After more than a decade of ambitions and efforts, Summit County is now equipped with a center dedicated to teenage after-school programming.

The Summit County Teen Center, located on the lower level of the County Commons building in Frisco at 0037 Peak One Drive, is the community’s first public drop-in facility for area students after replacing prior tenant, the County Motor Vehicle Office. The site serves youth in sixth through 12th grades and offers free activities — it boasts a shelved wall with an expansive collection of board games and art supplies — and healthy snacks.

“There are a lot of kids in our community who don’t always have a good place to go during that critical period between the end of the school day and their parents’ arrival back home from work,” County Commissioner Thomas Davidson said in a news release. “The new Teen Center is a stable, supervised environment that will further our work to support youth in making healthy choices that set them up for success.”

Summit County Mountain Mentors staff — all trained as youth-development professionals — will preside over the program, leading scheduled classes and activities daily. They’ll also be available for help with homework or informal conversations during unstructured time at the center.

“These are the kinds of people students look forward to seeing at the end of the day and with whom they’re comfortable sharing what’s going on in their lives,” said Robin Albert, director of Summit County Youth & Family Services, in the release. “We’re absolutely thrilled that we’ve finally been able to fill this void in our community.”

The center is open Mondays from 2:30-5:30 p.m., and from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday but is closed most major holidays, in addition to any time the Summit School District cancels school or after-school activities due to unsafe weather conditions. It will, however, host special events on certain school holidays and weekends. Occasional off-site programming will also be organized at such locations as the Summit County Animal Shelter or Frisco Adventure Park.

Local teens are able to come and go as they please at the center per their own respective schedules. No sign-ups or reservations are required — only a one-time registration that includes submitting a waiver signed by a parent or guardian.

The center officially opened Wednesday, Feb. 17, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the Board of County Commissioners, Youth & Family Services staff, other county personnel and local youths. The new venture was made possible through a collaborative effort, with the county providing the space and through grants for the program furnished by the Colorado Department of Human Services’ Tony Grampsas Youth Service Program and The Summit Foundation.

For more information on the Summit County Teen Center, including the one-time registration, visit: http://www.summitcountyco.gov/teencenter.