WOODLAND PARK, NJ – The John. P. Holland Charter School (JPHCS) held a ribbon cutting ceremony and opened the doors to its dynamic new recreation room for their middle school students earlier this week. The event was attended by Woodland Park Mayor Keith Kazmark and Town Council members, along with JPHCS Student Government members, School Administration and CEOs’ of both Zone6ix and Jack and Jill Educational Consulting.
The Teen Center will be open to seventh and eighth graders from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during weekdays, with additional weekend hours coming soon.
“A dedicated space for our youth has been on my mind for years and I am so glad it has become a reality,” Christina Scano, Founder and Lead Person of JPHCS said. “It is a game changer for the students.”
Research has long shown how after-school activities, along with unstructured time such as game playing and socializing, not only helps kids do better in school, but provides additional opportunities for them to form critical relationships with their peers.
“As we work hard to bounce back from the pandemic,” Scano said. “We understand how important social-emotional health is and are always looking for ways to sustain and support our students.”
The staffed space has a youth-friendly design, featuring a mural painted by Fifty Shades of Hue. The space includes an Xbox, PS5, pinball, basketball layup game and four large TVs. It also has an air hockey and foosball table and places to do homework and simply relax. Zone6ix, a media platform for youth and high school student athletes, was commissioned to build the space and could not be happier teaming up with the school.
“It’s amazing that we could work with JPHCS on this space,” CEO Justin Wimberly said. “The center fits with our mission to create fun, safe spaces for students to show off their personalities, interact with their peers and learn to set lifelong goals.”
John P. Holland has a total of 618 Paterson students up to eight grade.
