New Teen Center Opens Doors of Opportunity
The Salvation Army has opened a new Teen Center at the Ken Carlson Red Shield Youth Center (formerly known as the Boys and Girls Club), creating a safe haven and resource hub for Winston-Salem youth ages 13-18. Located at 2100 Reynolds Park Road, the center represents a powerful investment in local teens’ futures. Funded by the City of Winston-Salem’s ARPA grant and support from the Taco Bell Foundation, Twin City Kiwanis, and Reynolds American Foundation, the facility features a teen café, educational spaces, and secure activity areas designed with safety in mind.
"This Teen Center will be a place where teens can feel safe, supported, and empowered," said Sylvia Adams, Ken Carlson Red Shield Youth Center Area Director for The Salvation Army of Greater Winston-Salem. "We’re deeply grateful for the ARPA funding and our local partners who have made this dream a reality. With extended evening and weekend hours, our teens will now have a dedicated space to learn, grow, and thrive."
The Center features a teen café with a small kitchen, activity areas for education and gaming, and designated spaces for art, education, tutoring, and socializing. These enhancements aim to play a vital role in gang prevention by providing at-risk teens with constructive alternatives to negative influences in their communities. The Center also offers extended evening and weekend hours to keep youth engaged in safe, structured activities that foster personal growth, resilience, and social responsibility.
The Teen Center remains dedicated to fostering resilience and success in young people across Winston-Salem. "We are more than a club; we’re a community that uplifts each other," Adams continued. "Our impact is evident, with 70% of our children maintaining a B average or higher."
With the capacity to serve over 100 teens, the center will engage young people through after-school programs, summer activities, summer camp, and weekend drop-in sessions. In addition, the center offers unique opportunities for job readiness, including a 14-week workforce development program that helps youth prepare for life beyond high school, whether that path leads to college, trade school, military service, or the workforce. A special focus during summer camp is the mentorship initiative, where teens have the unique opportunity to mentor younger children, further fostering leadership, responsibility, job readiness, and community.
This Teen Center will be a place where teens can feel safe, supported, and empowered. The center offers extended evening and weekend hours, providing constructive alternatives to negative community influences. Programs emphasize education, job readiness, and mental health, including partnerships with licensed therapists from the Mental Health Association in Forsyth County.
A unique 14-week workforce development program prepares teens for life beyond high school, while a summer mentorship initiative lets teens guide younger children. Our primary goal with this new facility is to keep local youth engaged in safe, structured activities that foster personal growth, resilience, and social responsibility.
Together, we’re investing in the next generation of Winston-Salem’s leaders and helping write success stories that will impact our community for years to come!