Every day you hear someone say that our youth are our future, when in reality that is false, they are our now. We recognize the value and potential of each of our youth individually and we feel that it is imperative to invest in them now! The misconception is that we believe that they are only valuable later in life, but how can we expect them to be great if we are not investing in them now? We challenged ourselves and our own stereotypical thoughts and decided that we cannot have programs and centers for the youth without the youth’s input, so we created a Teen Advisory Council. We expect our youth to be leaders but we never give them the platform to lead, but our Teen Advisory Council (TAC) will do just that. Our Teen Advisory Council members are the “shot-callers”, and we work to address the demands of their wants and needs. By opening the Vault teen center we are giving our youth, inside of our community and those that choose to commute from other communities, a safe place to be free of the many problems that they incur every day at school and at home. The Vault will be overseen by relatable mentors, both male and female, who are willing to listen, assist, and support the youth in any capacity that is needed. We not only want to provide a safe space, but also a space where the youth can learn and have exposure to new things. How can you shoot for the stars if you have never seen them?  Our TAC is welcoming of all youth, and they are working on programs to bring other teens inside of their community together. Too many times we want to blame the crime in the community on the youth, but what alternatives are we giving them? The Vault teen center will address and combat a multitude of issues, by simply engaging, empowering, and believing in our youth.