Oct 17, 2025 By Karen Mansfield 2 min read

Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

In this 2023 file photo, Ava Capozzoli, left, and Ella Richey start their half-hour shift of seesawing at the Common Ground Teen Center in downtown Washington

For the fifth year, UPMC Washington Teen Outreach Common Ground Teen Center will hold its Seesaw Marathon this week.

The handmade seesaw will be outside the Teen Center at 92 N. Main St., Washington, from 4 p.m. Friday through 4 p.m. Saturday. Participants will pledge money to seesaw – and those who participate will make sure the seesaw goes up and down for 24 hours.

Nearly 100 teen volunteers have pledged to keep the seesaw going.

The marathon started in 2020 as a fundraiser for the Teen Center, which lost more than 50% of its funding in September of that year. It is coordinated by the Students Helping Others Committee of the Washington Health System Foundation and the Teen Outreach Peer Education program.

The center is teen-driven. The Outreach hires young people who are supervised by young adult alumni and students from Washington & Jefferson College to run the center. The center hosts teen-driven events, including Rock the Vote, Art Night for the community, Peer Education, Parent/Youth Programming, and Respect Online workshops

In addition, the center hosts weekly Dungeons & Dragons Night, arts and chess clubs, and a cooking club. In 2024 the center started a Teen Mental Health Advisory Board to work on mental health awareness and address suicide prevention.Teens meet monthly for a grief and loss discussion.

The center was founded and opened in 2008 by Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski, and has served more than 3,500 teens who have recorded more than 40,000 visits.

Contact Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski at podmj@healthyteens.com or (412) 877 4906 or Amy Gough at agoughhealthyteens.com or (201) 637-2921 for additional information.