About
Chop's Teen Club is a modern, 21,000 square foot facility open to all Sonoma County 7th - 12th grade students after school and on weekends. Chop's is a free choice facility where teens can experience any number of different program areas during their time here.
Mission
The mission of Chop's Teen Club is to provide a safe, fun and productive place where Sonoma County teens engage, connect and discover their true potential.
History
In 1995 Charles “Chop” DeMeo left the bulk of his estate to the Sonoma County Community Foundation to create a safe and productive place for teens in our community.
Through a series of public meetings and teen surveys, the plans for a teen club took shape. Once a site was identified and approved, the question of what to call the teen club arose – and the answer was obvious: it would be named after the man who made it all possible, the man who was known to his friends and family as “Chop.”
Chop’s Teen Club is the realization of the dream of Charles “Chop” DeMeo, who saw teens as assets to the community, and wished to build a bridge to the future by creating a place for teens to have a multitude of opportunities for personal growth.
Our doors opened in 2001, and we continue to grow and evolve based on the needs and desires of our teen community. We offer a complete menu of programs, workshops, drop-in activities and workforce ready courses.
Philosophy
We believe in Sonoma County youth and know that they are the future of our community. That is why we are dedicated to providing local teens with a safe place to develop critical skills, programs that help them discover their passions and the mentoring and guidance they need to realize their true potential. Through these actions we fulfill the dream of our benefactor, Charles "Chop" DeMeo, to build a bridge to the future.
We know that every teen is different. At Chop’s Teen Club, we strive to help each member be successful inside and outside of Chop's. Our programs are geared toward helping our teens find what they are passionate about and develop skills to help them succeed. Our Code of Conduct is based on respect for self, respect for others and respect for the environment around them. We focus on equitable treatment and restorative practices for our teens, knowing the education and behavior management will differ from member from member.
We will work with teens and their families if issues arise. Suspension from Chop's is an absolute last resort. Our goal is to keep teens here so that we can help them grow and so that they can enjoy Chop's mentoring and programs.
Staff Mentors
Chop's staff mentors are dedicated to creating positive relationships with teen members through consistent check-ins and mentoring, modeling positive behaviors and teaching valuable hard and soft skills. Our mentors are committed to helping our members achieve success in their futures and see all the possibilities available to them.