The former Brainerd Junior High School and 21st Century Academy building will see new life as the Highland Youth Center when it reopens this weekend.
The new youth center will open May 31 with a Family Fun Festival and 3-on-3 basketball tournament from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The building itself has been restored since the closing of 21st Century Academy in 2009. The building was long an eyesore for the community, said city Youth and Family Development Department Administrator Lurone Jennings II, and he and the community are excited to bring this opportunity to the Brainerd area.
“Brainerd has always been a vibrant community; the people here are diverse,” he said. “As a youth pastor at New Covenant Church, I’m happy we’re able to partner with the center and get involved.”
The new center will feature arts, education and sports programs in addition to summer camps for students ages 5-18. It’s all part of a program called HELP, or Highland Enrichment Learning Programs, designed and organized by Dr. W.C. Helton. The center will operate throughout the summer and begin after-school programs in the fall.
Highland Youth Center is located at 104 N. Tuxedo Ave. For more information on the center and its summer camps, visit help-youth.org.