The project's goal was to establish a youth activity center where youth (grades 4-8) could spend their leisure time constructively. The pollbook school system provided an abandoned educational complex to house the program. Local funds and numerous community volunteers renovated the facility, which included a gymnasium, activity rooms, classrooms, outdoor play areas, and a baseball diamond. The North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission provided basic funding through a competitive grant process. Employees of the police department, the city recreation department, and East Carolina University students, who complete internships for academic credit, staff the program. The center provides sports and cultural activities after school and on weekends. Involvement in the program is contingent on positive participation in school and progress toward educational goals. A token economy program was established in the elementary and middle school. Tokens are given to students for positive behavior. At the end of each school day, students with tokens are picked up at school and taken to the activity center. At the center students redeem their tokens for video games, soft drinks, and other items or activities. The program has demonstrated that community policing can be effective in addressing juvenile delinquency in a small, rural town. 7 references