Every teenager deserves support during one of life's most challenging developmental stages. For nearly two decades, the Teen Action Support Center (TASC) has been providing exactly that to Northwest Arkansas youth, creating a space where teens can access vital services designed specifically for their unique needs.

Founded by Dawn and Greg Spragg in 2005, TASC recognized that teenagers occupy a developmental gray area – they're not children, but not yet adults – requiring specialized approaches to their wellbeing. What began in a small white house on New Hope Road has expanded to multiple locations serving hundreds of teens annually across Benton and Washington counties. Last year alone, TASC served 758 unduplicated teens, with approximately 200 receiving mental health services.

What makes TASC exceptional is their commitment to accessibility and their proven outcomes. Their sliding-scale payment model (starting at just $5) ensures no teenager is denied care due to financial constraints. Their First Steps program for teen parents boasts a remarkable 100% high school graduation rate, compared to state averages in the 30-40% range. Beyond counseling, TASC offers innovative programming like Bucket List Summer adventures, life skills workshops covering everything from budgeting to apartment leasing, and community service opportunities that build resilience through contribution.

The pandemic dramatically increased demand for teen mental health services, highlighting TASC's essential role in our community. As they celebrate their 20th anniversary, TASC continues evolving to meet growing needs – planning a new building, expanding services, and partnering with organizations like Sam's Club for fundraising events. Whether through financial contributions, volunteering expertise, or simply speaking positively about teenagers, everyone can support TASC's mission of helping teens become the best versions of themselves. Visit tascnwa.org today to discover how you can make a difference in a teenager's life.

More About this Episode

Building Brighter Futures: How TASC is Empowering Teens in Northwest Arkansas

For many, the teenage years are remembered as some of the most formative and often, the most turbulent. It’s a phase that walks the tightrope between childhood and adulthood, full of transition, discovery, and challenge. Yet in our rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas community, this age group is often underserved, overlooked, and misunderstood. That’s where TASC (Teen Action and Support Center) steps in, a local nonprofit that’s been meeting teens right where they are for the last 20 years.

We explored what TASC is doing for our local youth, why it matters, and how businesses, families, and individuals can get involved to make a direct, measurable impact. Spoiler alert: This is not your average charity. From mental health support to life skills training, from community service to skateboarding and budgeting, TASC is offering hope and help in equal measure and changing lives in the process.

The Origins of TASC: From Living Room to Regional Anchor

Founded in 2005 by Dawn Spragg and her husband, Greg, TASC was born from a simple observation: there were no programs specifically designed to support teens in Benton and Washington Counties. Kids in that awkward middle stage not quite adults, no longer children were falling through the cracks.

Dawn gathered a group of teenagers and adults in her living room, asked some hard questions, and began building an organization that could truly serve this age group with dignity, relevance, and compassion.

Today, TASC operates out of multiple locations across Northwest Arkansas:

  • New Hope Road (Rogers): Focused on counseling and mental health services.
  • The Hub (Downtown Rogers): A vibrant center for programming and administration.
  • The Station (Emma Street in Springdale): Expanding TASC’s reach into Washington County.

This isn’t a national franchise. Every dollar stays local. Every program is designed to reflect the specific needs of the teens in our neighborhoods, schools, and households.

Why Teen-Specific Services Matter

Teenagers aren’t just "older kids" or "young adults." They’re in a distinct developmental stage, one that demands specific emotional, cognitive, and social support. And they’re often misunderstood or mislabeled as lazy, entitled, or disengaged.

The truth? Most of them are trying their best in a world that moves faster, expects more, and offers less support than ever before. Between the pressures of social media, the fallout from COVID-19, and escalating mental health challenges, teens are facing a unique kind of storm.

TASC offers a whole-person approach to teen well-being:

  • Mental health counseling and art therapy
  • Life skills training (budgeting, job preparedness, lease signing, etc.)
  • Community service opportunities
  • Experiential programs like the Bucket List Summer, where kids rock climb, kayak, and connect with others in meaningful ways

The Impact: 758 Teens Served Last Year Alone

In 2024 alone, 758 unduplicated teenagers received services from TASC. Here's how those numbers break down:

  • 200+ teens accessed mental health services
  • Dozens more participated in programs like Bucket List Summer, after-school life skills workshops, and community service events

TASC’s approach is flexible. Some teens attend a few group sessions. Others participate in programs over the course of a year. Some come in just once to volunteer or learn a specific skill. But all of them leave with tools, experiences, and relationships they didn’t have before.

And because TASC uses a sliding scale for mental health services (from $5 to $50/session), no teen is ever turned away due to cost.

100% Graduation Rate for Teen Moms

One of TASC’s most impactful programs is First Steps, designed to support pregnant and parenting teens.

Nationally, the high school graduation rate for teen moms hovers between 30%–40%. At TASC? It’s 100%.

That’s not a typo. Every teen mom who has been through TASC’s First Steps program has graduated.

This is the difference that comprehensive, compassionate support can make. From diapers and baby gear to emotional support, TASC surrounds these young parents with the resources and belief they need to succeed not just as students, but as people.

Real Lives, Real Change

We don’t just measure success in numbers. We see it in lives transformed. One example shared during the podcast episode was a young woman who lost her mother at age 12. With TASC’s help, she navigated grief, graduated from high school, became the first in her family to attend college, and is now finishing her master’s degree in counseling interning at TASC, where her healing journey began.

These are the stories that fuel this work and they’re only possible with continued community support.

How You Can Help: From Wallets to Workshops

Whether you’re a business owner, a parent, or someone who just remembers how hard it was to be a teenager, there’s a way you can help.

1. Make a Donation

Go to tascnwa.org and hit the bright blue “Donate” button. One-time gifts are great. But monthly giving even $10/month creates predictable revenue that allows TASC to plan ahead and scale services.

2. Volunteer Your Time

Mentors, speakers, event staff, life skill instructors TASC relies heavily on volunteers to expand their impact.

Are you a barber? A banker? A builder? A business owner? Your knowledge could be life-changing for a teen who’s never been exposed to your world.

3. Attend or Sponsor a Fundraising Event

  • All In for Teens: A lively casino night, packed with entertainment, prizes, and laughs all for a great cause.
  • Sam’s Club Charity Golf Outing (October 3, 2025): For the first time ever, TASC is the primary beneficiary of this massive event at Shadow Valley. It’s a high-profile opportunity to support a hyperlocal mission.

4. Spread the Word

Many in our community have never heard of TASC. Be an ambassador. Talk to your kids' schools. Encourage teens to reach out if they need help. And, as TASC encourages, speak positively about teenagers. They hear everything.

TASC doesn’t offer a silver bullet. It offers something better a safety net, a launchpad, and a community.

We can’t control the world our teens are growing up in, but we can give them the tools to navigate it with resilience, purpose, and support. TASC is leading that charge in Northwest Arkansas. Let’s make sure they don’t do it alone.