Humans of SSYP (Week 5)

Welcome to the fifth iteration of the Humans of SSYP blog! It’s hard to believe that we have already reached the halfway point of this amazing social media campaign. I can’t wait for you to read more inspiring stories from the humans who have made SSYP what we know it as. 

Dani

What made you become involved with SSYP and SES? What was your introduction to that?

I was looking for a job after grad school where I studied mental health counseling and art therapy. One of my internships was a shelter for women and children that had an afterschool program. I really loved that experience, and knew I wanted to be with youth and families again.

I was originally brought on to develop the social and emotional support program at SSYP. That was really exciting for me to have creative freedom and the experience of developing a program. I think that the time between the rigidity and structure of school and getting home is powerful. 

Can you summarize in one word or phrase either SES or SSYP?

I would say SES is a combination of social and emotional learning and short term counseling that is introducing mindfulness practice. It's a combination of introducing social and emotional techniques. SES is something you'll hear about in schools a lot. I introduce those ideas in rotations with the theory that kids are more likely to seek support in times of need when they're already familiar with the SES team. 

How do you feel about it now compared to when you started?

I'm still really excited and inspired in the direction things are going, I will say coming from a background in trauma informed work that it has been increasingly challenging post-pandemic. 

What has been your biggest challenge so far at SYYP? 

My biggest challenge has been working across all ages and sites because this creates a capacity issue. I will say that being aware of academic trauma, and stress, it has been difficult through the in-person to virtual to in-person learning transition. 

What are you most proud of during your time at SSYP? 

I'm proudest of my relationships with youth, staff and people's willingness to access our SES. I'm most proud that SES is fully integrated in our programs. Everyone from the youngest kids to the YLC knows that we have SES.

What do you wish we did more of or differently at SSYP?

I wish that we had more clinicians, more staff and more people at the graduate level. I would also say that physical space has been a challenge.

What's your favorite memory at SSYP? 

A recent one was when I was sick with COVID all the LEARN groups made a nice video for me. This felt really affirming and kept me in good spirits. 

What do you think the future holds? Where do you see the program in 10 years down the line?

I hope to continue to grow the SES program. I hope to have enough funding to allow for each group of youth to have their own SES person or each site to have their own SES manager. I would like to get to a point where every kid can have the support that they need to succeed. 

Is there anything else you want to say in regards to your experience here, or your time at SSYP so far?

I would say that connecting with youth through art has endless positives and that artists make the world go round. 

Molly

How did you find out about SSYP? 

I was placed with SSYP through my internship through College For Social Innovation. They kind of found me in a way. I think that I was really lucky to be placed with SSYP. I had never heard of it before, but as soon as I read the mission and I saw my placement, I was really looking forward to it.

What has been your biggest achievement at SSYP so far?

I would say my biggest achievement so far has been the reopening of the library. It has been nineteen months since the SSYP Blackstone school library has been open. I think that was a huge achievement because there was so much coordination between the volunteers and the teachers, and so many behind the scenes things that I didn't think of. It's definitely been a long few weeks, but it's worth it. The reopening on Monday went so well. The kids are so excited to be back, and the teachers and volunteers are so excited to be back. The excitement makes all the behind the scenes stuff so much more worth it. 

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

I would say beloved community.

How do you feel about SSYP now compared to when you started? 

It’s been a month, but I would say that fundamentally nothing has changed. I think that I've made some really amazing relationships with the people here. I’ve made relationships with full-time staff, interns, pulsers, volunteers and the kids especially. I think the main difference between when I started and now is my relationships with everyone that I work with.

What has been your biggest challenge at SYYP?

I think learning about work-life balance has been my biggest challenge. There will always be a million reasons to keep working on something and there'll always be a million reasons to keep going and keep pushing myself. I think I've needed to find the balance between work life and personal life in the sense that even though this is all for a good cause, at the end of the day, working those two extra hours at night is not going to be worth it when I can't give my all to the kids the next day.

What do you wish we did more of, or what would you like to see more of from SSYP? 

Interesting. I would like to see more community engagement outside of the school. I think that between the parent mentor program and the library, we do have really great connections, but it all revolves around the school. I think other events such as the open house were really great. I think what I would really love to see is connecting with community members and seeing how we can help with issues like homelessness or what we see at 31 Lennox. I know Liz does some great work with that, but having more of that regularly would be ideal. 

What's been your favorite memory so far at SSYP? 

My favorite memory was from this past week because it was a really good day. We went into all the classrooms for the reopening of the library and then I went to pick up the kids outside of the school and bring them back. Tmyla ran right out to me and gave me the biggest hug ever. She said, ‘Molly, I missed you’. I told her ‘oh yea, I don't work on Fridays.’ And she replied ‘well, you should work on Fridays.’ All the kids were like ‘you should work on Fridays’. All the kids wanted to hug me. I think that was great because it had been a stressful couple of weeks getting the library together. To have a day where everything went well was great for morale. It was a positive moment to know that I was doing good with the library and doing well on program hours. 

What do you think the future holds for SSYP in ten years? 

Hopefully, there will be more kids and communities that want to come. Maybe we’ll expand and get a different space that's bigger. Especially with 31 Lennox, I think we still need to do a lot of local equity with them. I can see more community partnerships with Rafa’s program, the parent mentors. I hope that continues to grow. I think there's so much that SSYP as a whole is already working towards. I can't imagine in 10 years what this non-profit is going to look like. 

Is there anything else you want to say? Any final thoughts? 

I really love working here. I'm really thankful to work here. I feel like I've already learned so much about the South End of Boston, the community and the different people who work here. I've made connections and it’s already become more valuable than any other experience that I've taken on has been. I think professionally and personally, I've really grown a lot. 

Danilza

Why did you choose to be involved with the parent mentor program? 

It’s because I’m an immigrant. I found that this was a good way to start to immerse myself in the culture and the way things are and to have more personal development and to get to know the community. 

Can you summarize the parent mentor program in one word or phrase?

I see it as a beautiful experience and a good opportunity for growth. So an experience that's the most beautiful, but with growth integrated into it.

How did you find out about the parent mentor program?

I first found out through flyers that were sent home with my daughter and also through the mom of one of my daughter's friends. 

How do you feel about the parent mentor program now compared to when you started? 

At first, I was very nervous and shy because I didn't really know the language. The teachers mostly spoke Spanish and English and the kids as well, except for a few of them. As the days went by, I felt like I was building those relationships with the kids. Little by little, I felt more liberated and more comfortable in the environment. 

What has been your biggest challenge at the parent mentor program?

The biggest challenge has been the language and not being able to know it. With younger kids, I have a daughter, so I can relate to them easier. So just the language barrier has been the biggest challenge.

What are you most proud of during your time at the parent mentor?

I’m most proud of being able to accompany the kids and walk with them and be with them. Sometimes, they are not feeling their best. The ability to be with them and make them feel better so that they can learn is what I’m most proud of.

What's your favorite memory at the parent mentor program?

My favorite memories are having fun and spending time with the kids. Today was the fall festival. They had lots of sections to have fun, and so we just spent time with the kids.

What is something that you wish the parent mentor program did differently? 

Right now, the mentors are only able to be with the kids for two hours. I hope in the future that the mentors can spend more time with the kids and have more opportunities to be with them because the two hours pass by really quickly. 

Is there anything else you want to say in regards to your time at the parent mentor program?

I think it's super important and great that the mentor program also focuses on kids with special abilities. I didn't know that the program also worked with those kids. It brings me great emotion to be able to know that the mentors are also working with those kids that have special needs that need extra attention. 

Humans of SSYP (Week 4)

Hi everyone! I can’t believe this is already the fourth installment of Humans of SSYP. This post is a bit longer because our leaders have a lot to talk about! Sit back, grab a snack, and read the stories of some of the individuals at SSYP. 

Rosa

What made you choose to be involved with SSYP?

I worked for an AmeriCorps program called Massachusetts Promise Fellowship. Through that program, I was able to find St. Stephen's Youth Programs. I had interviews with potential partnerships that I would serve at. It originally started as a one year thing that I was going to do and then I decided to do another year of AmeriCorps again with SSYP. That’s how I found them. 

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

SSYP has been what I call a safe haven. It serves that purpose for the families, the youth, the staff, the teens. SSYP has served as a safe haven for me from my first year through my second year now. I graduated college in 2020 and it was a difficult time to graduate at the peak of a world that is suffering. Being able to have AmeriCorps and SSYP, I was able to focus on the work and something I was passionate about. I have a lot going on and so do a lot of people that we serve. It’s been a safe haven for me because I'm able to have a routine and be around inspiring people and great youth. 

How do you feel about SSYP now compared to when you started?

I feel more comfortable. This is my second year serving here at SSYP. My first year was a year of learning and adjusting. This was not only my first year as a new professional in the world, but I was going through personal trials as well. I was trying to figure out who I wanted to be in my role. The second year has been a year of growth. I have been able to use the things I learned last year and build on those. I can relearn some things, work on more things, and better understand my strengths and weaknesses. I better understand my role as a person and then a professional, and then whatever it is that the youth need from me or the role they need me to play. SSYP is a great place. I've been able to form stronger bonds in my second year and meet new people. 

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP?

I would say my biggest challenge has been when you step into a place like St Stephen’s, there's a lot of learning and realization that happens. I always say that I may look a certain way, but it doesn't necessarily mean I share the same story as someone else just because we look alike. I've had my fair share of struggles in the life I've lived so far. When I came here, I had to be open to learning and open to being vulnerable.

That helped me to connect with my youth and connect with my coworkers. I wouldn't say I came in completely blinded by the disparities in the areas we serve, but I would say my eyes were definitely widened. I was able to understand, or at least try to understand, the way the youth live compared to my own upbringing in my own story.

It’s been a positive experience when I'm able to use my story to connect with the youth. I understand that it's much bigger than just a job and bigger than AmeriCorps. Through the time I've been here, I understand my role better. Every day, I’m learning how to be the most helpful or most impactful person that I can at SSYP. 

What are you most proud of during SSYP?

I'm most proud of coming in every day and showing up. I understand how important it is to show up for people and show up for the people you care about. I've only been here for two years, but I've been able to develop and form great relationships in that short time. I think it's easy to say you're going to work everyday, but it may be harder on some days than others to show up. I have had my fair share of physical and mental challenges that I deal with outside of work that make it hard for me to show up every day. I discipline myself when I come to work by leaving everything at the door and being completely present. 

It's not about me. It's about other people when I go to work because I believe that youth enrichment is youth work. I think education is incredibly important. You need to show up in order to be fully present for these things. I'm very proud of how I've been able to hold that standard for myself of coming in every day, even when it's hard and there's so much going on. There are many obstacles, but it’s not going to stop. It’s about moving forward. 

What do you wish we did more of or differently at SSYP? 

I work with middle schoolers at YLC. I wish there was more education and programming out there for middle school students specifically. Latasha says all the time that there's a huge leap that happens when you finish your elementary school years. There's a lot of pressure to already start thinking about high school and college. Middle school years may be the hardest of your school years. It gets glazed over because the next thing is high school and the next thing is college. Those middle school years are so important to the development of a youth. The people that are around during these years can be beneficial as well as detrimental to their development.

I have a passion for the YLC after school program because I have seen in my role that after school programs positively impact middle school youth. I want to see more youth development and letting them be kids instead of pushing adult roles on them younger than they should be. 

I feel like I glazed over middle school and grew up very fast myself because of everything happening in my life. It makes me happy to be at YLC and to get to be a kid with them. I'm able to live those years with them. It helps me reflect on other things that I missed out on or had to grow up too fast for. 

What do you think the future holds for us? Where do you see SSYP in 10 years?

I envision SSYP in ten years still going fast but steady. I've noticed that you never want an organization or business to expand too quickly because you're not going to keep up with that moment. I have been able to see SSYP grow in the past two years, but also hit the breaks when necessary. I've seen them through that. That's why I can say in ten years, I still see us going steady. It's like a steam boat or a ship where they are smoothly cruising.The SSYP ship picks communities like Roxbury and other South End areas up on the way. 

I see SSYP still going strong and providing positive programming for youth. I see B-SAFE continuing. B-SAFE is so unique in the way that it's the beginning of our programming circle. There are JCT’s, then teens. They have the option of going back to being parent organizers. I think the circle works really well. I see SSYP potentially filling that gap of post- college programming. I can see them starting to develop and expand buildings for the program so it becomes larger. I still see SSYP doing what they do best, which is impacting youth. 

Saran

Tell me about your story with SSYP.
I'm here through AmeriCorps MPF which stands for Mass Promise Fellows. Each person who is accepted receives a host site. During the interview process, I got to pick three sites that I was interested in. It wasn't until my first interview that I found out about SSYP because I was interested in doing college and career work. The person who was interviewing me said, ‘SYYP could be a good space for you.’ I thought ‘I didn't see that one on the list.’ I looked more into it and I thought these people seemed really cool. When I did my interview for SSYP, I liked it the most. I liked all of the work they were doing for low income kids of color in the South End neighborhood. I think what really sold me is I have a friend that went to high school with me. We also went to college together and they did the same program. I found this out during my interview when Kasey asked, ‘do you know so-and-so?’ I replied ‘yeah, I do.’ I talked to them and I asked ‘So what did you think about the program?’ They were like, ‘I loved it. You're going to have so much fun there. You should definitely do it.’ That sold it for me. I decided to make SSYP my first choice. Luckily, SSYP made me their first choice as well. It was a match made in heaven. 

Who's one person that you connect with here at SSYP?

I think the person that connects with me the most here is Anna on the SES team. Ever since the first day that we met, we had an instant bond. It was funny because we have a mutual friend. We get along so well. A lot of our ideals and the stuff that we work on are very interconnected. She's also paired with the teen team because her main focus is the teens. We're always bouncing off of each other in terms of ideas and concepts. I love her so much because she really cares about the kids. She does a lot of work and she goes in depth with everything that she does. SSYP is so lucky to have her because she's going to do whatever she puts her mind to.  

How do you feel about SSYP now compared to when you started?

I was really excited to come in. When I started, it was really nice getting to know everyone. Everyone was very friendly, welcoming and accommodating. They let me know from the jump that it's going to be a lot of work, which I expected. It was a good transition. Now that I’ve met the kids and seen everyone do their jobs, I am able to really appreciate the program and everything they do. I'm pretty sure all of the kids appreciate it too, with all of the resources that we are able to provide them. They are so much fun to work with. 

What has been your biggest challenge so far at SSYP?

I'm the type of person who is a perfectionist and really hard on myself. This is evident when I'm organizing things and planning for my lesson plans. My biggest challenge for me is that when I do my lesson plans, I still believe there's more that I can do. 

This is what I could work on. I'm always critiquing myself and I feel like I'm not doing enough. I think I’m behind or lacking. At the end of the day, I just have to keep reminding myself that I’m doing enough.

I need to remind myself that all of my students love me. They appreciate my work. I led my first team meeting, which was an honor. It went great. The teams loved it. They all participated and were really excited about it. Even at the end, I thought ‘This is what I could have done better. This is what could have gone better’ I need to work on looking at the positives and where things went well and then go from there.

What are you most proud of?

I was proud of the fact that I'm here and doing this work. I grew up in a neighborhood like this, low-income, majority black and brown in this city. I went to Boston Public Schools from kindergarten all the way up through high school. I transitioned from a public school full of black and brown students to a predominantly white prestigious institution. My time in college was difficult because I never received resources on what it's like to go to a school like that and what to expect. A lot of the issues that I dealt with included being the only black person in my classes and going to school with a tiny black population. The majority of the black students banded together to support and protect one another. I want to bring all of my knowledge back to my community, and share it with everyone else. I also want to be able to provide everyone with resources so they are prepared to go into these spaces.

What do you wish we did more of or differently?

I think one thing that we struggle with is while we try to give support to the kids, we can always be providing them with more support. 

Is there anything else you would like to say? 

I want to tell the youth that if there is something that they're looking for that they aren’t passionate about, it isn't something that they have to do. I stressed this during my adulting session that your twenties are a time where you're discovering yourself and your passions. You’re in this space where it's a really difficult time because you're relearning and unlearning things. 

I want to give them the space to feel like it's okay if they start out liking one thing, but if it isn’t actually for them that's fine. You don't have to commit to one thing. I think that's one thing that I hate about what a lot of people say is if you're doing this, you have to commit to it.

You don't because if it's not working for you, if you're not passionate about it, if you're miserable then move on to something that you are passionate about. You have your whole life to figure out what it is that you want to do. You can do multiple things. That’s what I want to give to them. It's okay to do what you want and what you're passionate about. Don't do what people expect you to do. Do what makes you happy at the end of the day. 

Amanda 

What made you become involved with the parent mentor program?

I have always been involved with the school. This is because my grandkids are in the schools. I always have that interest in being involved in and working with the schools. 

Can you summarize the parent mentor program in one word or phrase?

Excellent. 

What has been your biggest challenge at the parent mentor program?

My initial challenge would be my English because I didn't speak English. For me, when the program started, I thought it was going to be a big challenge. However, I'm already three years into the program, and it has been fine even without being a native English speaker. That’s what would be my challenge. 

What are you most proud of during your time at the parent-mentor program? 

One of the things that I feel really proud of is being involved with the schools and what is happening. This is not always just helping teachers and assisting in stuff going on, but it's also what’s happening around the schools and being a part of that.  

What do you wish we did more of or differently at the parent mentor program?

Nothing different because we already have parents and the community involved. Being involved is like you're being included in what is happening in the schools. 

What's your favorite memory at the parent mentor program?

My good memories include being at the school where my grandkids are and being very involved. I had the experience of going to Chicago to learn more about the parent mentor program, which is where the program came from. That was a really good experience for me. 

What do you think the future holds like in 10 years? What's the parent mentor program going to look like in your opinion?

I would like to see the parent-mentor program grow and expand to different schools. Not just for the program to be at one or two or three schools but in the entirety of Boston. We'll see growth and expansion in the next ten years. 

How do you feel about it now compared to when you started three years ago?

What happened for me is that I’m learning more. I'm learning new things. That's one of the things that has been different from when I started it.

Is there anything else you want to talk about or say in regards to the parent mentor program and your experiences?

One of the things I will say and add on is to get more parents involved. That's not only just working with teachers, but also getting more parents included. We’ll be advocating and testifying. There was a campaign where we got a better and higher budget for the school. We were able to get a pool for the kids to be able to have swimming classes after school.

That's one of the things that we didn't have before. We had to fight about it, and we won. We worked together. As parent mentors, we will give you that courage and advocacy to be speaking up. 

Humans of SSYP (Week 3)

Welcome to the third iteration of the Humans of SSYP blog! Hope you are all continuing to enjoy these insights into the people who make up St Stephen’s Youth Programs! Don’t forget to catch up on our Facebook and Instagram posts if you haven’t already!

Emily

What made you interested in SSYP? What made you want to be involved?

When I first came to Boston, about 12 years ago, I started as an AmeriCorps fellow at St. Stephen’s. I did development and communications. I did that for two years. I came back because I stayed in touch with Tim, Liz, Kasey at St. Stephen's and loved working here for two years.

I always felt very close to the organization and saw firsthand, even in the development role, how much of an impact that the organization has on the community it serves. I continued doing a career in development. I did that for almost 10 years, and then I wanted to have a change. What I liked about nonprofit work was building capacity. That's when an opening came up at St. Stephens and I applied and started doing HR and operations. 

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

Community. 

How has SSYP changed compared to when you started? 

It’s much bigger. It has grown dramatically. We've always had good talent, but we're getting a lot more specialized and skilled folks involved with us. It went from a small, scrappy nonprofit that did a lot of work to this really developed youth program. The building has a lot more capacity, and serves a lot more people in different capacities. I think it's grown to really be what it wants to be, which is to provide long term relationships.

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP?

I think COVID. COVID has been really tough. Having kids coming in, trying to navigate these new challenges. We want a lot of air circulation, but we also want it to be warm during the winter. That's a challenge, but it's also sad for morale. It was a rough period for a lot of stuff such as wanting to have kids in the building and serve as many folks as we can. We weren't able to do that. Plus there was a lot of fear. It was exhausting. It was frustrating. Now that things are more normal, we're having more and more in-person programming. It feels a lot more like, okay, this is why I'm doing this. 

What are you most proud of during your time at SSYP?

We were able to have a youth program during a time when not a lot of people could. As a team, we really pulled together to make sure that we were able to offer in-person programming during the pandemic. Not a lot of organizations were able to do that during COVID and we did it and we did it safely. 

Is there anything you would like to do more of at SSYP?

Something that I would personally like to do more of is teach more classes with the young people and teens. That would be something fun to do. Unfortunately, as much as I see them all the time, I feel like I'm not engaging in these kinds of relationships that a lot of our leads are able to because they spend so much more time with them. 

What's your favorite memory at SSYP?

A recent one that I really loved was during the summer there was a huge inflatable water castle in the courtyard. There was water going into the windows and kids were having fun with water pumps and water balloons. It was so much fun. 

What do you think the future holds for SSYP in 10 years? What do you think that's going to look like?

I would hope some kind of resource center that addresses or has referrals to any problem any of our community members might have. My goal would be to engage parents and enact other kinds of community organizing efforts revolving around them. These efforts would relate back to their own students' education. and what each person can bring to St. Stephens. I think we're continually growing in that direction, but I would like to see more year round sites throughout the state and a stronger alum program. 

Is there anything else you'd want to say or talk about in regards to SSYP and your time here?

I think that St Stephen's holds a very special place in my heart. St Stephen's Youth Programs holds a niche that I don’t think a lot of other organizations do where we are so involved in individual families. Having these individual biographies of each individual person, and then pulling it together to create an overall history and trajectory at SSYP. You're able to see the big picture of this isn't just one family's success. This shows a huge trend. This success is real and something that's happening. We are able to address issues in real time and also over the course of many years. I think slowly it's been happening because we have Tim at the church and Liz preaching at different places and having our organizations and Kasey holding down the fort of the youth programs. All of these people are coming together to find out what the overall trends are in the community that we need to address. I've never seen an organization be as strategic in their efforts through the amount of money that we spend. It’s a very cost effective program to do a lot of good stuff for the community. 

Jazmyn

What do you like the most about SSYP?

The fun things that we get to do when it's choice time. 

When did you start coming to SSYP?

I started coming this year in September, but I’ve been in the program for two years. 

Who is your best friend at SSYP? 

Jasmine. The other Jasmine. 

What are you most proud of at SSYP? 

The things that we get to do, such as cooking and we get to have a snack which is fun. 

What do you think SSYP is going to look like in 10 years?

Probably a good job for kids. 

Do you think you'll still want to help in 10 years? Do you think you'll be a CIT in 10 years? Yeah.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to work at SSYP when I grow up because I've been here for almost two years and it's really fun to be here. 

Marioska

When did you get started at the parent mentor program? 

This is my story with the parent-mentors. It started with my younger daughter who is now nine years old. She was stressed out with the COVID-19 pandemic. I started the parent mentor program shortly after that. The program changed my life. This is my second year being involved. Now I can tell if she’s feeling tired, I can ask if she needs more help with an assignment, I can tell if she’s stressed out, how she’s feeling about class and her feelings about playing with other children. I can anticipate these situations before they become problems. I understand more of my daughter now. 

How do you feel about the parent mentor program now compared to when you started?

It's much better than it was last year. Everything was remote. This year is much more interesting being back in person. This is because I can communicate with the children. I see now with my practice from last year I can talk with them in person because previously it was all virtual. It's much better. 

What are you most proud of during your time at the parent mentor program?

For me, it’s education. I have more education for my babies. I’m in the class with her more now. I'm proud that most things I do in the parent-mentor program are for the children. It's more like that. 

How has the parent-mentor program changed your life? 

My life is really different. Before, my work never ended. Before I came here from my country a couple years ago, whenever I was in the classroom with the teacher, I used to not understand what was going on. I used to think ‘what can I do to communicate with the teacher?’ I didn’t know what to do. I had no practice with that. Then, with the parent-mentor program, I realized oh, I love being in the classroom now. My plan for this year is to go to school to be a teacher or to be an assistant to teachers. I'm more comfortable now. I like it because you have more solutions in the schools. You see what has happened? Everything with the children. Everything in my life has changed. Everything. 

What's your favorite part about being a parent mentor?

My favorite part about being in the parent-mentor program is every week on Fridays. We have a two hour training session. I love this training because every week it’s a different training. Every week is something different and there is a lot of variety. 

What's your favorite memory as a parent mentor? 

My favorite memory at the program was last year during parent-mentor graduation. Last year during the graduation everything was virtual. I didn’t see my group and the teacher that much. The graduation was in person. The teacher gave a present to me. It wasn’t the present itself that was important for me. It was the moment and acknowledgement that I was doing a good job. It was really nice of the teacher to acknowledge my perseverance to come to class twice a week. That's my favorite memory. 

What do you think the future holds for the parent mentor program? 

I hope it’s still really good. In ten years, I see more parent-mentors in more classes and more schools. Right now it's only Hurley, Blackstone and Ochard Garden. Thinking of the big picture, I would like to see the parent-mentor program in every school in Boston. The parent-mentor program is already really good. You come in and you communicate with all the teachers and all the groups. The future includes more communication. The future includes more interviews where the program recruits more parents.

Is there anything else you want to say about the parent mentor program or your participation in it or.

I say it all the time. I love the parent mentor program. It changed my life. Before, I was working 45-65 hours during the week. Now, I’m working at the parent mentor program for only ten hours during the week. I have more time to spend with my loved ones. I love my life.

Humans of SSYP (Week 2)

Welcome to the second installment of our Humans of SSYP blog posts! Here you will find in-depth interviews with the subjects of HoSSYP. I hope you will gain some insight into the individuals that make up this diverse and growing community. 

Ada

How did you find out about St Stephens’ Youth Program?

“I found out about SSYP through my son's school. I was going through the pickup line in my car. A lady banged on the window and she asked, ‘Hi, would you like to work at the school?’

I said yes. It wasn’t something that I had to beg for.” 

What made you choose to be involved in SSYP? 

“When I found out about St Stephens’ Youth Programs and how it would give me not only an opportunity to work within the schools, but also to be involved within my community. That's how I decided this was something that I have been waiting for for a long time.”

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase? 

“In my case, I would describe SSYP as transformative. It has made a big difference because until recently, it has put my dreams into a way that has materialized my journey. So yeah. I mean, I'm not there yet, but I mean, I'm on my way there.” 

How do you feel about SSYP now compared to when you started?

“I feel more connected with my community now compared to when I started. You feel more engaged and more educated when it comes to the schools, education and how things work in the school districts.”

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP? 

“There was a time when I was spending too much time here. It was a big weight on my family. I didn't like spending as much time with my family, which I communicated to my then director. My boss said ‘You know what? Yeah, there's a way that you can still participate and be engaged in all of the activities and also spend time with your family.’ That was great. I think that she helped me a great lot to be part of the team, but also be with my family as much as possible.”

What are you most proud of during your time at SSYP?

I'm most proud of the relationships that I have built with the families and parents within the community. I think that they trust me. I think most of them I have known for quite a while since I started the mentor program and parent organizing, because a lot of the parents are also part of the peer mentor program in organizing.

Looking forward, what can we expect from SSYP?

I think that looking forward, we can innovate, update and have a more proactive approach with the current condition and not only with our families, but also our students and us as a whole community. I think we need to take a more holistic approach to what's going on and focus on our motto ‘Nurturing the heart, Nourishing the mind, Building communities where all can thrive.’ I think we need to refocus on what we specifically decided that we're going to work on at the beginning of the year.

What’s your favorite memory at SSYP? 

I have so many good memories from all the students and all of the parents, but I think my favorite memory has to be with one of our current students. She has a lot of needs that haven't been met and addressed. Sometimes, she's not able to focus on her academic tasks and I’m trying to get her to sit down and focus. She wrote that she hated me. I asked, ‘well, is that how you feel about Miss Ada?’ And she was like ‘not you silly’.  I said, well, you know what, Miss Ada is going to close her eyes and you can write something else. Right after that, when I opened my eyes, she wrote, ‘I love you’ and that you're the only nice person that I can talk to. For me, that touched my heart and my soul because it makes me feel and think that I'm doing something amazing. I'm connecting with kids, even though we don't see it in real time because it happens so fast. You think that you're not connecting with them at those upper levels, but that interaction made my day and my year. 

Jackie

What inspired you to join the SSYP community?

What inspired me to join is St Stephens’ Youth Program’s commitment to long-term relationships and community. This is because community and relationships are some of my core values. Additionally, I’m excited to engage with the populations that support their work since they're people of color, especially Latino or Hispanic people like myself.

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

I'd use long-lasting connections. 

How do you feel about SSYP now compared to when you started? 

When I first started, it was mostly getting to know the staff and getting prepared and organized for our participants to come. At first, it was a little bit difficult to understand how everything works. Now, I feel very energized and excited to continue to engage with all the members of the SSYP community. I feel like I have a better understanding of how they are able to reach different age levels within the community. I feel committed and excited to do that work with them. 

Have you had to overcome any significant obstacles so far? 

I think the main obstacle has been working with younger kids because I've had the experience of working with peers my own age. An obstacle has been getting used to working with younger populations and understanding how they best receive information and learn. Having the opportunity to work with them these past few weeks, it has benefited me because I'm now gaining more experience on how to work with a larger range of age groups and how to accommodate different ways of learning and receiving information.

What are you most proud of so far during your time at SSYP?

I'm most proud of being able to try my best to instill in the participants that anyone can be a scientist because science is a field where there is very low representation of women and people of color. I'm most proud of being able to present to them examples of different scientists that are people of color and women of color. Even if right now they think science is boring or hard, in the future, just knowing they've seen images of people that look like them, that they can feel empowered to be able to study science and know that they can do it as well.

Do you have any regrets about your time at SSYP?

I wouldn't be when I started not being more engaging and with all the community members, because I'm more on the shy side. I think I could have pushed myself to speak with more people to get to know them better sooner.

What's your favorite memory at SSYP so far?

I don't think there's a specific one, but it's whenever all the staff and team members are together and sharing a meal. One of my friends has this thing that food is fellowship. I really liked the times we're able to eat a meal together for lunch and get to know each other better.

What do you think the future holds for SSYP?

If SSYP can continue to grow and impact the lives of more community members. I think that they're building a solid foundation so that in the future they'll continue to do the important work that they do reaching all of our community members. Hopefully other groups around the nation can model what SSYP does so we can build these long-term relationships with other places in our country.

Is there anything else you want to talk about or say about SSYP in your experience?

I love that SSYP gives a voice to the voiceless in the community of South End Boston. 

Rafa

How did you first hear about SSYP?  

When Ariel and I heard about this parent mentor program in Chicago, we decided to travel to Chicago and bring that program here to Boston. I really fell in love with the program. Even though I was already part of the parent organizer program, I was also a parent mentor that was working in the classroom at the Blackstone school. This was really good because I was getting the parents involved with the schools.

I really loved the Blackstone school and being involved in that and getting to be a volunteer and now getting paid for it. I was really in love with that. Because of that moment, I have just one job. When the Blackstone approved the program, they had approved a pilot plan, which was six parents to be in the schools. I was one of the six mothers who started the Blackstone program. I was working Monday-Thursday at the school for two hours a day like every mother in the program. I worked an additional two hours a week in training and capacity building on Fridays. 

What was the network that got you started on your journey of bringing the parent-mentor program to Boston? 

Ariel went through Chicago, so that’s how she first found out about the program. She came to Boston and talked about the program here. I travelled with Ariel to find out more about the parent-mentor program. The biggest connection over there was a woman named Bridget. There was also an association of the Logan neighbors. There was additionally an organization that we had connected with to learn more about the program. 

Can you summarize the parent mentor program in one word or phrase?

Transformative. 

How do you feel about the parent-mentor program now compared to when you started? 

The best thing about the parent-mentor program is that they taught me how to be a leader in my house, be a leader in my school and a leader in my community. 

I think that the parent-mentor program is the power of the woman and the power of the family. The parent mentor program provides relationships with the school because the teacher and the principal have a very good relationship with the students and parents. 

It’s very important to me to be recognized for my leadership. The Blackstone created an award for me in honor of the work I’ve done for the parent-mentor program. When the award is given out every year, it is going to be dedicated to a parent, but it will have my name on it. It’s called theRafaela Polancoaward. The award is going to be given out at every graduation to the parent who was the most involved in what’s happening at the schools. 

What are you most proud of during your time at the parent mentor program?

One thing that made me really proud is when we won the decision to not cut the budget at the Blackstone School. Another thing I was proud of was being able to have more say and being part of more decisions made at the school that didn't happen before.

What's some memories you have of your time in the parent mentor program?

“My favorite memory is every time we have a graduation ceremony is when we listen to the parent-mentors’ stories and see how big the changes are that have been transforming their lives. 

One of the memories that really stuck in my mind is one time a Boston police officer stopped me on the highway between Gloucester to Boston. He treated me with discrimination. He threw the ticket to me, like gave it to me for minor traffic violations. The paper that was printing, he grabbed it and threw it in my face and said that Latin people don’t know how to drive. When he threw the paper at me, my son was in the backseat and he was shaking because he was scared. When I stopped to look at the ticket, it was about $415.

When I saw the ticket, I just started crying. I said to myself ‘what am I going to do if I don't know any English to go to court?’ One of the things that I started thinking about and remembering is all my training and how parent-mentors become leaders. I was receiving parent mentors that made me understand that you cannot give up and you can do it.

I came to St Stephen’s and they told me what I can do. They said to go to a motor vehicle office, and tell them that I'm wanting to appeal the ticket and then they will let me know what the next step is. 

The funny thing was the same day that I was going to appeal the ticket was also the day of the parent mentor graduation two years ago. I went in the morning to do the appeal and the graduation was later that afternoon. I went to the appeal and I was the last one to be seen because the interpreter never arrived. I ended up speaking my Spanglish, and the judge understood what I was saying. So they took all the tickets away. I won the appeal. A story like mine; there are a lot of stories like that in this program.” 

A lot of people have that fear of not speaking up because of the language barrier. One of the things I really like about the parent-mentor program is that blindfold, they take it away and they give you another vision to see the things that you can do.

There are no barriers, anything can happen, everything can happen and you can do it if you work hard for it.

Humans of SSYP (Week 1)

My name is Edina Alix. I have the honor and privilege of being the SSYP Communications and Development fellow through the College for Social Innovation for the Fall 2021 semester. My Special Project for CfSI is a social media campaign titled “Humans of SSYP.” The purpose of these posts is to spotlight members of the SSYP community that are not typically highlighted on our social media. These include staff members, community leaders, and members of our parent-mentor program. I hope with these anecdotes you can gain a greater understanding of the many individuals that put their hard work and dedication into making St Stephen’s Youth Programs the place we’ve come to know and love. 

Latasha

How do you feel about SSYP now compared to when you started?

“I felt like before it was just a job. Now, it’s a lifestyle for me. It kind of goes home with you, even if it’s not on a deep level or a topic that is detrimental to youth development. It’s just the fact that they put a smile on your face or you go home and you think about all the highlights that happened in the program.”

Have you had to overcome any significant obstacles that SSYP was able to help you overcome?

“I’m a young black woman living in poverty trying to still survive. I think that SSYP gave me the opportunity to do more than just survive and do it in my own way. They definitely helped me with the guidance and understanding of what I needed to do for self-sustainability. They also pointed me in the right direction of helping me professionally grow. So, shout out to St Stephens.” 

What are you most proud of during your time at SSYP?

“I’m most proud of watching my youth develop from JCIT’S to CIT’S and really see them take full accountability of the program and what it offers. Just to see them grow through it  is to see them transition through it is dope.” 

What is your favorite memory at SSYP?

“My favorite memory would be celebrating black excellence month. We actually turned black history month into black excellence month. We definitely talk about prior things that have happened that shape who we are as an African-American society, but we’ve also found a way to hone in on black excellence.”

Is there anything else you would like to say? 

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow the YLC program and to grow myself and to actually grow my teens, my leads and my volunteers to everybody that I encounter. Keep giving me the encouragement to be a better youth worker.” 

Erin

What made you choose to be involved with the Boston College Pulse Program?

“I really liked how [the PULSE program] was both a service learning program and also academics. It was cool to learn philosophy and theology in class and then be able to take those ideas and put them into action by serving. I really had been wanting to get involved with service at Boston College, and I thought it would be a good way to do it.”

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase? 

“I would definitely say my first impressions were accurate. When I came in, it just felt super welcoming, like a great community. Everyone had such good energy and it was super positive and energetic, and I think that's exactly how I've felt since I've started working here.”

What is your biggest challenge at SSYP?

“I think my biggest challenge has probably been working on being patient with the kids. They're the best, they're such nice kids, super funny, but they're also second graders and I'm a college student. So our energy is very different. It's been good learning how to do that.” 

What are you most proud of during your time at SSYP?

“I think I’m most proud of the relationships I've already built with some of the students. Being able to see them recognize me and know who I am and see me as someone that they want to talk to when I'm here is really nice.”

What’s your favorite memory at SSYP so far?

“I think my favorite memory so far was my first day and I was reading books with one of the students in my group. We were reading a Star Wars book, and he just pointed to Ray in the book and he was like, ‘that's you?’ And I said, that is the nicest compliment. It was so sweet.”

What do you think the future holds for SSYP?

“I think in the future that students are still going to love coming here. Everyone I've ever talked to has said how much they love it. I think that it's a really good opportunity to get more involved with the city of Boston and the next generation of students here.” 

Yrmaris 

What made you decide to be involved in the SSYP parent-mentor program? 

“When the parent-mentor program was presented to me, I was unemployed and I thought okay, this is another option for me. I'm already involved in the school. I was part of the parent council and it was another opportunity for me to be included and have employment. So I thought ok we'll see. And I was chosen.”

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase? 

“In one phrase, the parent-mentor program is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

How did you find out about SSYP?

“I remember when I first heard about the parent-mentor program when Raphaela went to present the program to the parent council. And I thought, oh, okay. This is really fascinating because it's trying to get parents to be more involved in what is happening in the schools. This was a perfect opportunity for me to be more involved. All the parents were like, we want in on this. It's awesome.”

How do you feel about SSYP now compared to when you started?

“I feel way much better now compared to when I started the parent-mentor program. When I started it, I had my insecurities, like, I'm kind of afraid to be speaking, be outspoken and speak in public and things like that. But now since I'm in the parent-mentor program, I can be more focused and more inspired to be speaking my mind on things I care about. I advocate for the schools. I do testimonies once in a while. Now I'm part of the parent organizers here, so I was able to grow in my role here.”

What are you most proud of during your time at SSYP?

“Last year I was proud that I accomplished a lot. I was doing the parent-mentors and I also was doing the ambassador program through Project Hope and graduated from that too. There were still things that I was like, ‘Okay, I need to focus and get this done.’ I got it done. I also do catering on the side. People were hiring me for catering once they opened their doors. I was like, that was really nice.”

What’s your favorite memory of the parent-mentor program?

“For the parent-mentor program, my favorite memory was one time that I was with the kids one-on-one in our breakout room. She was getting really frustrated and almost started crying. I go like, ‘don't you cry, just keep trying, don't give up your sunshine. Don't you cry’? Now I sometimes speak with her mom and the mom said that she's so independent now She's independent on her own. When they tried at first, she was not trying at all. I was like, you need to ask questions for you to understand what is happening. So I told her, I would like her to never feel shy about asking any questions, because practice will make the master. So since then, she's been really focused. I talk to her mom once in a while, so that's good.”

What do you think the future holds for the SSYP parent-mentor program?

“I will say for the future of the parent-mentor program, there are a lot of schools in Boston that I know like having parents involved in their kids' education. In the school district to be able to help improve academics because you know when a kid you like is working hard, they feel so proud when one tries to do their best to make the parents proud. I will say my goal is to expand the parent-mentor program to at least 30 more schools.”

Is there anything else you would like to speak about?

“I will say for parents out there, don't feel shy about trying something new. If you are interested, try it. You don't know the experience you can have with it and how much love you will experience. It is something that will wake inside you, that will make you say ‘oh my God. how come I never thought about doing this before’. Being involved in your kid's life, especially in an emotional way at school helps them beyond measure.”

Nurturing the Heart with STEM

By Jackie Rojas, SSYP Jesuit Volunteer Corps Fellow

The theme this year for B-READY “Nurture the Heart, Nourish the Mind, Build Community where all can Thrive” has been a great inspiration in creating the STEM lessons for this year. When it comes to the study of science, technology, engineering, and math, nourishing the mind is seen as one of the top priorities, closely followed by the sharing of data and discoveries within the scientific community and the world. Rarely is nurturing the heart thought of as an instrumental element to education in the sciences when, in reality, nurturing the heart is an essential first step in STEM education and education at large. The mind cannot be nourished at the expense of the heart. 

One of the many ways that the heart can be nurtured in education is through the power of representation. Especially in fields like STEM, there is a lack of diversity and representation. The percentage of women and POCs that make up the STEM field is alarmingly low making it harder for these communities to feel valued, heard, and seen in their field. A powerful first step in combating this lack of representation is by instilling in students the unquestionable reality that anyone can be a scientist, engineer, or mathematician so that one day they can feel empowered to join these fields even in the face of disproportionate representation. The simplest way to instill this truth is by uplifting the voices and stories of women and POCs in the STEM field. Seeing their faces, learning about their research, and listening to their accomplishments brings solace and security to any hurting heart that longs to hear if they can do it, I can do it too.  

The STEM lessons for this trimester have tackled representation by, first and foremost, uplifting the voices and stories of several scientists. Each lesson is focused on a specific topic and paired with a scientist. During our lessons about space, astronauts Mae Jemison, Ellen Ochoa, and Franklin Chang-Díaz were uplifted as the first Black woman, Latina, and Latino to go to space. The most recent lesson focused on planetary geologist Adriana Ocampo, along with the layers of the Earth. This exposure to a diverse group of STEMists will continue throughout the trimester to dispel the stereotypes of what scientists, engineers, and mathematicians are supposed to look like. Finally, there will be a culminating project at the end of the trimester that will allow every B-READY participant to create their very own superhero scientist based on the influential people they learned about. This is one of many ways of nurturing the heart, but its end result is what makes room for the flame of wonder, commitment, and resilience to shine a bright and steady path toward the nourishing of the mind and building of community.

SSYP welcomes our Fall 2021 fellows through the College for Social Innovation!

By Edina Alix, Development and Communications Fellow, CfSI

Each semester, SSYP welcomes college fellows through the College for Social Innovation’s (CfSI) Semester in the City program. Throughout the fall months, CfSI teaches distinctive courses in problem-solving and social innovation. Students also participate in an internship with a non-profit organization in the social sector. By partnering with this organization, SSYP and CfSI give undergraduate students the chance to broaden their professional skills, workplace experience, and gain college credit in the process. This semester SSYP has THREE fellows participating in this special opportunity.

Edina Alix is our Communications and Development fellow. Edina will be working with our social media and assisting in creating several social media campaigns highlighting our community, our staff, and what makes SSYP unique. She is a junior at Bridgewater State University majoring in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. She is originally from Framingham, Massachusetts and just moved to Cape Cod from North Carolina last year. In her free time, she likes to watch old movies and listen to podcasts. 

Molly is our School Partnership Fellow. Her role will consist of volunteer coordination with the Blackstone School Library, as well as developing literacy programs and resources through the B-Ready program. Molly attends the University of New Hampshire and is a sophomore studying English and Justice Studies. Molly is from Sandwich, MA on Cape Cod. Molly is an avid reader and can’t wait to experience Fall in the city. 

Briahna is joining St. Stephen’s Youth Program through Semester in The City as academics fellow for the 2021 fall semester. She is studying both psychology and sociology at Southern New Hampshire University and initially began her BA with the idea of eventually becoming a therapist. Once she became more involved in afterschool programs working with children she then realized that it would soon become her passion. Her role in the program is to help teach youth groups ranging from the elementary and middle school level different lessons that go beyond what a typical school day has to offer. The goal is to give students a choice when it comes to what it is they would like to learn while also adhering to specific lesson plans that provide necessary skills and learning opportunities.

We hope you join us in welcoming and celebrating these fellows and everything they are doing at SSYP! We can’t wait to see what they are able to accomplish in our programs, communications and community!

Exploring Identity Through Mask-Making with the YLC

By Samantha Lopez Charrizales, PICS intern, Academic Specialist B-SAFE 2021

As the B-SAFE summer program enters its final week, youth and staff have gotten to grow together and explore the program's theme for this year - "Brave Enough to Be It." Working as a new member of the Academic Team for the summer, I had been anxiously awaiting being able to share the curriculum our staff worked hard to put together for the youth. For weeks, we had been anticipating the summer, getting prepared for rotations that would be both fun and educational. After months of virtual schooling for the kids, we knew that there would be a lot of adjustments to be made in order for them to feel comfortable and excited to learn in person again. Taking the approach of “learning through play”, we planned lessons that would encourage the kids to get hands-on and creatively express themselves. 

For my curriculum, I sought to create culturally-centered lessons that would help our middle schoolers think critically about the world around them, how it shapes them, and how they shape it. After four weeks of program I have seen these lessons come to life with the vibrancy that the young people and the staff at the YLC bring every day. One of my favorite rotations this summer revolved around identity, tying into our weekly theme, "Brave Enough to Be You." 

We began with an activity about our “Circles of Influence”, which asked us to think about who we are in the context of different groups and social structures (our family, friend groups, schools, country, etc). With this in mind, we moved on to making art that expressed the multiple and dynamic aspects of our identities. The YLC was tasked with creating masks that would represent the parts of their identity that are associated with the communities they belong to, their collective identity, on the outside of their masks, and the parts of their identity that they define themselves, their individual self, on the inside of their masks. There was a lot of creative energy in the room during these rotations, as the kids took to painting everything from the flags of their heritage to their favorite anime. It was a colorful, albeit messy, time that allowed everyone at the YLC to get to know each other.

With B-SAFE ending soon, the masks remain great reminders of the memories we have made this summer as a diverse group full of enthusiastic personalities. As the youth reflect on their identities and the world that surrounds them, I hope that they feel empowered to take our theme outside of these walls - being brave enough to be unapologetically themselves, to try new things, to speak up, and to make a change. It has been a summer full of learning and fun for me personally, with the YLC truly showing me the purpose that drives youth work. I am inspired by the fact that, whether I turn to our Site Manager or our youngest fifth grader, I know that when I walk into 31 Lenox, I am walking into a room full of leaders.

MA Attorney General, Maura Healey, Visits SSYP!

By Tyler Cavanagh, Development Associate

On July 27, 2021, SSYP hosted a visit from Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and her team. During the Attorney General’s visit, our JCITs (B-SAFE’s 9th grade leadership internship program) had the opportunity to voice their concerns about challenges in their community to the AG and advocate for change.  While we often talk about our young people advocating for equity in education, our 9th graders spent time preparing for this visit by identifying needs in the community outside of their schools. They did this by engaging in conversations with neighbors, business people, and community leaders over the past three weeks. Some of the topics included litter, affordable housing, rent control, the challenges associated with gentrification, access to public libraries, and homelessness.  JCITs also spent considerable time with the Attorney General discussing the impacts of gun violence, public safety, and the opioid crisis. 

These challenges are real and our young people see them every day.  When asked by Attorney General Healey “raise your hand if you ever feel unsafe,” hands around the circle went up immediately.  This conversation, a valuable and honest exchange of information, allowed our teens to take part in their own governance, highlighting a phrase that is heard often at SSYP and elsewhere, “nothing about us without us.”  The Attorney General’s staff were there to provide resources to the young people and make note of the issues that are important to them.  

One major challenge shared by SSYP’s Teen Program Manager, Jasmine Bruner, was around funding for teen employment.  Each summer SSYP provides meaningful employment to more than 100 teens from around the city of Boston.  These positions at SSYP are funded, in part, through the Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Program, a grant through the Attorney General’s office.  We are grateful for this support and proud of our commitment to creating opportunities for young people to gain valuable work experience in an environment that allows them to feel safe, big, and connected. 

After the group discussion, Attorney General Healey walked with us to Ramsey Park to play basketball with our teens, a shared passion.  While some of our young people may have been more quiet in the group discussion, their energy was tangible on the court. These moments of relationship building are key to our mission at SSYP.  Sharing this moment of fun and camaraderie allowed our youth to see past the title and office of Attorney General and instead see someone who is literally on their team, ready to put in the work so we can all win. 

We are so grateful to Attorney General Maura Healey and her entire team for taking the time to visit us and see what makes SSYP unique! 

B-SAFE 2021 - Launched and Already Halfway There!

By Liz Steinhauser, Senior Director of Community Engagement

B-SAFE 2021, St. Stephen’s Youth Programs 22nd year of summer programming, is launched and already halfway done! There is a reason everyone calls this a sprint! 

In the first 13 days of B-SAFE, young people across our four sites in Boston have..

• Made new friends

• Sculpted clay animals

• Watched the IMAX movie Sharks! in 3D

• Bowled spares and strikes at Boston Bowl

• Run through the sprinklers at the Christian Science Plaza

• Pet rabbits at Farrington Nature Linc

• Learned about social identity through mask-making

• Offered apologies and reconciled when they made mistakes or hurt another person’s feelings

• Splashed at Ashland State Park

• Interviewed neighbors and business leaders in the South End about their community

• Sang along to In The Heights at the Coolidge Corner Theatre

• Started their resumes to be ready to apply jobs

• Created drip paintings and added positive affirmations

• Explored the USS Constitution

• Got a paycheck (a lifetime first for many of our teen Counselors-in-Training)

• Ate a garden full of carrots

• Had sooooooooooo much fun! 

Our staff and leaders from partner organizations have done BIG and IMPORTANT things--together--creating a supportive learning environment for young people, some of whom are rejoining groups for the first time in nearly 18 months, due to the necessity of quarantines during the pandemic. And all of this is happening during the rainiest July on record and when the climate emergency is creating algae blooms in the lakes at our field trip destinations. Rain plans and flexibility galore! WOW!

The theme for B-SAFE 2021 is “Brave Enough To Be It” from youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb.” Young people, teens, and adult staff have been brave enough to meet new people, taste new foods, go new places, and try new things. Parents have also been engaged through cook-outs, zumba sessions, and a workshop learning about the history of parent leadership in the Boston Public Schools (starting in the 1600’s!). 

It has been a brave and beautiful first half of the summer. BIG thanks to all who have put their love and energy into making this a safe, big, and connected first half of the summer. We cannot WAIT to see what happens next!

When Parents Organize, Parents (and Schools) Win!

By JP Blasi, CfSI Development and Communications Fellow

On March 31, 2021, the Boston School Committee voted on the final draft of the budget for Boston Public Schools for 2021- 2022: $1.3 billion, the largest appropriation ever. After several days of digging into the details of the spreadsheets, SSYP leaders were thrilled to find that our three partner schools--Blackstone Elementary, Orchard Gardens K-8, and Hurley K-8--would be receiving a combined $1.3 million in additional funds. 

The news was especially surprising, since earlier draft budgets received by the three schools showed significant budget cuts, with one version of the budget seen by Orchard Garden leaders showing a $600,000 decrease. SSYP parent leaders and school teachers were alarmed by and mobilized to act, knowing that what was really needed was additional resources to overcome the learning losses and social and emotional needs caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

What caused this shift in the budget? Certainly, federal funding for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the City of Boston from the American Rescue Plan made a big difference. But it is no surprise to those close to SSYP that our parent organizing team also played a major role in the change 

For the past five years, SSYP’s parent organizing group has been a growing presence in Boston. Through SSYP, close to 300 parents have built community through emotional support groups, technology workshops, English language classes and even Zumba workshops. These relationships have created social ties and confidence that have been critically important during the recent public health crisis. 

These connections have also given SSYP parents the courage to offer powerful speeches in front of politicians and BPS officials on budget matters. It wasn’t always like this. Rafaela Polanco, who leads the parent organizing effort, said “Just three years ago, many of the parents in the SSYP community were not even capable of giving their testimonies. They felt too insecure to advocate for their children and their school. We were fearful in part because we are all still deeply rooted in our culture. Some of us may even be undocumented.”  

Polanco continued, “I used to live in a shelter when I started at SSYP, and I remember when they told me to give testimony I’d hide or make up any excuse because I felt like I couldn't speak up against the BPS or the government. I had to educate myself and it was a process, but I learned I could still advocate even [while living] in a shelter.” 

Another person who has felt the impact SSYP and parent organizing has had on her life is Glenda Torres. A mother of five whose children go to the Blackstone Elementary School, Torres lost her job as a record manager in downtown Boston when the pandemic hit. 

Inspired by her children and Polanco, Torres called to talk about the parent mentor program. “I remember telling Rafaela, ‘I don't know if I can do it,’” Torres said. She went on, “I'm afraid because I've never really had experience working with children in a classroom with teachers on my own, but my good friend convinced me that this was something I was very much equipped to do. So after procrastinating for days, I applied, and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.” Just months after losing her job and her family having COVID-19, Torres interviewed for the Parent Mentor position and was accepted. “I finally felt a sigh of relief and a little weight lifted off my shoulders. I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Marioska Medina is a Parent Mentor at the Hurley K-8 School. “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I had a job where I worked more than 12 hours a day; with this, I could support our home. Losing this job, I felt very depressed and without the strength to continue,” Medina shared.

Medina said being a mentor mother in the school has changed her life. Her current roles include acting as the teacher’s aide on Zoom, supporting students one-on-one during their virtual independent learning time, and working with the library. “Now I can understand what is happening at my daughters' school. I belong to the School Parents Council. I motivated other parents to get involved in the school. I advocated for improvements in [all] the schools,” Medina said. “I have testified at Boston School Committee meetings so that they do not cut my school’s budget. Today, I can see my change and my growth in defending the rights of my daughters,” Marioska said with pride. 

Through all the parent engagement programs, SSYP is developing leaders and equipping parents with information on many topics. Rafaela Polanco shared, “City Life/Vida Urbana taught a workshop with families about housing rights and evictions. There are coalitions that are teaching us about better jobs within the community.” 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and schools went remote, many parents needed training on technologies for the new virtual world. SSYP started offering tech classes every Thursday, with over70 participants attending each meeting. On Wednesdays, there are English classes with 22 parents studying the language, all at different levels of difficulty. On Mondays, more than 100 parents participate in SES (Social and Emotional Support) meetings, learning coping techniques to manage anxiety, depression, and familial issues. “It gives families a dose of hope every Monday,” said Polanco. 

Polanco concluded, “Through this education, we feel stronger and our community is stronger.” 

Learning About Control with SES

By Melissa Clay, SES Intern

This month we have been learning about the Locus of Control: what we are and aren’t in control of. One of our rotations was a series of three activities:

First, we read the book “Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day” by Judith Viorst. In this book the main character, Alexander, narrates us through his day and gives us as readers the opportunity to tell if Alexander had a choice in what happened or if her didn’t. We used a poster board with space for situations that were in Alexanders control and those that were out of his control and placed the situations accordingly. This brought up great conversation with the students about how feelings can sometimes make us feel like we have no control when actually we do. 

Our second activity was freeze dance. We made this more challenging by wearing bells on our wrists, this meant that the students had to have complete control over their movements because even the smallest wiggle would make the bells sound. The students had a lot of fun with this, trying to freeze as their leg was in midair or in other silly positions.

Our third activity was a control the balloon game. The students made boxes on the floor (which measured about 2.5 ft by 2.5 ft). Each student got a balloon, and the challenge was that they had to stay inside the square and keep the balloon in the air for 2 minutes. This activity proved challenging but fun. After the two minutes students made up their own rules: things such as only one foot could go out of the square to get the balloon if it went outside of the box or they could only hit it with their forearm or head. The students did a great job of realizing they needed to go slowly and make small movements with the balloon so it wouldn’t bounce away. This activity also helped the children with understanding spatial awareness, where their body is in a certain space.

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Melissa is an intern in the Social Emotional Support program at SSYP. She came to Boston from Vermont to begin her graduate program. She is currently working on getting her master’s degree in Counseling and Expressive Arts Therapies. She has been teaching in an early education setting for more than 10 years and enjoys bringing new experiences to children through the arts.

Blackstone Elementary School Library Celebrates Read Across America Week!

By JP Blasi, SSYP Development and Communications Fellow

Across the country, March 1-5, 2021 was Read Across America Week (RAAW). RAAW is an annual time that schools and libraries use to celebrate reading and books. RAAW has been a part of the calendar of St. Stephen’s Youth Programs (SSYP) for more than a decade, as SSYP leads the school library at the Blackstone Elementary School, which is directly across the street from our South End site. 

This past September, even in the midst of the pandemic, SSYP welcomed a new Library Coordinator to the school, Maura O’Toole. O’Toole brings 14 years of experience working in other Boston Public School libraries, Plus, she is a product of the Boston Public Schools herself, a first for this position. 

During RAAW 2021 at the Blackstone, regular classroom activities were accompanied by some incredible events. Teachers, students, parents, and partners celebrated the ways the Blackstone Library has pivoted during Covid, providing virtual programs and recorded video read-alouds. 

Many of the events of RAAW were made possible thanks to the SSYP-Blackstone partnership with WonderMore, a non-profit that “connects Boston-area students to authors and illustrators who reflect our diverse and vibrant communities.” WonderMore assisted in arranging two virtual author visits during the week. Authors Raul the Third and Lulu Delacre are both award-winning Latinx writers. Commenting after the events, O’Toole emphasized how important this representation was for students, especially for students in the CABA class at the Blackstone who are immersed in learning English. “Most children’s--whether or not they are rich or poor--first exposure to art is through books,” O’Toole said, “and it is especially important for them to see a Spanish-speaking American author [who looks like them] visit their school.” 

Students at the SSYP Resource Center watches Raul the Third’s virtual visit to the Blackstone, which included a tour of the author’s studios.

In addition to setting up author visits at the Blackstone, WonderMore donated 85 copies of Raul the Third’s new book ¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market (World of ¡Vamos!) to the second grade classrooms, ensuring that each second grader could take home a book of their own.  Plus, when Lulu Delacre met with the CABA classroom she donated books, each of the 21 students in that classroom were thrilled to have their own copy. 

RAAW wrapped up with one more great opportunity. In conjunction with the MLK Season of Action--two months of learning, service, and action planned and carried out by parents and staff and partners from SSYP and the Blackstone--the Blackstone Library organized supporters who donated more than $2500 in funds and  directly-purchased books to add to fourteen classroom libraries in grades 3-5. Special shout-out to St. Elizabeth’s, Sudbury and Porter Square Books, which were big parts of this effort. All of the books focused on social justice movements and civil rights heroes. A total of 326 new books were added to the classroom collections, about 23 new books per mini-library! 

Some of the 326 new books on civil rights and justice donated to Blackstone School classrooms

Despite the virus and remote schooling, Read Across America Week for 2021 was one of the most successful ever! Big gratitude to all who made it possible.

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JP Blasi is the Development and Communications Fellow at SSYP through the College for Social Innovation for the Spring 2021 semester.  He is a junior studying English: Text/Business Writing/Digital Studies at the University of New Hampshire. JP has a passion for youth education and has worked as a summer counselor in his hometown. He is now helping out in the Resource Center at St Stephen’s Youth Programs. He loves the outdoors and is an avid Boston sports fan. 

Northeastern’s Black Athlete Caucus visits SSYP's teen program

By Erika Matthews, Mass Promise Fellow

On Thursday, February 25th, a panel of athletes from Northeastern’s Black Athlete Caucus (NUBAC) joined St. Stephen’s Virtual Teen program to share the challenges and rewards of attending university as Division One athletes and their experiences navigating that space as Black athletes. NUBAC grew from Black students’ dreams of amplifying their voices on campus and pursuing meaningful representation in Northeastern’s Athletic Department. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Black students banded together to create a space to promote social change and allow for students, faculty, and administration to have difficult conversations around race, representation, and equity while fostering impactful change in their community. 

NUBAC features athletes from a variety of Northeastern’s sports teams including Men and Women’s Basketball, Men’s Baseball, Men’s Rowing, Men and Women’s Track and Field, and more. Students at St. Stephen’s were rapt with awe as athletes shared their personal triumphs and setbacks, laughed as athletes recounted anecdotes about their college experience, and asked questions about what they could expect were they to become future Northeastern University students. Panelists shared valuable insights on offerings like the Cooperative Education program that set Northeastern apart from other universities. 

The dedication NUBAC athletes have towards building community bonds with organizations like St. Stephen’s through inspiring youth is admirable, and hearing these athlete’s passion and resilience inspired youth in our program to continue striving towards achieving their dreams despite setbacks.

For more information about NUBAC click here

SSYP Welcomes two new fellows through the College for Social Innovation

SSYP is excited to continue our partnership with the College for Social Innovation (CfSI), an organization that trains college students to be leaders and problem-solvers by matching them with Boston social impact organizations for a semester of on-the-ground experience and college credit. We are thrilled to welcome new CfSI Fellows Marco and JP to our SSYP team for the spring 2021 semester. Check out their introductions below!

Marco (left) and JP (right), SSYP’s spring CfSI fellows!

My name is JP, and this semester I am lucky enough to have an internship working for SSYP. I am currently a junior studying English: Digital Studies at the University of New Hampshire. I am from New Hampshire and excited to work and spend the next few months with the folks at SSYP and live in Boston. At SSYP, I will be running the social media platforms to develop better connections between our organization and the community, and I am thrilled to get started! 

Hello! 

My name is Marco Cepeda and it’s great to be here. I am currently a senior at the University of Vermont (UVM) and I’m a Music Performance major (cello) with a minor in Communications! Aside from playing cello, hobbies I enjoy include running, cooking, playing tennis, writing letters, and reading. At SSYP, my role is to create fun curricula to help kids build skills through play. Specifically, I look forward to leading the Skillz Lab and teaching young people music. Thank you to SSYP for having me and for all the support they continue to give me! I feel so loved.

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In Our Own Words: Parent Mentors and the Impact of SSYP

By Glenda Torres and Sasha Ramos, Parent Mentors

My name is Glenda Torres. I am the mother of five children, three of whom are adopted and two who are my own. I have long been involved in the SSYP community, as all of my children have attended the after school and summer programs that SSYP provides. In addition to my children, my nephews have also been part of this great community. As of right now, my youngest daughter, who is 10 years old, attends the Blackstone Elementary School; she is still in the SSYP program.

I want to tell you how I became a “Mentor Mother.” It all started when my daughter Melanie  told me that she wanted very much for me to be a Parent Mentor since the mothers of her friends were Parent Mentors with SSYP in their schools. Seeing what they did, my daughter had the wish that I also be part of the program. Every day she asked me this question, “When are you going to become a Parent Mentor?” Having a full-time job, I couldn't join the program at that time. 

Unfortunately, when this pandemic arrived and had an impact on so many lives, I was left without a job. Then, an email came to me saying: apply to be a Parent Mentor! I quickly went to my daughter and she immediately said, “Mommy, you can do it!” I filled out the application. Few days later, I was interviewed by Rafaela and Estephany, the SSYP leaders of the program. I was very excited! As soon as I received the news that I got the job, I told my daughter, “I am going to be a Parent Mentor!” She was very happy.

I am a Parent Mentor at the Blackstone Elementary School, working in a K2 classroom. I also help in the class of special needs students. Being a Parent Mentor is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. 

I remember the first time I met the teacher. I was super nervous! I was also nervous when I  was going to be with the students for the first time. I was scared they would look at me and wonder who I was. Looking back now, it was very funny. The teacher, Mr. B, introduced me to the students and they were all very welcoming. 

With virtual learning, I help the teacher when he does the “breakout room” in Zoom. This helps us maintain order in the class. Being virtual is a bit difficult because all the children want to talk at the same time! Also, I support the very shy students; I do my best to get them to feel comfortable to speak out loud and join the class in discussions. I also help with the technology, and I stay on the lookout for admitting students to the class. I offer support to the teacher by searching for videos, songs, or new ideas for the coming class.

This job of being a Parent Mentor has changed my life completely. I feel like I have the talent to work with children. If I had not had this job, I never would have discovered this. At the end of the day of classes, my daughters always come to me to tell me how proud they are of me! They say that I do this job very well. For me, this is priceless. 

In addition, I have learned a lot from the children in my classes. They make me laugh! I am always waiting for the next day to come so I can continue my work with Mr. B and the students. I love helping the students in my classes. I want to gain more experience and learn more about the school system so I can advance my work in the Blackstone. I am very grateful to SSYP, Blackstone School and--especially--Mr. B for believing in me! This has been a great opportunity. Thanks a lot! 

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Hola! 

Soy Sasha Ramos, soy una madre mentora desde el pasado octubre 2020. He tenido una  experiencia enriquecedora. Desde nuestro entrenamiento empecé a crecer de manera  integral(emocional, profesional). He conocido personas geniales, es increíble cómo todos  tienen tanto que dar. 

SSYP se ha convertido en un lugar muy especial para nosotras(mi hija Sophia y yo) porque  hemos conocido lindas personas, hemos vivido lindas experiencias y hemos aprendido  mucho, además de relacionarnos con nuestra comunidad y sus necesidades. 

Lo que más me gusta de SSYP es que no discrimina y que está enfocado en trabajar cada vez  más y mejor siendo muy justos y solidarios. Te hacen sentir capaz de trabajar con propósitos y  así he descubierto en mí capacidades que a estas alturas no pensaba tener. 

Me siento muy agradecida de la oportunidad que SSYP ha traído a mi vida y deseo que este  programa siga creciendo e impactando más vidas, más hogares y más comunidades en todo  USA.

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Hello!

I am Sasha Ramos. I have been a Parent Mentor at the Hurley K-8 School since October 2020. From our training days,  I started to grow holistically, both emotionally and professionally. I've met great people. It is amazing how they all have so much to give. Being a Parent Mentor has been an enriching experience for me. 

SSYP has become a very special place for my daughter Sophia and me. This is because we have met beautiful people, we had lovely experiences, and we have learned a lot. What we do relates to our community and its needs.

What I like most about SSYP is that it does not discriminate and it is focused on being very fair and caring.  SSYP makes me feel capable of working with a purpose. I have discovered, in myself, skills that--until this point-- I did not think I had.

I am very grateful for the opportunities that SSYP has brought into my life! I want the Parent Mentor Program of SSYP to continue to grow and impact more lives, more homes, and more communities throughout the USA.

JUSTICE IS INDIVISIBLE - ON MLK DAY AND EVERY DAY

By Liz Steinhauser, Senior Director of Community Engagement

On Monday, January 18 close to 100 parents, students, SSYP staff, and allies walked from the Blackstone Elementary School in the South End to City Hall in support of high-quality education for high-needs students, a top concern of SSYP’s parent community. 

This action not only highlighted an urgent education issue, it also honored the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  We recalled how, at the invitation of Black women activists and their allies, Dr. King marched in Boston in 1965, from Roxbury to the Boston Common, calling for more equitable public schools. “Boston must become a testing ground for the ideals of freedom,” King said. “Our children grow up in a system that says ‘You don’t count.’ Well, I’ve come to Boston to tell you that you are somebody,” he added when he spoke from the Parkman Bandstand then.

Parents and students at the Blackstone Elementary, the Hurley K-8, Orchard Garden K-8 and many other schools are so grateful for the unbelievably hard work of teachers under the challenging circumstances of remote schooling. Still, it is clear that English language learners, special education students, young people who are unhoused, and others who are identified as high-needs students learn best with in-person school. Given Covid-19, for in-person education to be safe for teachers and students, there needs to be an increased investment in Boston school facilities. Safe, well-maintained school buildings were an issue for decades; a fall survey with SSYP teens showed this was a top concern of high schoolers from before the pandemic. The pandemic shows that addressing years of deferred maintenance and establishing buildings that are ready for 21st century learning is now urgent.

Suleika Soto, a parent at Blackstone Elementary, walked because “our highest-needs students deserve to have the same chance at success as any of their peers; only a high-quality education will ensure they are not left behind.”  Katherine Marta, a parent at Orchard Gardens, said, “Nuestro niños son el futuro del país y por lo tanto deben recibir una buena educación. Nuestras voces deben ser escuchadas, que todos vean que nos preocupan nuestros niños , que nos preocupa su educación.” [Our children are the future of the country, and therefore should receive a good education. Our voices should be heard, everyone should see that we are worried about our children, worried about their education.]

Despite the complicated challenges of the pandemic, SSYP parents and allies are hopeful. A week ago, the Boston Public Schools and the Boston Teachers Union reached an agreement about returning safely to in-person instruction starting in early February. City Council President Kim Janey, who cares deeply about education and the well-being of students, will likely soon be Boston’s mayor (as current-Mayor Marty Walsh moves to Washington, D.C. to become Secretary of Labor in the Biden cabinet). We look forward to meeting with our new mayor and moving our agenda for safe, healthy facilities forward together. 

Two Takes on the BEST Training

By Latasha Scott, YLC Program Coordinator

As I'm spearheading my professional career at St. Stephen's Youth Programs (SSYP) there are many opportunities to impact my progress as a professional. One of those is the training that St.Stephens encourages staff as youth workers to take advantage of and that's the BEST training. This training is all about Youth work and how to better serve the youth you work with. I learned great things like Youth development, development outcomes, and indicators.

 Prior to training, I figured we all had this unspoken rule of giving youth the best as I could as a youth worker because they are deserving, however, I had not known the many ways to measure the content and relationship building I was doing with my Middle school program. This training was a reflection on my past 3 years at SSYP, my roles and responsibilities, and how it impacted my youth. 

This training shows many ways to interact with youth and the power they have to impact their own future with less adultism and more collaboration. What also made this experience so cool, was that I got to be paired with my own staff, so we are learning together and able to be better youth workers that serve youth that we dearly love at the same time, as Dominick, my 5th-grade lead staff would say SENSATIONAL, check below for his words on the importance of the BEST training. 

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By Dominick Jackson, Community Organizer & Lead Counselor

The Best Training is set out to teach youth workers about how to better serve the youth they work with, such as working with youth to help them feel big, safe, and connected; this is something we pride ourselves on at SSYP. In the best training, the people were very open to sharing ideas and experiences that help them navigate challenges and showing their strengths in youth work. I learned a few things that I could definitely apply to my service now. I learned that giving the kids more leadership roles such as grabbing pencils, markers, or paper for the group, helping pass out snacks, and also helping peers with homework can help with group management. 

Another thing that stuck to me is that you don't have to wear a suit and tie to know what you are doing as a professional. I think this is a beneficial tip for myself and anyone new to youth work, as I strive to do my best I want to look my best, however, we touched on a topic of adultism, and prior to this training, I did not know what that was as to how it impacted me so much. I played up on my own image and now understand my look is relational for some youth and being me is what keeps my youth coming back to program. With the help of the BEST training, I was able to put that into perspective. 

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Latasha Scott is a New York native and currently lives in Roxbury, MA. She has been integrated with St. Stephen's since the fall of 2017 as a lead counselor. This year her role has shifted to YLC Program Director after serving 2 years as Massachusetts Promise Fellow. She is enrolled in Northeastern University as a health science major. Latasha likes to build relationships and connect with the youth in a fresh way. She enjoys learning and teaching about current events.

Dominick first joined SSYP in 2012 as a CIT, and in 2016, he became a community organizer to fight for youth jobs, school funding, gun violence, and much more. Dom also always tries to make you smile — ”it’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.”

Keeping the Halloween Spirit Alive at B-READY

By Spike Sommers, Mass Promise Fellow

Behind the masks, smoke, and candy wrappers, Halloween is about community. On Halloween, we explore our neighborhoods with our friends. In past Halloweens, the YLC’s has turned the church of St. Augustine and St. Martin into a haunted house. There, students eat candy, dance, and prank staff. In 2020, although celebration remains as essential as ever, the YLC’s Halloween party looked different this year to protect our community. Nevertheless, despite a pandemic and a snowstorm, our resilient and creative community kept the spirit of Halloween alive. 

On October 30th, the YLC and LEARN gathered in small cohorts at St. Stephen’s and St. A&M for Halloween games and crafts. YLCers not only enjoyed participating in these activities but also grew as leaders, creative thinkers, and team members by leading these activities for their staff. However, due to this year’s smaller numbers, it’s likely that you, the reader, we’re unable to attend. Therefore, in the spirit of building a virtual community, here are three games from this year’s YLC spooktacular your family and friend can play from home next time you’re in the spooky mood:

1. The first spooky YLC game you can play at home is a “mummy wrap.” The only material this game requires is toilet paper. Once you’ve found a roll of toilet paper, choose one person to be “the mummy.” This person will get wrapped in toilet paper. The remaining players will either wrap this person up or be the timekeeper. As soon as the timekeeper starts the timer, the wrapper or wrappers will run around the mummy, until this mummy is completely wrapped in toilet paper. Whoever wraps their mummy the fastest wins.

2. The second game is a skeleton relay. To set up this game, cut out the bones of two skeletons from a printout. Lay the two sets of bones on the floor with a line between the two sets. For the game itself, divide players into two teams. After an “on your mark, get set, go” the first players from both teams will race to the middle, grab one bone, and run to a wall. At the wall, the players will pick up some tape, rip a bit off, and tape the paper bone to the wall. When they’ve taped the paper bone to the wall, the player will run back to their group. The moment they’ve passed the line, the next person from their team can run, grab a paper bone, and tape it to the wall. By the end of the relay, there should be two anatomically correct skeletons on the wall. The first team to finish their skeleton wins.

3. The final activity the YLC recommends is creating a spiderweb. First, glue three popsicle sticks together at their centers to form an asterisk. Once the popsicle sticks are connected in the middle and look like a snowflake, wrap string over and around the sticks. Our YLCers recommend using plastic spiders and different color strings to make your spiderweb your own. Tie the string off when you’re happy with your spider web’s design.

Staff, teens, and YLC and LEARN students had a great time playing these games. We hope you enjoy joining in the fun at home! As this blog post evinces, we’re happy to strengthen and expand the community we hold beyond the walls of 31 Lenox. In the covid era, we’re learning the YLC lives first and foremost in our hearts.

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Spike was born in San Diego, California. Last school year, Spike taught English in Germany as a Fulbright Scholar. The students and staff he met while volunteering at his college in Minnesota, teaching in Germany, and assisting at Charlestown High School during City Year, inspired him to continue working with young people as a Massachusetts Promise Fellow. Outside the classroom, he enjoys making and listening to music.

Making the Most of a Virtual Community

By Jeremy Kazanjian-Amory, Director of Program Development

“This is so cool, my grandmother and I just watched you on Youtube, you’re like, actually famous.” This sentiment was shared by one of the high school juniors involved in St. Stephen’s Youth Program’s virtual program two weeks ago to Alex Weber, one of the career panelists that night. Alex is an award-winning performer, motivational speaker, America Ninja Warrior competitor, and the most recent example of how we as a staff have leaned into virtual programming as an opportunity to build community and create connections for our teens. 

Six months ago, when the decision was made for our teen program to go virtual, there were lots of conversations about how we would replicate our program virtually. What we decided to do instead was lean into the creative opportunities that the virtual world brought us, realizing that teens would be far more engaged to try new virtual programming that they would never have been able to do in person. One of our first ideas was to try and engage career panelists from all over the country, understanding, for example, that the ability to speak to a Los Angeles actor would only happen virtually. Since April, we have done over 30 career panels, with over 100 different panelists and speakers joining our virtual community from all over the world (over 10 different countries!). The vision of these panels is for our teens and alumni to hear about the different educational and professional journeys that people have endured to get to where they are today. We are doing this in because our high school students and alumni are constantly inundated with questions about their own goals and dreams, and these opportunities allowed them to learn about the wide variety of career opportunities that exist, as well as hear firsthand how well established professionals didn’t know what they wanted to be, even after college.

Teens meeting with former Senior Advisor to the President, David Axelrod

One unique panel that the teens have gotten to experience was a panel of individuals in the entertainment industry, featuring a TV Executive Producer, New York music producer, award-winning photographer, and a featured writer for The New Yorker magazine. Another panel featured community organizers from Malawi, India, South Africa, Guatemala and Los Angeles, who spoke about the work they have done within their communities. In addition to a series of panels, we were able to also offer a special speaker series this summer through the support and connections of Beth Meyers, an amazing supporter of SSYP, and member of Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill. Through her support, the students had the opportunity to hear from former US Senator Mo Cowan, former Senior Advisor to the President, David Axelrod, and City Councillor and Mayoral candidate Michelle Wu. We have had over 200 teens participate in panels, and every time we ask for feedback from the teens, it remains one of their favorite pieces of our virtual program. 

In addition to the opportunity to hear from these amazing professionals; through ongoing workshops, teens have also learned about networking, building social capital, the art of the interview, communication, and other crucial skills that allow our teens to take advantage of the opportunities to meet these professionals. These skills have been a focus of what has been a highly successful virtual transition for the SSYP Teen Program. 

When we first started this program, we were unsure about the level of engagement that we would see from the teens, a fear that was driven by anticipated “zoom fatigue” and the challenge of building relationships virtually. What we have discovered is an increased interest in our program, as information about the types of programming students are able to participate in has spread. This summer we increased our teen jobs, in partnership with the city of Boston, from 85 to 140 for our B-SAFE Program.  With over 100 teens applying for a limited number of staff positions, we were able to pilot a new virtual 8-week teen staff program. This program provides a stipend for the teens selected to build upon the changes to our program implemented during the spring and summer. 

We have had exceptional attendance this Fall in our pilot program, with 40 teens participating in social & emotional, civics, college & career, and professional development programming. We are hoping to extend the pilot program through the Spring and will be looking to partners to help make this possible. In addition to our teens wanting to continue, we already have close to 30 teens on the waitlist, interested in participating in either our virtual pilot program or our virtual 9th-grade leadership program. Our staff is continuing to expand our programming, and this Fall added morning hours that allow for Teens to be able to come and use our buildings for virtual school. With the most recent announcement of the Boston Public Schools that school will continue to be virtual for the foreseeable future, that interest amongst our teens has already grown. Overall, our staff starts teen programming by opening the doors at 7:30 AM, and then finishes up our last virtual sessions every day around 7:30 or 8:30 PM. In these moments of uncertainty, we believe it is more important than ever to continue to build the community that makes SSYP so special, and our Teen Program Staff is working hard to ensure that whether teens are engaged virtually or in person, they know that the SSYP family is here to support them, no matter what.