Youth center to offer classes

The CPL Center is ‘‘a place to care for, protect and love our children, after school and always,” Cheng said.

In two four-week sessions, youth will have a chance to learn Chinese martial arts, Chinese language and receiving tutoring for math and English, Cheng said. Both sessions will take place at the City Park Building in Brunswick. The first session is June 18 through July 13 and the second session begins July 16 and ends Aug. 10.

‘‘I want to let the youth know they are useful,” she said. ‘‘They can strive to be better. My goal is to pass this message on to them through the CPL Youth Center.”

Chinese martial arts will be taught by John Scott, a master of Chinese movements and a member of the International Martial Arts Foundation, Maryland chapter. The class is $18 for four weeks or $30 for eight weeks. The one-hour class begins at 3 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays and is for ages 11 and older.

The Chinese language class will teach basic Chinese through dialogue; calligraphy may also be used to help give a better understanding of the culture, Cheng said. It is for ages 8-18 and the class meets at 4:30 p.m., Mondays. Cost is $25 for four weeks and Cheng will teach the class.

Cheng’s daughter, Erica, a sophomore at Penn State, will tutor youth in math and English. Cheng’s neighbor, John Grife of Myersville, will also provide math tutoring during the summer. Students up to 10th grade may attend sessions for free at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays.

Future classes will include more academic classes, such as math and languages, computer training on software and HTML, using the center’s Web site. Cheng also wants to use her experience as a Hong Kong model in the 1980s to teach youth the fundamentals of fashion modeling. She also plans to teach entrepreneurial skills on how to run a successful business. She and her husband, Bobby, own Emerald Garden Chinese Restaurant on Maple Street in Brunswick.

‘‘I want to use my own experiences to pass on to the youth,” she said. ‘‘The center will give them a chance to succeed and be trained in something.”

Mayor Carroll Jones has supported Cheng’s plans for opening the CPL center.

‘‘There is no question that Brunswick needs a youth center or organization to work with our young people,” the mayor said. ‘‘Their objective is something we can admire and hopefully it’ll be a success.”

To help it get off the ground, Brunswick City Council recently voted to waive all fees so the youth center can operate out of the City Park Building this summer.

Cheng said she is looking for volunteers to offer their skills to teach youth.For more information or to register for a program, contact Cheng at 240-344-6648 or judy@cplyouthcenter.org. Registration forms are available on the center’s Web site (www.cplyouthcenter.org) and can be mailed to 1 W. Potomac St., Brunswick, MD 21716 or dropped off at the restaurant.

Pancake breakfast

CPL Youth Center fund-raiser

7-11 a.m., June 16

Brunswick Ambulance Company building, West Potomac Street

$5 for adults; $2.50 for children (6-12); free for 5 and younger

Proceeds benefit youth programs