What are students doing after school? What are they doing while their parents finish work? Where are they making friends and exploring new ideas and opportunities? How are they getting home? The Hub, Greenbrier Valley’s connected student café, is a safe, creative, interactive, instructive and recreational space designed primarily for middle and high school students. Located beneath Hill & Holler, in the old Fort Savannah log building, The Hub allows students free access to protected wi-fi, a computer lab, media equipment, art supplies, musical instruments, board games, a pool table, ping pong, foosball and fresh popcorn. Smoothies, healthy snacks and drinks are also available, at a modest cost. Right in the center of Lewisburg, The Hub is a place where more teenagers can connect with the wealth of opportunities available downtown. Students can ride the bus from EGMS or GEHS, grab a snack, hang out, play games, catch up on homework, chill out, get involved with whatever activity is happening at The Hub, or walk to any number of other afterschool programs with organizations such as Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Trillium Performing Arts, CountryRoads Cross Fit or Carnegie Hall. Students can sign up to take enrichment programs at The Hub. They can even mentor at a downtown business. Afterwards, they can head back to The Hub and catch the activity bus at 6 p.m., which delivers students to set drop-off points throughout the eastern school district. The Hub stays open after that until 8 p.m., and there is always an adult mentor on duty. The Hub is managed and staffed by High Rocks Educational Corporation - an organization long devoted to educating, empowering and inspiring youth - but also depends heavily on its numerous community partnerships for support and guidance. Partnering organizations include, but are not limited to: Montwell Park, Greenbrier County BOE, United Way of Greenbrier Valley, Communities In Schools, The One Foundation, Greenbrier County Arts & Rec, Partners In Prevention and the Hollowell Foundation. Now open to students Monday - Friday from 3-8 p.m., The Hub is also a cool new community space that can be scheduled for use by individuals or organizations for daytime or weekend events, birthday parties, and more. To get involved or for more information, drop by or contact the Hub by phone (304-647-4994), email (hub@highrocks.org) or online at www.hubcafe.org.
