ZGYC – City and Borough of Juneau

Shéiyi Xaat Hít (Spruce Root House) Launches Safe Place® Program for Youth

This month, in partnership with Tlingit and Haida, first responders, and several others, the Shéiyi Xaat Hít Youth Shelter launched Safe Place®, a new community initiative designed to better serve youth in crisis.

Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program for young people ages 10 to 17 in need of immediate help and safety. Safe Place designates youth-friendly businesses and organizations as “Safe Places” where any youth in crisis can go to seek help. Once a youth enters the business and asks for help, the employee will show them to a safe waiting area and call the Shéiyi Xaat Hít Youth shelter. A trained shelter staff will respond within 30 minutes to provide direct crisis management and determine what resources are necessary to meet the youth’s needs.

Shéiyi Xaat Hít is Juneau’s only 24/7 emergency shelter for youth. Shelter staff work with families to provide necessary services like counseling, housing assistance, and family mediation for youth who have run away from home, are homeless, or are at risk of either.

“Although we’ve served a record number of youth at the shelter over the last year, we know that there’s many more who need help. Safe Place is a great way for us to expand the safety net of support for youth in Juneau,” shares Hannah Jenkins, Outreach Coordinator at Shéiyi Xaat Hít.

In Juneau, the first Safe Place locations will include the Tlingit and Haida Wayfinders program at Floyd Dryden, Capital City Fire Rescue’s staffed fire stations (Downtown, Airport, and Auke Bay), the Southeast Alaska Food Bank, the Zach Gordon Youth Center, the Juneau Police Department headquarters, Glacier Cinemas movie theater, Kindred Post, Dimond Park Aquatic Center, and Augustus Brown swimming pool.

Youth can find a Safe Place by looking for the black and yellow signs on businesses, searching the list of current Safe Places on the Shéiyi Xaat Hít webpage, or texting their location and the word “safe” to TXT-4-HELP (44357).

Celebrate the launch of this program by coming to the Safe Place Launch Party on Friday, June 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Zach Gordon Youth Center.

For those interested in becoming a Safe Place site or partnering with the shelter in other ways, reach out to Hannah Jenkins at [email protected] or call Shéiyi Xaat Hít at 907-364-7481. For media inquiries, reach out to Jorden Nigro at [email protected].

June 8th, 2026|

Registration for Start Smart Soccer Opens June 1

Families are invited to register their kids for the Zach Gordon Youth Center’s Start Smart Soccer program taking place this summer. Registration opens at 12 p.m. on Monday, June 1 under the “Youth & Teen” tab on the Parks & Recreation registration site.

Start Smart Soccer is a fantastic opportunity for kids ages 3 to 4 years to learn basic soccer skills while becoming comfortable in a sports environment. For 6 weeks, kids will spend time with an adult in their life practicing actions like dribbling, kicking, and trapping the ball. All kids must have a trusted adult available to participate during these one-a-week classes.

This year, Start Smart Soccer will host two sessions:

Downtown: 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays from July 2 to August 13, with no practice on July 23. Located at the Juneau-Douglas High School Turf.

Valley: 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays from July 7 to August 11. Depending on the week, located at the Thunder Mountain Middle School turf field or Adair Kennedy Fields.

The cost to participate in Start Smart Soccer is $45 plus tax. Scholarships are available through the Zach Gordon Youth Center. Be sure to register soon, as spots are limited.

For more information about Start Smart Soccer, contact Recreation Coordinator MJ Goedeken at [email protected]. For more information about Zach Gordon Youth Center scholarships, contact Recreation Coordinator Amanda Lovejoy at [email protected].

May 24th, 2026|

Registration for CBJ Parks & Recreation’s Juneau Youth Summer Camps Open April 1

Juneau Parks & Recreation 2026 summer youth camps, hosted May through August for kids ages 5 to 13 years old, open for registration at noon on Wednesday, April 1. Register by visiting the “Youth and Teen” and then “Camps” tabs at bit.ly/registerCBJparks. Spaces are limited and fill quickly.

This year’s camps are hosted by the Dimond Park Field House, Zach Gordon Youth Center, Treadwell Arena, and Juneau Pools through City and Borough of Juneau’s Parks & Recreation department. Camps available are half-day and full-day, and include activities like painting, swimming, live-action role-playing, hiking and more. Age ranges and prices vary per camp. Find more information about the available camps at bit.ly/campsCBJkids.

Scholarships are available for all camps. Contact Recreation Coordinator Amanda Lovejoy at 907-586-2635 ext. 4156 or [email protected] for more information on how to register with a scholarship.

For more information about the summer camps, contact CBJ Parks & Recreation at 907-586-5226.

March 11th, 2026|

Registration Open for March Acting Class at Zach Gordon Youth Center

Are you a 13- to 19-year-old interested in the art of on-screen performance? Sign-up for a 6-session acting course with Bostin Christopher, a professional actor and teacher, by visiting bit.ly/registerCBJparks. Through this unique class, students will rehearse scenes and gain valuable insights into performing for film and video. This course is perfect for aspiring screen actors—come bring your best take to life!

Classes take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, and 18 at the Zach Gordon Youth Center. The total cost for all sessions is $75 plus tax. Scholarships are available. Spots are limited to 10 students and are first come first served. Registration is open until full.

For more information about the acting class, contact Max Blust at [email protected] or 907-586-2635 ext. 4158. For information about scholarships, contact Recreation Coordinator Amanda Lovejoy at [email protected] or 907-586-2635 ext. 4156.

February 12th, 2026|

Parks & Recreation Youth Volleyball Registration Opens Monday, February 16

Early Bird Registration for CBJ Parks & Recreation Youth Volleyball for grades 5 to 6 (Elementary) and 7 to 8 (Middle School) opens Monday, February 16 at 12 p.m. Early Bird Registration runs until March 1 and costs $45 plus tax. Late registration, beginning March 2, will incur a $10 late fee.

Register online through the Parks & Recreation catalog under the “Youth & Teen” tab. Registration is first-come, first-served. All registrations received after the session is full will be placed on a waitlist.

Youth volleyball is a great opportunity to learn new skills, practice sportsmanship, and have fun. The season runs for six weeks from April 6 to May 16. Teams are coed and will practice one night a week for one hour. Games will take place on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Scholarships from the Zach Gordon Youth Center are available; complete the online form to apply.

Youth Volleyball relies on volunteer coaches and parent volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, contact Amanda Lovejoy at [email protected].

For more information, visit the Youth Volleyball website. For questions, contact Amanda Lovejoy at [email protected].

February 9th, 2026|