The Problem

Adults tell kids to get outside and make friends, but they often don't pay attention to why kids don't, and just blame it vaguely on screens and modern laziness. This overlooks a big issue, though: spaces for tweens and teens to hang out outside of school have been in decline for decades, leaving no where to go. The few remaining spaces tend to be expensive, and not catering to youth who aren't yet adults, but not young enough anymore for the places meant for little kids.

Research backs up the severity of the problem: places like these are vital for both the physical and mental health of everyone (Finlay et al., 2019), but young people are the ones who need it most (Beal, 2024; Xu et al., 2025). Multipurpose places that serve several age groups are good, but not optimal: teens and adults have vastly different needs in these spaces that greatly impact their ability to connect there (Gearin & Kahle, 2006).

Our Mission

We don't want to proscribe what should be done. At its core, our mission is to create a platform that not only connects youth to third spaces, but that connects their demands to policymakers who we need to effect long-term change.

That is why we started collecting surveys before we even designed this website. Community feedback is the most important part of any social change, and the youth community is no exception. See our plan below for how we're going to move forward with our mission.

Action Plan

Here's how responses turn into real change, and how the process feeds back into itself as more data comes in.