Anne Arundel County Department of Recreation and Parks awarded $20,000 in Teen Activity Grants to 15 organizations throughout the County. The grant money was awarded to the organizations by County Executive Janet Owens at a ceremony in the County Council chambers on Friday, October 6, 2006. These grants are awarded to non-profit organizations that fund recreation programs and group activities for County youth in Middle and High Schools. These community organizations design, plan, supervise and evaluate the teen activities and involve community volunteers in creating a healthy, drug- and alcohol-free atmosphere for the teens. Several of the organizations sponsor year-round teen and tween clubs with activities such as Thanksgiving food drives, visits to area museums, mother-daughter dress-up teas, and girls-night-out pizza parties. Other community groups present specialized programs for area teens including: a coffee house in a high school cafeteria where teens perform their own music, comedy and karaoke and find a conducive gathering place that promotes personnel expression; post-Prom breakfast and party; pizza parties following Broadneck HS football games that are very popular for socializing and hanging out with students from home and away; and a cruise exploration and environmental study of the Chesapeake. | 
