School Year Programs 2023-24

Welcome! Programs run weekdays throughout the school year and are open to any high-school-aged teen. ALL PROGRAMS ARE FREE, though donations are welcome.

We recommend registration prior to coming to NZ, but teens can register on-site. Try out a program at any time, or let us know your ideas to start something new! Questions? Contact Hananiah Wiggins at hananiah@neutral-zone.org.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on our social media and event calendar for concerts, events, workshops, art shows and special projects.

Program Schedule

All teens are welcome to come in at 2:30 every day after school to hang out, grab a snack and connect with friends.

Drop-in Mon-Fri 2:30-6 PM.
Tutoring Mon-Thurs 3-5 PM.

Click for a list of programs by day.

Visual Arts Council
Mondays 4:30-6 PM

Collaborate with a hub of creative teens to make art and host creative events.

Kitchen Savvy
Mondays 4:30-6 PM

Make a little food and have a lot of fun with staff each week with a new recipe and/or cooking technique.

B-Side Venue Promotion Team
Mondays 4:30-6 PM

Build the music scene you want by booking and promoting concerts in the Neutral Zone’s B-Side concert venue.

Future Corps - High School
Tuesdays 4:30-6 PM

Set goals, create plans, and achieve your personal and academic goals. Engage in support for a first-time job opportunity, technical training, and college.

Songwriting Wednesdays 4:30-6 PMLearn the tools and skills to create & develop your own music, bring your creative visions to reality, & be part of a network of teen musicians who support each other.

Songwriting
Tuesdays 4:30-6 PM

Explore ideas, write lyrics, compose melodies, create chord progressions and become performance-ready.

Little Jams
Wednesdays 4:30-6PM

Jam out with a group of musicians who are passionate about learning and exploring the sounds of the world. All levels of music experience are welcome.

Partnership with Little Bands Music School.

Picture This: Photography and Video
NOTE: DATE CHANGE
Wednesdays 4:30-6 PM

Capture a snapshot of your world. Learn different techniques in photography and videomaking. We have cameras or bring your own.

Activism through Art
Wednesdays 4:30-6PM

Consume, critique, and create art through a critical lens as we seek to understand, explore and impact the community in a meaningful way.

Rhymes + Reasons: A Master Class with Kiyoshi
Wednesdays 4:30 - 6 PM

Kiyoshi is a Vocalist, MC, Rap Coach, Producer, Mentor, and Educator with over 20+ years of live performance experience. Work with Kiyoshi to express yourself through rap, freestyle rap and singing.

Part of NZ’s Artist in Residence Series

Environmental Justice
NOTE: DATE CHANGE
Thursdays 4:30-6 PM

Raise awareness and integrate green environmental practices to address climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and build a more resilient future for us all.

Young People of Color
Thursdays 4:30-6 PM

Discuss and explore your experiences as a young person of color in this community collective dedicated to empowering young BIPOC folks.

Music Production Thursdays 4:30-6 PMExplore modern composition using the newest electronic tools. Covers iPhone music, live streams, DAWs, finding the best DAW that works for you, and other fun internet projects, as well as the basics of electronic music making (effects, automation, theory in an electronic music context, sound design.) Participants can elect to make a three song EP over the course of the semester.

Music Production
Thursdays 4:30-6 PM

Create digital music using audio workstations that host Native Instruments hardware and software, including Logic and Ableton.

Music Studio/ Youth Owned Record Label
Thursdays 4:30-6 PM

Learn audio engineering skills and discover and sign youth musicians to record, promote and sell their original music with Neutral Zone’s own record label “Youth Owned Records.”

Game On
Fridays 4:30-6 PM

Explore new technologies in design and coding to create your own video games, apps, and more.

Riot Youth Fridays 4:30-6 PMRiot Youth is youth-led social support and social justice program for LGBTQ+ teens at the Neutral Zone. It has been serving SE Michigan for [22] years through weekly meetings, lobbying, attending school board meetings, and educating regional teachers, peers, and medical professionals. We hope you will join us!

Riot Youth
Fridays 4:30-6 PM

Join a community of LGBTQIA+ teens dedicated to social justice and building a network of support.

DIY NZ

Want to create a project that isn’t here? Or get more info? Call (734) 214-9995, or email Hananiah Wiggins, Program Director, hananiah@neutral-zone.org

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

Join local artists to explore different mediums through weekly semester-long workshops. Check back on this page for the most up to date information.

Current Covid Guidelines

Neutral Zone implements the following Covid guidelines to prioritize the safety of our teens, staff and community. 

Across all programs, NZ is “Mask Friendly” because we know that some families/students are more comfortable continuing to mask, especially while indoors. We strongly encourage all youth to be vaccinated.  

Requirements are based on the CDC’s community alert levels for Washtenaw County.

  • Green (low) = masks are optional indoors

  • Yellow (medium) = masks are optional indoors

  • Red (high) = masks are required indoors

We ask anyone who has recently been sick or has someone sick in their home to wear a mask.   If anyone has had a recent COVID exposure, we encourage them to rapid test and mask for five days. 

Questions? Contact Hananiah Wiggins at hananiah@neutral-zone.org