Kirkland Teen Union Building (KTUB)

KTUB will re-open as a teen center on September 3, 2024. Save the date for the Grand Re-Opening Celebration on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM.

June 17, 2024: TEENS - get a sneak peak of KTUB at the June 28 Teen Night at the Pool. The event is free but please RSVP so we have enough food. The deadline for the KTUB Design Competition has been extended to June 24, 2024 at 11:59 PM. Thanks to everyone who has entered so far! Minor renovations are in progress. Here is a photo of floor work in progress:

May 21, 2024:  Help relaunch KTUB with a new design for swag, socials, flyers and more! Show your skills to the world and enter the KTUB Design Competition to win prizes. The deadline to enter is June 17, 2024 at 11:59 PM.

May 10, 2024 : Work has started on repairs to the art room. Prior to any repairs, staff photographed all the murals inside the building.

April Update : Studio East moved into their new location and returned the keys to KTUB on April 15, 2024. City staff are evaluating the building to identify needed repairs and maintenance projects to re-open the teen center in the fall of 2024.

March Update :  The Kirkland Teen Union Building (KTUB) will re-open as a teen center in the fall of 2024! Staff are busy preparing the building and planning classes, activities, and programs to welcome teens back to KTUB.

2024 Update: The Kirkland Teen Union Building (KTUB) will re-open as a teen center on September 3, 2024! Save the date for the KTUB Re-Opening Celebration on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.

About the Kirkland Teen Union Building

KTUB empowers teens to live their best life.  Located in the middle of Peter Kirk Park in downtown Kirkland, KTUB provides programs and services for youth in middle school through high school (ages 11-19).

KTUB will offer the following programs and services starting in September 2024.

• Recreation classes and workshops including cooking classes, life skills training, outdoor adventures, and more.
• Conversational language classes, art therapy, and unhoused youth help from our partner 4Tomorrow . Hablo Español | Eu falo Português
• Free mental health services and counseling from our partner Youth Eastside Services (YES) .
• Monthly free drop-in teen nights featuring video game tournaments, escape rooms, mystery parties, movies and more.

Got a question? Email us at ktub@kirklandwa.gov

Kirkland Parks and Community Services has year-round teen programming for teens in the Kirkland area. Programs include outdoor adventure trips, health and wellness courses, job and life skill classes, field trips, and social events such as teen nights. Our programs run all year long. Many of them are no cost events but scholarships are easy to get.

Teen Activities and Programs

The City of Kirkland Youth Services section provides support, programs, resources, and advocacy for all our youth in grades 6-12. 

• Kirkland Youth Council - a group of about 45 middle and high school students who serve as the official advisory board on youth related issues and concerns to our City Council. They research, develop, and implement a wide variety of programs, activities, and resources for Kirkland teens.
• Youth Traffic Court - Kirkland's Youth Traffic Court (YTC) offers teens ages 16-17 the opportunity to have moving violations heard in front of a judge and jury of their peers. Any teen who has been issued a moving violation by an officer from any of the jurisdictions served by the Kirkland Municipal Court (Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Medina Woodinville, Yarrow Point, and Kirkland) can partake in YTC.
• Youth Mini Grants - The City of Kirkland offers a mini-grant program to provide short-term, limited funding for Kirkland youth and community groups for projects, activities, events, and training.

Help relaunch KTUB with a new design for swag, socials, flyers and more! Show your skills to the world and enter to win prizes.

How to Enter the Contest

• The deadline to enter was: June 24, 2024 at 11:59 PM
• Stay tuned for public voting on the entries!

Prizes

• The first place winner will receive a $100 gift card to a business in Kirkland and a hooded sweatshirt and hat with the design printed on it.
• The second place winner will receive their choice of KTUB swag (sweatshirt, t-shirt, hat) and a $50 gift card to a business in Kirkland.
• The third place winner will receive their choice of KTUB swag (t-shirt or hat) and a $25 gift card to a business in Kirkland.

The KTUB Launch Team's first meeting is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, from 6pm - 7pm. 

Together the team will create a plan for the items below. Over the summer, gatherings may take place virtually and in-person, totaling about 20-25 hours allowing for flexible attendance, depending on volunteer schedules.

• Advise on KTUB plans, activities, and overall vibe, such as paint color, furniture, after-school activities, and events
• Collect additional feedback from peers and community members
• Engage in dialogue with staff and community members about the opening of KTUB
• Conduct outreach to other teens in the community about KTUB offerings
• Be an advocate and supporter of KTUB
• Assist with “move-in” projects

For those unable to attend the June 5 meeting, there will be more opportunities to help make KTUB the best it can be.

Teens are invited to participate in the Celebrate Kirkland Parade on July 4.  There are two options for participating in the parade; please email KTUB if you would like to participate and which option you prefer.

Option 1: Join the end of the "Kids Parade" to share teen awesomeness

• The “Kids Parade” starts at 9am and will be done by 11am
• The route is about one mile shorter.
• The audience is slightly smaller, as people are gathering for the main parade

Option 2: Join the main parade as a KTUB & Kirkland Teens entry. 

• The main parade starts at noon, and can go until 4pm 
• 20-30 thousand people attended last year.
• The route is a slow moving 2-mile stroll  

Send your feedback to KTUB@kirklandwa.gov

The City plans to hire adult and youth employees to work at KTUB when it opens in September 2024.

Keep an eye out for job opportunities at www.kirklandwa.gov/ParksJobs .

In 1996, the Kirkland Youth Council organized its first All-City Youth Summit. Over 300 youth gave the Kirkland Youth Council and the City a mandate that they wanted Kirkland to be a better place for teens. The number one recommendation from this group was to develop a teen center in Kirkland. In 1997 the concept of a teen center emerged as one of five City Council priority goals. Teens needed a safe and welcoming place to hang out after school or on weekends; a place to develop relationships with police, community members, and the business community. Kirkland youth wanted a center for artistic and self-expression, particularly through music, art, and photography.

Unique to this project was the City’s desire and determination to have youth input throughout the development and implementation of both the program and facility. After years of research, dedication, and persistence, the teens of Kirkland were able to dedicate a facility to their peers on June 9, 2001. The KTUB facility is truly a reflection of Kirkland’s dedication to youth and the power that young voices can have in a community.

After a competitive RFP process, Friends of Youth was selected as the operating partner. Together, Friends of Youth, youth and City staff designed the facility, developed the programs, and hired staff. Friends of Youth continued this progressive, inclusive, youth centered approach throughout its ten-year partnership with the City. In 2009 Friends of Youth chose not to renew its contract with the City as the organization moved toward focusing its efforts on youth experiencing and transitioning out of homelessness.

A second RFP process was held in early 2010 for a new operating partner for the Kirkland Teen Union Building. On July 1, 2010, the City entered into an operating agreement with the YMCA of Greater Seattle. In June 2020, the City of Kirkland chose not to extend the agreement with the YMCA for services.

In November 2020, KTUB became a temporary host for Studio East. [ News Release ]

A formal process to identify the next organization to fulfill KTUB’s mission as a recreation, resource and arts center for teens began in 2022. An RFP was issued on August 4, 2022. Three operating models were reviewed by City Council at their January 17, 2023 meeting . City Council directed staff to proceed with the city operating model.