Saranac Lake Youth Center
Welcome to the
ABOUT page
Click here to read our 2025 Annual Report
Click the goat to read"Let the Goat Lead Our Way"
by Coat (Forrest Horton)
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Our Staff:
As the Youth Center’s Program Assistant, Teresa enjoys making meals and snacks for the kiddos, joining the youth at community events, and planning fun Youth Center activities with Brittany.
Britt discovered her passion for working with youth as the Arts and Crafts Director at a Girl Scout Camp. As the Youth Center Director, she enjoys planning activities and events, and networking with the community about the positive impact of the center.
Our Board:
Cassandra Van Cott
President
For the past several years Cassandra has been an active Board member helping to review board policies and coordinate fundraising events. She initially joined the Board as the COVID-19 pandemic was subsiding and our community organizations found a renewed purpose in getting in-person gatherings back. Cassandra found the Youth to be welcoming and other active Board members demonstrated their tireless work ethic to bring the Youth Center into the community, into the next decade, and growing the mission to meet the needs of more youth.
Cassandra has worked for a regional economic development organization, for Adirondack Bank, in the Community Development Department for the Village of Saranac Lake, and now serves as the Deputy Clerk-Treasurer for the village. In her free time she enjoys trail walks with her two dogs, xc skiing, playing ice hockey, going to 'secret' Adirondack beaches, and traveling to see her family and friends in her hometown of Buffalo, NY with her husband.
Diane Roberts
VP & Treasurer
Diane, a graduate of North Country Community College, has been a part of the SLYC family for over 15 years. While attending school she fell in love with Saranac Lake’s beauty, community, and charm. After acquiring her Bachelor’s degree from Potsdam and Master’s degree from Plattsburgh, she and her husband travelled and worked all over the country. Upon retiring in 2009 they returned home to the Adirondacks. In 2010, due to her passion for working with teens for 25 years, Diane began volunteering her time at the youth center. It was then that she accepted the position of Youth Center Director.
Since passing the torch back in 2017 she has remained an active member of the youth center board, serving as treasurer and volunteering her time and knowledge for the benefit of both the youth and community at large. She is an avid dog lover and rescuer, a home renovator (she is currently on her 4th home “reno”), and is honored to help the Youth Center continue to expand and grow into the future.
Peggy Wiltberger
Secretary
I was asked to join the SLYC board in 2004 when looking to the Center to be the non-profit sponsor for the Saranac Lake Skatepark Committee. Though the Rotary
Foundation stepped up to sponsor the Skatepark, I remained on the SLYC Board,
gradually assuming more responsibilities as needs arose, serving as Treasurer and
President. After 12 years of work, the SL Skatepark was completed, having received the top Tony Hawk grant award for that funding period for its grassroots effort, location and quality design.
I had moved to Saranac Lake from Buffalo in 1993 with my husband and two pre-school aged children to cross country ski. Skiing remains a passion. I was an avid runner, until my knees dictated otherwise. I am an ADK46er and enjoy hiking, biking, canoeing and swimming. I am also a curler with the LP Curling Club.
As a registered nurse I worked 14 years for High Peaks Hospice, and 4 years for the SL Health Association. I served nine years on Board of High Peaks Hospice, 3 as president. I am currently on the Board of SL Health Association, also having served 3 years as president. I am a consumer representative for North Country Home Services Quality Assurance Committee.
Forrest Horton
Youth Representative
Operating tiredly as a teenager, I, Coat (but known more prominently by the youth as Forrest), was chosen by the director Brittany, to join the board as a Youth Representative. I initially worried my role might be unneeded for the new brand, but Brittany is very persuasive—so, thank you, Brittany!
As a representative, my role most days is helping Brittany and other staff—whether it involves revising a piece of writing, offering the “honest” feedback only a teenager can provide, or simply acting as a reliable body double during the chaos of the afternoon into the early evening. When I’m not collaborating with staff, I’m usually practicing solo at the billiards table; one of the most frequently used activities in the entire center, or typing away with a computer in my lap. Since the staff and I share a passion for writing, it’s a constant topic of conversation.
Currently, I’m working on a Lyrical Essay Sequence Album regarding mental health and the teenage experience (I’ll let you have fun Googling those words together 😅). At the moment, I have approximately 1/8th of it complete!
Our Volunteers:
History:
The Saranac Lake Youth Center opened in 1982 and serves all Middle and High School students primarily in the Saranac Lake School District. It is open 2:30-6:00 pm Monday – Friday after school. The Youth Center is housed in a bright 2000 sq. foot office space in downtown that is easily accessible from schools and neighborhoods. Inside there is a pool table, air hockey, video games, music and a full kitchen available to learn cooking skills. Daily free snacks are provided which has encouraged the kids visiting to stay for hours. There is also an abundance of board games and art/craft supplies as well as lounge areas. Computer, video and music usage is carefully monitored for appropriate content. There is strict monitoring and restrictions for any sign of substance use. Informal counseling and discussions focus on relationships, family, drug, and school issues.
Daily youth visits generally number from 15-35, most youth staying for hours. In 2019 there were 5,387 visits, representing 234 individual youth. This means over 30% of the entire district’s teen population use the Center. The Youth Center is vitally important to the many youths who are not involved in after school activities and many regular attendees are teens from homes with financial challenges. The rate of free lunch program at school is about 43%. A survey of the May 2016 Youth Center attendance record shows that about 63% of visiting youth come from financially insecure homes.
Teenagers, while no longer in need of “day care”, remain a vulnerable age group who benefit greatly from adult guidance. The Youth Center’s true value is the safe, supervised, supportive space it provides for teens who are struggling. The struggles vary, from family, financial or social issues, lack of supportive adults in their lives, to personal feelings of low self-esteem and isolation. They are often the fringe kids, who may not feel accepted by their classmates. At the Youth Center teens feel at home, accepted. They are free to be themselves with understanding supervision. They can eat, play games, do homework or do what’s most important to teenagers, just hang out. With the current crisis of drug abuse and teen depression, the value of the Youth Center cannot be overstated.
The Center’s focus is on forming positive relationships and being respectful and responsible. The Director provides support and guidance while allowing the teens the freedom to express themselves and to explore their growing independence. It is a space where teens feel safe and accepted during the unstructured after-school hours. It is a space just for them, and it is a fun place to be.