Welcomeparents.

You need support with your teen. We’re here.

This is what we do and why we are different. Forge Evolution creates a safe place for parents and teens to work together through their differences and see the best in one another.

How we help kids

Typical teen behavior

Attitude, checked out, always busy, so many friends, no friends, not so great friends, arguments over small things...do these sound like your household? Parenting a teen is hard and a joy all at once.

Bad situations

You are noticing that your teen is putting themselves in some bad situations. As a parent, you can see it, but they often do not. Forge Evolution can help you get through tough talks and situations with your teen.

Too much downtime

Your teen seems to enjoy being on their phone/social media/etc ALL day. They are not very active in school or community activities. You feel they need to do something more with their life!

Empowering your teen

Building confidence, meeting new friends, speaking up for themselves to do the right thing by finding their voice…these are vital aspects of a teen’s life and are crucial to their development at this age! As parents, we all want to ensure our teens continue to be empowered.

Building and developing skills

Teens will learn communication skills, problem solving, how to set and achieve goals, manage their money and write a resume, and learn more about the wonderful community they live in! Your teen may know some of this, but practice makes perfect and we will put on our practicing boots in class!

Resilience

Have you seen your teen struggle with stress management? Is motivation sometimes lacking? Are you finding that you and your teen struggle to have patience with each other? Teenagers have a hard time navigating life, especially in today’s world and we will walk next to them and support them through it all.

We also help youth by:

Learn to roll with the punches
Engaging in the community
Building confidence
Learning how to cope
Supporting friends through ups and downs
Creating safe space to identify needs/triggers/etc
Working through new schools/new friends
Supporting teen relationships

Why Forge?

We believe in a future where every youth has the chance to build a brighter future, contribute to a stronger community, and forge new paths towards success. One where even those who’ve made mistakes can learn from them, take responsibility, and allow youth the ability to grow. We want to work together with you, as the parent, to continue to strengthen your teen for today, for tomorrow, and beyond.

How it works

Forge offers a relaxed, easy zone for your teen(s) to hang out and be themselves with other teens and adults from our city. All while being a part of the program that will allow them to grow and take part in new things in a safe place.

Drop in and hang out

The Forge Program is a drop-in program. We have class each week on Monday. They can come as it fits in your family's schedule. Some weeks it might fit and some weeks may be too crazy to fit it in.

Every week on Mondays

Forge Evolution is ready to meet your teen where they are at each week- it is ok if it is a rough week or a great week! We want to see them. We have Forge each Monday. We would love to see them every week!

Participate by activity

We have a different activity each week. Your teen can decide to come based on what we are doing that week. Remember that all sessions help grow your teen's communication skills, resiliency, and gives the opportunity for positive mentoring.

Youth event calendar

Looking for something new and fun to be a part of? Even if you’re busy with school, sports, jobs, etc. you can still “come when you can” as you are able to. Check out our calendar to see what we have coming up next!

Teen Court

Classes, panels, and trials | Times & dates vary

Forge Evolution

Mondays | Drop-ins welcome | Dinner & snacks provided

How we support you

We believe strongly that each youth has a community that will support them through the years of their childhood. Forge Evolution’s staff is here for you and your teen to get you through some of the HARDER years. We believe in working together, identifying needs, and addressing struggles in order to create stronger and healthier futures for our youth. We are excited to start this journey together.

Your teen can drop in for the Forge program if:

"This is an incredible program that helps children to learn to grow and to learn to make good decisions."

– Parent of 16 year old

Register your teen.

You can just call or drop off but there is a benefit to registering. Each teen needs to be registered to attend Forge. If you fill this out ahead of time, you won’t need to swing in and fill out paperwork the day of!

FAQs

My child is interested in attending the Forge Program, what steps do I take to get them involved?

Forge is a drop-in program, which means there are no-steps! Our biggest goal in creating this program was to remove barriers so all your child has to do is show up. There is no cost to attend and classes are held on Mondays* from 5:00* – 7:00* PM at the Weber St. Youth Center* at 105 N. Weber St. Colorado Springs, CO 80903. There is a registration form available here* that you can fill out and submit online to expedite the check-in process.

Do I or my child need to complete any training before volunteering or participating in the Forge Program?

Absolutely not! Our goal is to provide our Colorado Springs community with interesting experiences that will engage our community’s teens. HOWEVER, if you have training or expertise in a field that you feel may benefit Forge Evolution Program participants in a certain session, please let us know!

I am/my child is interested in volunteering with the Forge Program, what steps do I take?

We would ask you or your child to fill out a Volunteer Application (adult version here*, youth version here*) and return it by email, mail, or drop it off at our office. Upon reviewing your application, a staff member will reach out with more information. If you have any questions prior or during filling out your paperwork, please call our office. As an adult, there is a $25 background check fee that may be paid when you submit your application.

What's the bottom $$$ line?

There isn’t one! Forge Sessions are FREE for all attendees! We do rely on community support in order to provide sustainable programming; if you would like to make a donation (and see how far it will go), click here*