The City of Seattle is proud to provide access to free mental health care for young people in Seattle. Call or text 988 to receive help any time.
In response to the City of Seattle Innovation & Performance team’s 2024 Youth Mental Health Report, three City departments joined forces to co-create an innovative youth wellness program called Community Hub. The idea addresses multiple needs voiced by youth, community, and stakeholders.
The Community Hub is activated through a partnership between Seattle Parks & Rec (SPR), the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), and the Office of Arts & Culture (OAC). Together we’re amplifying our collective resources to offer free arts engagement opportunities at community centers for Seattle teens and young adults.
Our goals are to boost:
- Relationships with trusted adults
- Access to safe, identity-affirming spaces
- Mental health and wellness literacy
- Social-emotional skills
- Relationships with supportive peers
After a successful pilot of the program last summer, the collaborating agencies built up the mental health tools and strategies of the OAC teaching artist team and SPR staffers. Phase two includes two kinds of programming. One is supporting Aki Kurose Middle School Community Learning Center’s Saturday Academy by embedding mental health sessions and teaching artists (Olu Dixon, Claudia Villalobos, and Jeffie Lou Jackson) to lead arts classes in theatre, visual art, and dance.
The second program is drop-in classes in community center hubs in the North, South, and Western edges of our City. All teens are welcome to tap into these free opportunities to find supportive spaces and creative ways to feel better, no registration required. They can learn creative ways to express themselves and learn about the free mental health therapy offered by the City of Seattle. Community Hubs are supported by recreation staff and teaching artists who receive training in supporting youth mental health.
Upcoming Programs
Bitter Lake Community Center
- Saturdays 6-10 p.m., Jan. 24 – June 20 | Passion for Fashion & Custom Fits: Intro to Hand and Machine Sewing, Clothing Modification, and Upcycling with Lauren Holloway and Antonio Washington: In this series, students will gain skills that will empower them to construct, modify, and stylize unique clothing and accessories for maximum self-expression while giving new life to those Goodwill bins finds and yesterday’s clothing languishing in closets unworn, bringing pieces of fabric to life.
- Saturdays 6-10 p.m., Jan. 24 - June 20 | Wearable Creativity with Greg Thornton: Wearable Creativity is a design program where youth will explore elements of design to put on garments, walking away with garments made from their own imaginations.
Southwest Teen Life Center
- Thursdays 5-8 p.m. & Fridays 7-10 p.m., Jan. 22 – June 19 | The Music Lab with Erica Merritt: Explore the art of creating music lyrically and vocally. Learn to increase songwriting, vocal ability, and music production skills at The Music Lab.
- Tuesdays & Fridays 4-7 p.m., Jan. 20 – June 19 | Creative Flow Youth Art Studio with Malika Bennett: A creative art studio exploring painting, jewelry making, abstract art, and mixed-media projects. This class is a fun, supportive space that encourages imagination and self-expression.
Rainier Beach Community Center
- Tuesdays 4:30-6 p.m. Feb. 24 – June 16 | Spoken Word for the Future with Youth Speaks Seattle: Join Ankober Yewondwossen and Quinn Umeno from Youth Speaks Seattle and step into a creative community where your voice matters. Through the art of spoken word poetry, explore your own stories, sharpen writing and performance skills, and build collective power with other young artists. Whether you’re new to poetry or already performing, this is a space to experiment, grow, and speak your truth out loud.
- Wednesdays 4:30-6 p.m. Feb. 25 – June 17 | Foundation of Breaking and Funk Styles with Massive Monkees: Join Florentino “Flow” Francisco to dive into the original foundation of Breaking (Break Dancing) and Funk Styles (Popping, Locking, and The Robot), built by the pioneers during the 1970s. Students will learn the core moves, vocabulary, and techniques needed to level up. While these street dances are all about freestyle and self-expression, mastering the basics gives you the power to go bigger, cleaner, and more confident in your own style.
