Since 1997, TEENS, Inc. has been a trusted resource for children and youth in the mountain town of Nederland and the surrounding Peak to Peak region. TEENS, Inc.’s array of programming supports youth and families throughout our community. We deliver programming from our 8,000-square-foot facility in Nederland and throughout the Peak to Peak community and Front Range.
Each year, TEENS, Inc. directly serves more than 450 teens, 175 elementary students, 60 parents and 40 preschoolers through the following programs:
Education: TEENS, Inc. operates two schools: Chinook West, an alternative high school for those at risk of dropping out, and New Explorers Learning Center, the only year-round early childhood education center serving West Boulder and Gilpin counties.
Employment: Four employment programs provide youth transferable job skills: Teen Youth Corps employs youth to work on summer community projects; TeamWorks pairs urban and rural youth to work on paid summer conservation projects; Peer Supervisors work at the drop-in teen center, and Youth Leadership Academy employs youth to lead the Mountain Coalition for Youth, focused on promoting healthy youth development throughout the community.
Outdoor Leadership & Recreation: offers after school rock climbing camps and multi day leadership retreats to build resilience, and a weekday drop-in center offers a safe place for teens.
Community-wide Initiatives: TEENS, Inc. serves all area youth and children and their parents at local schools through its Social Emotional Learning (SEL) training to positively impact mental health and social attitudes leading to greater resiliency and academic success.
TEENS, Inc. supports, educates, and empowers youth and their families to make healthy choices and thrive.
For 29 years, TEENS, Inc. has responded to evolving community needs by providing youth and family programming and creating opportunities for young people to learn, grow, build connections, and thrive.
TEENS, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization was founded in March 1997 in Nederland, Colorado as an outgrowth of the Town of Nederland Youth Services Programs to ensure that Nederland area youth are not only safe during after school and out-of-school hours, but also have access to a wide range of activities that help them develop the life, educational, and job-related skills they need to become productive, responsible citizens.
In 1999, TEENS, Inc. assumed full responsibility for administering the Teen Center to ensure its youth programs would not be affected by local government instability or political pressures. Through a three-year capital campaign begun in 1997, TEENS, Inc. raised over $1,000,000 to fund the construction of a new Nederland Teen Center. Doors opened January 2, 2000 and currently provides programs for youth of all ages and their families. Programs are free for youth 11-21, while activities for other age groups require a nominal use fee, creating a diversified revenue stream.
In 2002, TEENS, Inc., in collaboration with Boulder Valley School District, established Chinook West Alternative High School in response to the #1 need identified by the community. Since its inception, Chinook West has served 190+ disadvantaged youth who had dropped out or were at risk for doing so. Recently receiving a unanimous 5-year accreditation from AdvancEd, Chinook West has the highest graduation rate of any alternative high school in Boulder County.
In 2015, we entered into a contract with the State of Colorado Division of Youth Services to run the educational programming at the Lookout Mountain Youth Services facility in Golden, Colorado. Modeled after Chinook West, TEENS, Inc. served incarcerated youth, ages 14-20 for 10-years until the contract expired.
In 2019, two of Nederland's long-standing preschools closed their doors, creating a critical gap in quality child care programs in the Nederland community. TEENS, Inc., stepped forward to fill the gap by creating the New Explorers Learning Center (NELC).
In 2024, after realizing there was a continued unmet need for childcare in the Peak to Peak region, the TEENS, Inc. Board decided to launch a $7,000,000 capital campaign to build a 9,700-square-foot early childhood education center with the capacity to triple the amount of childcare available – including infant care for the first time. On September 28, 2026, the new NELC opened its doors and welcomed it’s youngest learners!
As with all our programs, we serve all families and no one is turned away for inability to pay.
Organization name
TEENS, Inc.
1997
Tax id (EIN)
84-1380016
Category
Youth Development, Education, Employment, Environment
Organization Size
Large Organization
Colorado State Tax Credits
Colorado Child Care Credit
Address
151 East St., P.O. Box 1070Mailing
P.O. Box 1070Boulder County, CO, US
Gilpin County, CO, US
Jefferson County, CO, US
Denver, CO, US
Adams County, CO, US