Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County Chief Operating Officer Marci Volmer speaks at the grand opening of the Richard Boyden Teen Center in the Snohomish Boys & Girls Club Sept. 25.
Photo by Maeve Smith
SNOHOMISH — On Sept. 25, the Boys and Girls Club of Snohomish cut the ribbon on its new Teen Center. This addition was coupled with the opening of the Lift Zone, an improved computer and technology lab sponsored by Comcast.
“You have to go big to have a big impact, so that’s what we’re trying to do.” said Marci Volmer, the Chief Operating Officer of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County.
The Teen Center boasts a large e-gaming space with eight computers and six TV monitors available. The computers are advertised as gaming devices but can support a variety of needs including audio and video processing.
“There is nothing these machines can’t do,” said Ebby Sabbagh, lead engineer on the Network PC Engineering (NPCE) team responsible for installing the technology.
The Teen Center is already set to host a local High School Super Smash Bros. league and hopes to add more esports leagues to its roster in the future.
The Club, as the Teen Center is affectionately nicknamed, also has a working DJ booth, LED light fixtures, multiple board games, and a kitchen.
The interior has black and orange walls, with a “graffiti wall” at the back available for chalk drawing. Colorful LED lights wash the room in blue and purple, and cushy lounge chairs throughout the space provide a pleasant place to relax and enjoy the amenities.
In addition to the new technology in the Teen Center, the computer lab available to all ages unveiled a new look as the Comcast Lift Zone. This space now has a color 3D printer, a small AI robot, a podcast studio, a smart board, and many computers available to Boys and Girls Club members.
Sabbagh sees the Lift Zone as “combining art, tech, and all that in a fun way.” He hopes these colorful and interactive spaces will encourage kids to learn more about how technology works and become curious about these machines.
Volmer first pitched the idea of a Teen Center to the City Council around 2017, after the Boys and Girls club had an influx of young children forcing them to repurpose the club’s previous space reserved for teens.
The project was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a hard stop to the project for a few years. Once the pandemic declined in 2021 the Boys and Girls Club launched back into planning mode.
Funding was the biggest hurdle in building the Teen Center, but individuals and organizations all over the Snohomish community pitched in to make this space a reality.
The Snohomish Lions Club and Snohomish Kiwanis were both instrumental donors to the construction of the Teen Center, with the Lions Club alone donating $75,000. “Without them our community is not as good as it can be,” said Marty Robinett, a supporter and Project Partner of the Boys and Girls Club Teen Center.
Gaffney Construction also provided an incredible amount of support, building the Teen Center in just nine months.
“We know they are going to do the best they can for the lowest price they can,” Volmer said.
The teen center is dedicated to Richard Boyden, who died in January at age 81. Boyden was a local real estate development partner with Hank Robinett who spent much of his time and money volunteering at local charities.
The Boys and Girls Club hopes to extend their hours on weekends so teenagers will be encouraged to spend more time at The Club.
“Here it’s safe,” said Mayor Linda Redmon. “They have good mentorship and somebody to tell them they’re important, and that they have possibility and potential in their life. I mean what could be more important?”
The new Teen Center and Lift Zone offers a space for Snohomish youth to relax, play, and educate themselves. “Kids will be learning without even knowing,” Sabbagh said.
As Redmon puts it, “just come check it out.”
