From Harford County government:
On Saturday, July 9, forty teens arrived at the grand opening of “The Zone,” a dance for teens featuring a DJ, pool, ping pong table games, prizes, raffles, and even a photo booth. The Zone was founded by Lynne Salkowski Mullin in partnership with the Harford County Department of Community Services as an activity for local youth to participate in healthy activities during non-school hours.
Participants at The Zone enjoyed hours of music presented by Six Sticks Studio, played the table games supplied by the Bel Air branch of the Boys and Girls Club, and captured memories of the night in a photo booth supplied by Five Star Amusements of Forest Hill.
“This is a great first step in providing entertainment to local youth as they enjoy their summer vacation,” stated Joe Ryan, the manager of the Office of Drug Control Policy. “I look forward to the next event sponsored by The Zone.”
The Zone was created in response to a Harford County Youth Commission survey, which, over the last year, polled area youth representing diverse communities. The survey revealed that area youth would like more activities available to them.
For more information, email the Harford County Youth Commission at youth@harfordcountymd.gov, or visit us on Facebook The Zone.
In February 2008, recognizing the need for area youth to have a voice in local government, Harford County Executive David Craig requested the County Council to re- establish a Youth Commission in the county. In 2009, the Harford County Youth Commission became a part of the Department of Community Services. Youth from all six council districts are represented on the Commission, as well as youth-servicing organizations.
The purpose of the Youth Commission is to assess the needs and resources of the County in terms of programs, jobs, and activities, and to suggest programs to meet the specific needs identified by the assessments and also identify the appropriate agencies for the implementation of those programs.
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