About the Neutral Zone

The mission statement of the center was written by youth and continues to be the voice and heart which drives the center’s creative program and opportunities.

The mission
The Neutral Zone is a diverse, youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artistic expression, community leadership and the exchange of ideas.

Current highlights
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A brief history
In 1998, a group of Ann Arbor teens gathered to discuss the need for a place where teens could congregate after school and on weekends. From the very beginning, they felt this place should be more than just a hangout; that is could be a safe place to make new friends, mix with youth from different backgrounds, explore new ideas, learn new skills and do it all in a setting that was teen friendly and teen driven. Teens wrote the mission statement and the first grant proposal to the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and, with seed money in hand, enlisted parents and friends to turn an old brick and timber warehouse into a teen center.

It’s been years since that original group of teens realized their dream. They have moved on with their lives — some are in college and some are working. Their legacy lives on, however, in the Neutral Zone’s mission statement, in the “management structure, and the general feel of this home away from home for teens throughout the region. From a handful of teens, attendance has grown to 25,000 visits a year.