Senators visit Big Lake youth center to talk funding

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was joined by state Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn) on a visit to the Wave Youth Center in Big Lake on Sunday, May 26 to meet with the organization’s leadership and discuss the major federal grant she secured for their expansion project.

The project aims to build a new facility to meet the needs of youth in the community. The new facility will enable the center to expand programs, support services and mentoring.

Klobuchar secured the funding in the 2024 federal budget.

“For the kids of Big Lake, The Wave Youth Center is an important resource for academic help, mentorship and building social skills,” said Klobuchar. “With this federal grant, The Wave will be able to build a new facility to continue meeting the needs of the community.”

The Wave Youth Center serves middle- and high school-aged youths from across Sherburne County. Programs feature mentoring, academic and career skill building, along with mental health support. The center supports an average of 1,200 youth visits and 300 unique youth attendees per month.