NEO offers a fun, safe and supervised place for youth and young adults, ages 11-25, to spend their time after school, build friendships, learn new skills and discover their passions. Several hundred youth participate in NEO every year. NEO provides leadership opportunities, summer programs, music events and in-school activities.

Started in 2008, NEO strives to empower youth to thrive by providing engaging opportunities to learn and grow. Youth are faced with so many challenges and obstacles – more than ever before – and we help them to grow into healthy productive adults ready to lead us into the future.

In summer 2020, NEO merged with The Friendship Club to become Bright Futures for Youth. The combined organization can more effectively meet the needs of youth in the area, while also leveraging and sharing resources.

The Youth Center offers after-school drop-in hours for youth and young adults ages 11 to 25. The center creates a fun, safe, supervised space. Table games, crafts, sports, a stage with 15-plus instruments and homework help are available at the center, along with free skill-building workshops and weekend events such as Open Mic Nights. The Youth Center is temporarily moved to the Litton Building in Grass Valley. Some activities are not being held at this time due to COVID safety guidelines.

NEO’s youth-designed fashion show and Kenny Steel Student Showcases – a School of Rock-style event with 60 youth musicians – are just two of our crowd-pleasing Community Events. We also host teen sections at numerous events throughout the year, such as the Nevada County Fair and Thursday Night Markets.

Our Nevada Union High School Club meets weekly to plan and host campus events and build leadership skills. Our outreach team also brings fun and engaging lunchtime activities to high schools and middle schools in the region. These activities will resume when the normal school schedule occurs.

As a youth-led organization, NEO teaches the value of service. Our youth leadership team plans our monthly activities, and they serve as peer mentors in the Youth Center. Our youth volunteers also help local nonprofit organizations at their events during the year.

The summer camp, in partnership with the Grass Valley Police Department, serves sixth- through eighth-grade students and helps them develop leadership skills. Fun activities, field trips and team building are all part of the camp that aims to develop relationships and improve communication, decision-making, empathy and anger management skills.