Youth Programs

Drop-In Center

The Center is open to youth for drop-in hours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays beginning at 3:30 p.m. The Center closes at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and at 9:00 p.m. on Fridays. Youth ages 14-17 are welcome on Thursdays and youth ages 18-21 are welcome on Wednesdays and Fridays. Only youth (plus Odyssey Center’s staff and volunteers) are welcomed during these times. 

Odyssey youth consist of gay, lesbian, bi, transgender, questioning, cross dressers, drag queens, drag kings, and straight-allied youth. We have access to computers, stereo, television, games, pool table, LGBT library, conference area, a small group room, art & crafts area, and a small kitchen. We provide classes, workshops, speakers and plenty of time just to hang out and meet new people.

Life Skills

Odyssey Youth Center utilizes Advocates for Youth's popular family life education program, Life Planning Education: A Youth Development Program. 

This program includes chapters on:

• sexuality,
• relationships,
• health,
• violence prevention,
• and community responsibility
• as well as chapters on skills-building, values, self-esteem, parenting, employment preparation, and reducing sexual risk.

Socio-Emotional Learning Programs

Odyssey Youth Center also recognizes the importance of emotional well-being and the need for strong resiliency skills. As such, we’ve borrowed material from the University of Oregon’s Kenneth Merrell on emotional learning and resiliency called Strong Teens. 

This program is a scripted curriculum developed to promote social and emotional learning and resiliency with adolescents in grades ages 14+.

The Strong Teens curriculum is aimed specifically at concerns and content relevant to adolescents of high school age.

The Strong Teens curriculum was developed using:

• evidence-based concepts,
• instructional strategies,
• and activities,

and have been demonstrated through research to enhance student's knowledge of healthy social-emotional behavior, as well as reduce negative emotional symptoms.

Odyssey Out Loud! Activist & Leadership Training

Odyssey Out Loud! (OOL) is a formalized youth training program led by two youth interns. It consists of an intensive eight week organizer training which begins with a focus on understanding ‘social justice’. 

These training sessions initiate the development of critical thinking, organizing and leadership skills, whereas the internships and the additional activist cultivation allows those most engaged to continue to develop their organizing skills to a more advanced level.

The trainings continue to include the building of skills in effective communication, conflict resolution, lobbying, working with media, and first amendment rights and restrictions.

Teen Boards

Odyssey's Teen Boards are made up of youth who have a passion toward leadership and having a say in what happens at Odyssey. There are two Teen Boards. Teen Board Apollo is made up of youth ages 18-21 and Teen Board Phoenix is made up of youth ages 14-17. Each Teen Board focuses on the concerns of their age group. the boards are responsible for Odyssey's various youth events and they report to Odyssey's Board of Directors on a quarterly basis. The Committees of both Teen Boards are as follows:  Communications, Activities/Events Coordination, Journalism, Advocacy, and Welcome.

Youth Leadership Development & Internships

Fostering and training Odyssey youth in areas of leadership and activism is one of our major goals.  We provide youth with opportunities for growth in their leadership as well as venues that enable them to put their refined skills to practice.  One way we do this is by providing paid and unpaid internship opportunities to youth.