New Partnership Offers Safe Place for Norman Teens

NORMAN, OKLA. - A partnership between the City of Norman and the Center for Children and Families, Inc. (CCFI) promises to provide teens with a safe place to study, learn important life skills and have fun.

"The idea emerged from a recognized need for more teen programming within the City of Norman, aimed at providing a positive outlet for teens in the community," said Mitchell Richardson, recreation manager for the City of Norman Department of Parks and Recreation. "CCFI has been a longstanding institution in the community, and as the city sought to fill the Reaves Park building with meaningful programming, partnering with both CCFI and the Boys & Girls Club was a natural fit to address these needs."

The City of Norman is leasing the building to CCFI for the symbolic rate of $1 a year. Renovations are expected to cost around $30,000, and additional funding for the complete renovation is expected to come from a combination of city funding, community grants, and resources procured by CCFI.

Melissa Klink, chief executive officer of CCFI, said the goal is to have this site open for Summer 2025 camp and events.

"Through this new site, we're giving teens a place to be that's safe. They do crafts and have a blast and they want to be involved and engaged," she said. "One of the things that we think is so important is to include kids in the design process. We want them to feel comfortable in this space."

The teaching kitchen, named Zena's Kitchen is an initiative of Assignment Hope International, Inc., and is named for the organization's founder, Zena Amer, who served the Norman area as a teacher at the Moore Norman Technology Center for 33 years and co-founded Assignment Hope in 2009. Amer died in 2023.

"Zena was an incredible woman," Klink said of the space which will bear her name. "This is such a beautiful way to pay tribute to her."

She said the space will offer teens instruction on budget-friendly, healthy cooking, as well as more basic topics like kitchen safety. The facility will also feature a lounge area, defined study spaces and counseling space.

"We try to do creative things, but also help kids with their homework and keep them on track to graduate," she said.

Construction of Zena's Kitchen has already been approved by the City Council and the Board of Park Commissioners. Richardson said additional formal votes regarding the renovation and overall operation of the rest of the building are still forthcoming. Updates to this project will be made available for interested community members at Normanok.gov.

###