The Center of Dance.  The Center of Art.  The Center of Change. 

To address issues of youth disengagement and hopelessness in Allentown, an Weed and Seed Youth Advisory Committee was formed from representatives of local non-profit organizations. Their role was to develop programming that would strengthen families and engage all students in life-long learning.  However, they soon discovered that the teen population, those at the highest risk for delinquency, drug use and violence, were not participating in the then-offered programs.

In early 2006, members of the Allentown Weed and Seed Coalition formed a youth panel board and asked local teens for feedback regarding their lack of participation in after-school programs.  The teens’ response was simple.

There wasn’t anything for them to get excited about.

But that was all about to change with the creation of The Urban Creative Arts Center for Teens (The Center) in April of 2006.  Its mission was to provide area youth from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to develop their social, emotional, intellectual and artistic abilities through the creative arts.