B-SAFE Teens Get Organzied!
/SSYP’s Teen Organizers program has made a triumphant return to our B-SAFE Summer Program this year! Under the leadership and guidance of our Director of Organizing, Ari Branz, and B-SAFE Teen Organizing Coordinator, Michael Cordero, this program is designed to train our teens on the core concepts of community organizing and instill in them the passion for this important work. Below you can learn more about what the teens have been working on during the first two weeks of B-SAFE in their own words!
Priscilla Davila - B-SAFE 2023 Teen Organizer
In the beginning of teen organizing we were introduced to a book called This Book is Anti-Racist written by Tiffany Jewell and illustrated by Aurelia Purand. This book teaches you about the identities, different types of identities, true histories, and anti-racism. This book makes young people feel empowered, are taught awareness, are taught stuff about society and about their selves. It asks questions such as “Who are you? What is your identity? How can action be taken?” and more.
So far we have learned about being anti-racist, who am I, our identities, dominant culture, social identities, intersectionality, and race and ethnicity. This has taught us a lot about ourselves and who we are. I am very interested in this book and my favorite part is the written responses and shareouts within it. It teaches me more about myself and teachers me more about my peers.
This book also shows its OK if you still haven’t figured out who you are. I hope to learn and be able to teach others what they can learn about themselves, their backgrounds, and others around them.
Isaiah Hines - B-SAFE 2023 Teen Organizer
Hello all! My name is Isaiah Hines and I am a teen organizer for SSYP. I am one of ten organizers. This is my first summer working for this program and despite it only being the second week it’s already been a growing experience.
My favorite activity that we’ve done so far was a scavenger hunt (created by Ari and Michael) where we were tasked with finding different landmarks in the neighborhood. Even though it was a simple activity, the first and (to me) most notable thing about it was the level of freedom we were given. Ari and Michael explained what we were supposed to do, gave us our deadline (allowing us to ask for time extensions if needed) and from there it was up to us. They didn’t supervise us on the hunt, hovering over our shoulders and making us feel policed.
The scavenger hunt gave me the opportunity to learn more about the history of the city I’m growing up in. The landmarks had all different kinds of stories to them, ranging from being where they are as a form of representation for groups and so on. Furthermore, when we came back we watched a video digging further into the history of the people that live in the neighborhood. It talked about the different people being integrated into a new community and being expected to adapt despite the large change in environment.
On a separate note, I really appreciated the task because it gave me the chance to explore the area for the first time since I’m not familiar with it as a result of the fact that I don’t live around here. Overall, the first week of work was great and I’m excited to see the new experiences and relationships that are to come.
For more information about SSYP’s Community Organizing programs please email Ari Branz at Aribranz@ssypboston.org or visit our website!