Once the school bell rings every afternoon, between 20 and 40 middle and high schoolers walk through the doors of the Lompoc Teen Center on N. H Street. Staff offer rides to the center after school and back to students’ homes in the evening.
Since 2022 the Teen Center has focused heavily on academics and college readiness, with some fun and games mixed in, too. Students can choose to spend time at the Teen Center for weekly arts, technology, and culinary activities. In the summer, the nonprofit sponsors trips to camps and amusement parks.
Setting up for success
To register for activities at the Lompoc Teen Center (732 N. H St.), visit lompocteencenter.org. The center is open Monday through Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. Follow on Instagram @lompocteencenter, or call (805) 741-7904 with questions.
For the past couple of Novembers, the Lompoc Teen Center has also hosted a career conference with professionals from various industries. Some students even land internship offers.
“That was pretty rewarding to watch them grow in the areas that they’re interested in,” said Victor Cortes, the center’s executive director. “They were able to have that opportunity to work with somebody that most of the time looks like them and really inspires them to see themselves succeeding outside of Lompoc.”
Cortes feels that the city’s young people need this hub to learn about what resources are available to help them succeed. Many who frequent the Teen Center come from financially unstable backgrounds or foster homes, he explained.
It’s his job to meet students where they’re at and build trust with their families.
Cortes grew up in a Central Valley community that felt similar to Lompoc. Activities at the local Boys and Girls Club steadied his priorities in a city where he recognized it was easy to veer off track.
“They offered a lot of after-school enrichment, which really helped me to stay focused and out of trouble,” Cortes said. “I lived in an area where there were a lot of gangs, just really easy to kind of go off into the wrong road.”
Through those after-school programs, Cortes gained job experience while still in high school, motivating the first-generation student even further. He began working in the nonprofit sector, which led to a natural transition in 2022 when he joined the Lompoc Teen Center a few months after it was established.
Cortes and seven part-time staff provide an academic and social schedule for students in grades 7 to 12, focusing on college and career readiness through offering a safe space for at-risk kids.
The nonprofit’s “bread and butter” is its Yes I Can/Si Se Puede course, a cohort model that began with 30 middle schoolers in 2022, Cortes said. Today those students are juniors and seniors. When they graduate high school, they’ll make room for younger students to join the cohort, which has grown to 45 since its inception.
“These students get a $500 annual scholarship for each year that they’re in the program along with homework assistance, tutoring, and college counseling,” Cortes said. “We have two case managers that work closely with families and students as well as school educators and counselors just to make sure that we’re all on the same page.”
Watching students enter college or the workforce is one of the most rewarding parts for Cortes.
“It just feels completely amazing knowing that a lot of these students wouldn’t have had the opportunity otherwise.”
Visit lompocteencenter.org for more information.
Highlights
• Four veterinarian clinics are offering $5 spay and neuter services on Feb. 24 to reduce pet overpopulation in the county. Bring cats and dogs to the Santa Ynez Valley Humane Society in Buellton, ASAP Cats in Los Alamos, the Santa Barbara Humane site in Santa Maria, or the Humane Society’s mobile clinic in Lompoc. Appointments are required and can be booked online at the websites of participating locations.
• Guadalupe Recreation and Parks is hosting a three-on-three basketball tournament on March 21. The bracket-style tournament begins at 10 a.m. Teams are coed and must have at least one woman on the roster. Register at no cost by calling or texting (805) 219-9606. The department also holds drop-in basketball at Guadalupe City Hall on Fridays from 6 to 10 p.m.
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in February 19 – February 26, 2026.