St. Charles Park District's teen center offers connections

Imagine a recreation room where teens can laugh, play pingpong and meet up with friends. There’s always someone to chat with, a comfy chair and it’s hard to be bored with games and activities around.

In St. Charles, this is the STC Underground.

The St. Charles Park District supports the goal of having a place and activities for residents of all ages and it’s proud to offer the Underground, a community space for its teens. With computers for gaming, space to study and room to hang out and chat, it’s a favorite spot for tweens and teens located just steps from downtown St. Charles.

Behind the scenes, recreation supervisors Abby Fleming and Dan Procaccio work to keep the place inviting and fun, whether it’s hosting study nights or video game tournaments.

Staying connected to the teens and inviting their feedback is an important part of the job, Fleming said.

“I’m always asking what they want to see or do. We talk about activities and interests,” Fleming said.

There are the annual events everyone seems to love such as the field trip to Great America, which this year is on Aug. 17. There are new events each season. Fleming said she also partners with youth programming staff at the St. Charles Public Library to plan activities and generate ideas.

The St. Charles library and the St. Charles Park District’s teen coordinators are co-hosting Pizza Perfection on Aug. 7, giving participants a chance to personalize their pizza pie with toppings and discuss nutrition along the way.

“They can eat their pizzas or take them home to enjoy them later,” Fleming said.

The park district’s teen center is open to those in sixth grade through 12th grade. As a welcome to the incoming sixth graders, the center is hosting a new program, the sixth grade bash on Aug. 23. Fleming recalled how when she was around this age she moved to a new community and wished she had a program like this one to meet people.

“It’s a great way to meet new people and learn more about the center,” she said. “This is a very safe environment.”

The center hosts drop-in hours Tuesday through Friday with different themes, snacks and activities – from crafting to board games and pingpong, too.

In October, Fleming and Procaccio, in partnership with park district staff from Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, are planning a trip to Starved Rock for a day of hiking. The trip, timed to coincide with the beauty of fall leaf colors, promises to be a fun and active day.

Last spring, the St. Charles Park District completed renovations at the STC Underground with a fresh coat of paint, improved lighting and a new computer gaming area that has become a popular spot for fun and some in-house gaming competitions.

The second part of the refresh will be this summer with new furnishings in the lounge, the addition of a pool table and a gathering table.

In addition to park district funding, the teen center was the recipient of grants from the St. Charles Youth Commission and St. Charles Noon Kiwanis.