WINTER FUND DRIVE
At Neutral Zone, we are grateful to provide youth with a place to authentically be themselves, to belong, and be celebrated.
Last year, we were honored when an NZ teen told us we were doing just that. ASR, a youth who wrote and directed a play on family roots, shared this reflection with us.
“I’d like to say a few words about my experience here…
Read AJR’s story here
2025-26 School Year
Welcome! Programs run weekdays throughout the school year and are open to any high-school-aged teen. ALL PROGRAMS ARE FREE, though donations are welcome.
Upcoming Events
Neutral Zone, Formula 734, and We Are Culture Creators present South Synthesis. Calling all youth hip hop artists, join us for this workshop to create and produce a spring hip hop show on Monday, January 19th 12-4 PM. Lunch will be provided. RSVP to Nya@neutral-zone.org
Calling all artists, programmers, musicians, and storytellers. Join us for NZ’s 2nd game jam of the year - join a team and make a video game in just 4 weeks!
NZ's "The Royal Players” Presents: "Little Shop of Horrors!". Join us for our very own production of this wild horror/ sci-fi musical mashup. RSVP for tickets
NZ's "The Royal Players” Presents: "Little Shop of Horrors!". Join us for our very own production of this wild horror/ sci-fi musical mashup. RSVP for tickets
NZ's "The Royal Players” Presents: "Little Shop of Horrors!". Join us for our very own production of this wild horror/ sci-fi musical mashup. RSVP for tickets
Unbound is seeking submissions for our Winter Zine. Join us in-person Wednesdays at 4:30 at the Neutral Zone as we wrok on our 3rd multimedia zine of teen art and writing. Accepting any form of artwork.
Join Consent Matterz and Unbound for cookie decorating, cozy consent crafts and pure poetry! Free and open to all high school age teens.
The Neutral Zone B-Side Presents Battle of the Voices! Do you or someone you know think they have what it takes it win the battle? The competition is open to all high school aged solo singers, rappers, and more.
Calling all artists! Submit your art for Potential. the 43rd annual juried teen art exhibition for Washtenaw County. Art submission deadline is February 12th. Questions? Contact Trevor Stone, trevor@neutral-zone.org
The Neutral Zone B-Side Presents Battle of the Bands! Teen bands of all genres welcome. Come battle it out to see who comes out on top and secures the grand prize
Calling all artists! Submit your art for Potential. the 43rd annual juried teen art exhibition for Washtenaw County. Art submission deadline is February 12th. Questions? Contact Trevor Stone, trevor@neutral-zone.org
Hundreds of supporters packed the Neutral Zone on Saturday at NZ Engage and raised over $20,000 for programs! Deepest thanks to all of you who attended, listened, funded and celebrated our teens and their project ideas
Submit digital versions of your art to this juried opportunity using the form below. Selected works will be printed on vinyl stickers and put on the van. Imagery should reflect Neutral Zone’s values and/or community in some way. Artwork from any area high-school age teen welcome.
At our NZ Engage event last November, teens pitched their project ideas of what they dreamed of doing this school year. And our community listened to their ideas and funded them. Here are some highlights from those projects this year.
The N Zone podcast is now LIVE! This year, teens at the Neutral Zone launched the N Zone a new podcast for youth voice. Youth leaders Nick and Aiden Runchey worked to conceptualize, write, record, and release podcasts for three episodes
Thank you, City of Ann Arbor for recognizing Neutral Zone for its LGBTQ+ community as we enter Pride Month. NZ Youth leaders Juniper Rooze and Aiden Runchey accepted the award and spoke about the upcoming NZ Rainbow Resistance Project.
Several teens involved at Neutral Zone have been recognized for their community leadership as Washtenaw County Young Citizens of the Year.
“It was a rare opportunity to have the expertise provided by the engaged staff, the permission to pursue the wackier ideas we had, and the resources to execute those ideas at a professional level. I learned so much at the Neutral Zone about leadership and communication, as well as professional-level technical skills in the behind-the-scenes aspects of the music industry.”
“I wouldn’t be who I am without the zone,” stated Sterling Field, now a Senior Research Specialist at Michigan State. “The experiences I had there have been invaluable, and they are still with me.
Click to read more
NZ Updates
Our Mission
Neutral Zone is a transformative, youth-driven community where youth embrace their power, ignite their creativity, and launch their future to build equity, justice, and collective liberation.
-Approved October 28, 2023
Our Approach
YOUTH DRIVEN SPACES
OUR YOUTH DRIVEN SPACES APPROACH
Historically, adults struggle to find effective strategies to support meaningful opportunities for youth to lead their own initiatives or learning. We have drawn on our more than 20 year experience to develop a “youth-driven” philosophy that rests on three core practices:
1) Tapping teens’ intrinsic motivation
2) Supporting teens’ developmental needs; and
3) Fostering genuine partnerships between adults and youth.
At Neutral Zone, we are grateful to provide youth with a place to authentically be themselves, to belong, and be celebrated.
At a gathering last year, we were honored when an NZ teen told us we were doing just that.
“I’d like to say a few words about my experience here …