During afterschool hours, Middle Earth offers teens constructive activities to occupy their free time, teaches life skills, and offers guidance, becoming a support system for youth who might otherwise not have one, in the hopes of intervening prior to troubled behavior and teaching teens the skills needed to become responsible adults.

JOURNEYS Program at Community Youth Centers

The Middle Earth Community Youth Centers provide youth a safe, structured, and supervised place during out-of-school hours to gather for fun activities, interact positively with their peers, learn life skills, and talk to caring adults.

Any and all Somerset County youth between age 12-18 are welcome at our Bound Brook Youth Center. Special services are offered to youth who are engaging in risky behaviors, who have poor school attendance or performance, who are experiencing difficulties, or who need extra support.

Our comprehensive service centers provide an array of benefits to youth all in one location, including:

• positive recreation (such as pool and ping pong tables, TV, DVD player, stereo, exercise equipment, board and video games, basketball, arts and crafts materials, cameras, computers, and a bulletin board of planned activities),
• caring and supportive adults who act as role models and mentors,
• group meetings and workshops,
• certified teachers for tutoring and academic support,
• community service opportunities,
• college preparedness,
• employment readiness skills (such as resume-writing and interviewing),
• life skills education (e.g. cooking, obtaining a driver’s license, financial literacy, independent living),
• character development lessons (such as anger management, leadership and positive decision-making),
• social-emotional learning,
• fun incentive trips as rewards, and
• crisis intervention and referral services.

Locations and Hours for our Centers are as follows:

• Bound Brook Youth Center
  • location: Codrington Park, 200 Thompson Ave, Bound Brook, NJ 08805
  • open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 2:45 to 6 p.m.
  • serves: any and all Somerset County youth between age 12-18
• Manville Youth Center
  • location: Manville High School Cafeteria, 1100 Brooks Blvd, Manville, NJ 08835
  • open: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 2:30 to 6 p.m.
  • serves: youth age 12-18 who reside in Manville
• Franklin Youth Center
  • location: 429 Lewis St., Somerset NJ 08873
  • open: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 2:45 to 6 p.m.
  • serves: youth age 12-18 who reside in Franklin

For more information about our centers, please email journeys@middleearthnj.org.

Funding for this program has been provided in part by the Somerset County Youth Services Commission funded through the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission.