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The Care Center

Bringing the power of education, arts and culture to youth and their families in Holyoke, MA

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Teen Resource Project

At the Teen Resource Project, students come together to create art, have fun, work hard, relax, be challenged, and grow. They also learn to create safe and respectful spaces, develop deep personal connections, and nurture and support each other.

The Teen Resource Project is based at Morgan Elementary School in Holyoke and is a partnership between the school, The Performance Project, and The Care Center. Participants practice writing through journaling exercises, and take part in dance, theater, drumming, martial arts, visual arts, storytelling, and poetry in workshops led by the mentors and artists. Discussion sessions provide students opportunities to practice listening and communication skills. Daily homework help and healthy snacks are part of the program as well.

The caring and healthy relationships high school mentors build with the younger children is invaluable. To lay the building blocks for a successful mentoring network, high school mentors receive ongoing intensive trainings. The curriculum is grounded in the principles of culturally-responsive teaching, best practices of youth development, and attention to multiple learning styles. Trainings include:

  • Communication and conflict resolution: Learning to listen, paraphrase, reflect back, use caring language, and practice empathic communication
  • Examining the  socialization of boys and men: Unpacking beliefs about boys and men, learning about masculinity, hyper-masculinity, and positive masculinity, discovering ideas of gender equity, learning how to break cycles of violence
  • Leadership styles and group facilitation: Discussing  leadership styles and thinking about what is most effective in different situations

Family and community celebrations take place throughout the year. These festive events invite the community-at-large to experience the dance, theater, writing, and visual art that participants have created and young people are key planners and performers in these celebrations.

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The Care Center gave me hope and a desire for change. They actually cared about me and my child. I quickly earned my GED at 16 years old.

Danielis Gonzales, Bard Microcollege Holyoke student and Care Center graduate

Recent News

Our Annual Fundraising Party was a Big Success!

Poetry Events

Meet Our Students

My Journey from Student to Staff Member

Julisa Deleon speaks about second chances, Plato, and studying while her ceiling caved in.

When Women Move Forward

See All News →

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Copyright © 2025 · THE CARE CENTER · All Rights Reserved
247 Cabot Street, Holyoke, MA 01040 | Phone: (413) 532-2900 | Fax: (413) 532-1250


The Care Center is a recipient of the 2011 National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award, the nation’s highest honor recognizing community-based arts and humanities youth programs in the United States, presented by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. The Care Center is also a recipient of the Mass Cultural Council’s 2019 Commonwealth Award, honoring exceptional achievement in the arts, humanities, and sciences. We are proud to receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Care Center is a 501(c)(3) organization. Tax ID 04-2962882

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