Five of the 72 teens who spent a recent Friday night at BARN finished their pizza in the Commons then headed to the Culinary Arts Studio where they spent two hours measuring, mixing, and baking 88 mini loaves of spiced pear quick bread for the local food bank. They also heard about food safety and what it takes to work in a commercial kitchen.

The teens, in the seventh and eighth grades, also made some muffins they could eat on the spot, or take home. The 88 mini loaves, however, were frozen and delivered to Helpline House for the food bank they operate 10 AM to 4 PM Monday-Friday.

An appreciative Helpline, on social media, offered “a huge thank you to the talented young bakers at BARN,” adding “we love seeing young people roll up their sleeves and make a difference in their community.”

Once a month during the school year, teens in grades 7 through 12 can sign up for Teen Night, a free Friday evening where they hang out for social time and pizza in the Commons before heading out to the studios. They’ve pre-selected an activity they’d like to try their hand at – or further their skills. Activities included, for example, on this Teen Night:

  • Drawing comic strip characters (Drawing & Painting Studio)
  • Needle Felting (Fiber Arts Studio)
  • Fused-glass birds (Glass Arts Studio)
  • Improv (Media Arts Studio)
  • Sculpture
  • Mini junk journals (Print & Book Arts Studio). These are pocket-sized, handmade books created from recycled papers, scraps, etc.
  • Wooden pencil holder (Woodworking & Small Boatbuilding Studio)
  • Casual Crafts

The activities change every month. Teen Nights for the remainder of the academic year are scheduled for Nov. 6, Dec. 11, Jan. 8 (2027!), Feb. 12, March 12, April 23, and May 14.