Mayor Charlie Hales, iUrban Teen and Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) today launched a cellphone app to enable youth to easily access information about the free community center admission and teen programming provided by the Mayor’s Community Centers Initiative.
The $2 million Mayor’s Community Centers Initiative made community centers and teen programming free for Portland youth, removing a cost barrier to access recreational opportunities at a time whenyouth- and gang-related violence was reaching record highs. The goal was to prevent young people from becoming embroiled in trouble by providing accessible alternatives. In its first year, more than 12,000 youth took advantage of free access, teen programming, and the free Montavilla Teen Center that is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and weekends from 3 to 10 p.m.
