When the doors opened last Wednesday at Federal Way's new EX3 Ron Sandwith Teen Center, student Charmaine Monk finally has the hangout she and her friends have wanted for years.

The young woman, honored with the title of Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year, stood at the podium during the center's grand opening and spoke with a hint of nervousness in her voice. 200 of Washington's most influential people-from Boeing and Mircosoft representatives to state, county and city legislators-looked on as she publicly shared her enthusiasm for the new facility.

She thanked them for providing teens with a safe and supportive place to study, recreate and socialize.

"We see 'no loitering' and 'no skateboarding' signs everywhere we go," said Monk, a teen volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club. "It seems like no one wants us around."

No longer, thanks to a public and private collaborative effort that raised funds to build the state-of-the-art facility at 28th Avenue South next to Monk's school, Harry Truman.

The only signs for teens in this new facility are the ones that welcome them to the center. Outside multi-colored banners encourage teens to EX3: excite, experience, explore.

Designers sculpted every aspect of the new building with the unique needs of teens in mind. The open architecture shows inquisitive minds how the joints and beams of the building fit together. The floors and walls purportedly withstand the torrents of teenage abuse.

"I've seen what happens when kids get a hold of a building," said Tom Wolken, an EX3 representative that led tours of the new building. "We've built it to be durable."

WiFi waves fill the 2,000-square-foot lounge and study area, where teens can check out laptops, browse the Internet or find a quiet place to finish homework. Microsoft will provide students with certified teachers who offer after-school tutoring and specialized courses such as SAT preparation. Administrators hope to provide teens with the tools to learn by participating in activities they enjoy.

"We want to tie in what kids are wanting to do in their lives with what they're learning today," said Mark Haines, Unit Director for the EX3 Ron Sandwith Center. He hopes to offer a supportive learning and socializing environment where teens can escape the pressure and influences of the outside world.

"It's a place where kids can leave negative stereotypes at the door," Haines said.

Federal Way's mayor agrees. From organized athletics to music, arts and technology, Mayor Dean McColgan said the center provides teens with a host of positive activities after school.

"I'm often asked what there is for teens to do in Federal Way," said Federal Way Mayor Dean McColgan in a brief address at last Wednesday's open house, "and I'm glad I can now tell them about the EX3 Teen Center."

McColgan, whose sons both worked for the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club, called the center a milestone in the city's history.

The new building serves as a milestone in Boys and Girls Club history as well, said Daniel Johnson, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County.

"This is the first facility of its kind in the state," Johnson said of the EX3 Ron Sandwith Teen Center, "and it will serve as a model for the rest of the country."

"This project is the culmination of years of research and listening to teens," Johnson said.

As he stood in the Boys and Girls Club's first new facility in 17 years-a 16,000-square-foot building with such amenities as a climbing wall and Nintendo stations with four flat-paneled monitors-he recalled the early days of the organization when club volunteers worked with teens on meager budgets in limited facilities.

He told the story of how some teens converted an old storage room into a crude recording studio. The new EX3 Ron Sandwith center features a state-of-the-art sound room where kids can cut their own tracks.

"This sure beats a converted storage room," Johnson said.

The Boys and Girls Club's humble roots have only helped them become more appreciative of their new $3.6 million home. After all, that same do-more-with-less philosophy held a certain appeal for volunteer, coach, board member and philanthropist Ron Sandwith, the namesake of the new teen center.

His family donated $500,000 in honor of their father's commitment to Federal Way youth and the local Boys and Girls Club.

"Our father believed in creating opportunities for kids," said Mark Sandwith, Ron's son. The audience greeted his family with a standing ovation.

The family's donation will go directly towards youth activities, EX3 Capital Campaign co-chair Ron Gintz said.

"This will really give our programming a jumpstart," said Gintz.