with other young people who are all striving to go in the right direction."
For the teens themselves, the impact is personal.
"Teen HYPE is a safe space," 15-year-old sophomore Payton McLeish said.
"It's people who you always know you can go to," 16-year-old junior Charlie Schmitt said.
McLeish described the community as something deeper than friendship.
"Like your family, but not your blood," McLeish said.
For 16-year-old junior Tyriq Aaron, the sense of belonging is something he carries with him beyond the program.
"My mom talks about it all the time: don't hang out with the wrong crowd of people, don't hang out with people who don't support you for who you are. They'll be there for me and I'll be there for them, and accept me for who I am and what I want to do," Aaron said.
The teens say the experience also helps them grow individually.
"It helps me understand myself better, and that's important to me as well," Schmitt said.
"We help each other. We are there for each other. We learn from one another," McLeish said.
"They want to do something in the future and try new things as well," Aaron said.
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