Massachusetts Promise Fellows work to deliver one or more of the 5 Promises to youth and their communities:
1.) Caring Adult
2.) Safe Place
3.) Healthy Start
4.) Marketable Skills
5.) Opportunities to Serve.
From recruiting volunteers for an after school program to teaching young people about nutrition and health, Fellow projects are diverse in size and scope. All Fellow projects possess an element of project ownership and allow the Fellow to take on a leadership role. While the delivery of the 5 Promises varies by individual Fellow, the strong network created by the Fellowship provides access to a wealth of resources beyond their host site.
Our 32 host sites and Fellow projects change each year and are determined by a competitive grant review process.
“The Fellowship is to date one of the most significant experiences in my life. I’ve made connections that will last a lifetime and I know that I made a difference in the work that I am doing.”
—Janeen Smith, Massachusetts Promise Fellow, Classes XIII & IX
Click on the organizations below to jump to the individua Fellowship projects...
826 Boston
ACCESS-Boston
ACCESS-Springfield
AFC Mentoring
AIDS Action Committee of MA
America SCORES Boston
Berkshire Area Health Education Center, Inc
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay
Bikes Not Bombs
Boston Children's Museum
Boston Public Health Commission
Boys & Girls Club of Boston
Cambridge Family & Children's Service
City of Brockton Mayor's Office
City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development
COMPASS
Girls' LEAP
Girls' LEAP
Greater Fall River re-Creation Committee, Inc (CDRec)
Green Education Foundation
Health Resources in Action
MassCOSH
MathPower
MathPower
MGH Center for Community Health Improvement
Pernet Family Health Service
Plymouth County District Attorney's Office
Raising a Reader
Regional Environmental Council, Inc
Science Club for Girls
Science Club for Girls
Sociedad Latina
Sportsmens' Tennis Club
St. Stephen's Youth Programs
The Discovery Museums
The Food Project- Boston
The Food Project- Lynn
Tutoring Plus
Youth Advocacy Department
Youth on Board
826 Boston
Volunteer & In-School Program Fellow: Alia Hamada
Position Overview: The opening of 826 Boston’s writing and tutoring center in October 2007 represented the dreams of local educators and community leaders to site a nationally-acclaimed model of youth writing instruction in Roxbury’s Egleston Square. The Fellow at 826 Boston will manage two main components of the program. First, the Fellow will boost volunteer participation in 826 Boston’s core programs by recruiting, orienting, and coordinating the work of 826 Boston’s volunteers. Second, the Fellow will manage the expansion of 826 Boston’s in-school program by coordinating volunteer involvement in writing and publishing projects in local elementary and middle schools.
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ACCESS-Boston
Community Partnership Fellow: Sarah Buller
Position Overview: ACCESS provides students and families with a full understanding of the financial aid available to them through our four major programs. Founded in Boston in 1985, ACCESS has grown to become the city’s leading provider of financial aid advising and its largest scholarship provider. Through our Community Engagement Program ACCESS partners with community organizations to enhance their college access programming and reach out to students not currently attending one of our partner schools. The Fellow at ACCESS will work to grow and expand the Community Partnership Initiative during its critical second year. The Fellow will manage the organization, coordination, growth, and implementation of programming for the ACCESS Community Partnership Initiative.
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ACCESS-Springfield
Community Engagement Fellow: Delania Barbee
Position Overview: ACCESS is committed to its mission of ensuring that every young person has the financial information and resources necessary to achieve their dream of a college education. Founded in Boston in 1985, ACCESS has grown to become the city’s leading provider of financial aid advising and its largest scholarship provider. In 2009, ACCESS expanded outside of Boston for the first time when it was selected to operate the newly-created Springfield Promise Program, a financial aid advising and scholarship program for the city’s youth. ACCESS seeks to build a new Community Engagement Program in Springfield. The Fellow will look to replicate the successes and lessons learned from the community-based work in Boston and compliment the advising efforts in Springfield’s high schools. The Fellow will build new relationships with organizations and groups, serve young people directly and train community partner organization staff members.
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AFC Mentoring
Programming Fellow: Lili Mundle
Position Overview: The mission of Adoption & Foster Care (AFC) Mentoring is to empower foster and adopted youth to flourish through committed mentoring relationships. We focus on this at-risk population and provide them with the consistent adult support they need to thrive as youth, and eventually, as productive adults in our communities. AFC Mentoring is the only mentoring program in Boston that serves this vulnerable group of youth. We do this through AFCMentors, our one-to-one mentoring program. The Fellow at AFC will manage two main projects. First, the Fellow will lead the development of Youth Group- a program serving the needs of older youth and providing them with a peer network. Second, the Fellow will be responsible for creating a Mentor Support Group to supplement bi-monthly Mentor Trainings. The Fellow will run and evaluate the effectiveness of a Mentor Support Group.
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AIDS Action Committee of MA
Youth Programming Fellow: Simona Lang
Position Overview: AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Inc. is a not-for-profit, community-based public health organization whose mission is to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic by optimizing the health of those who are already infected and by preventing new infections. The Massachusetts Promise Fellow serving with AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts, Inc. will work within the prevention and education department on two youth serving programs: BE SAFE – dedicated to creating safe spaces for youth to develop healthy relationships and experiences in out of school time programs and Maria Talks – a sexual health information, education, and referral program for youth in MA. The Fellow’s project goals will be to ensure a youth presence and voice in programming and to engage and involve youth effectively in program activities.
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America SCORES Boston
Mentor Coordinator Fellow: Meridith Hyres
Position Overview: America SCORES Boston (ASB) provides unique, school-based, out-of-school time athletic and literacy programs to Boston’s underserved urban youth. Our mission is to empower students in urban communities using soccer, writing, creative expression, and service-learning. With teamwork as the unifying value, ASB inspires youth to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged students, and become agents of change in their communities. The Mentoring Coordinator Fellow at ASB will be responsbile for the continued management of the SCORES Mentors program and the needed expansion of the SCORES Mentors’ volunteer base. A Mentor Coordinator Fellow will be responsible for recruiting, screening and selecting volunteers for the program as well as developing systems to ensure program sustainability.
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Berkshire Area Health Education Center, Inc
Youth Health Service Corps Fellow: Kara Pavone
Position Overview: Established in 1979, Berkshire Area Health Education Center, Inc (Berkshire AHEC) has worked to address health disparities in the Berkshires and western Massachusetts. We have utilized workforce development strategies that connect students to health careers, professionals to improved patient outcomes through continuing professional development, and communities to better health through public health initiatives addressing needs such as substance abuse, smoking, suicide, violence, obesity, and teen pregnancy as examples. The Fellow will coordinate the expansion of the Youth Health Service Corps (YHSC). YHSC is a nationwide health careers recruitment program for high school students. The YHSC provides a six-module curriculum to train high school age students for success working in a volunteer setting.
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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay
School Based Mentoring Fellow: Lindsay Goulet
Position Overview: The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the Islands (BBBSCCI) is to promote the healthy development of children through the nurturing of continuing, one-to-one friendships with caring, responsible adults, supported by trained professional staff. BBBSCCI seeks to expand programs by offering a School-Based Mentoring option, where adults and children meet during the school day on an established schedule. The Fellow at BBBSCCI will create infrastructure that will enable the school-based program to be effectively integrated into the fabric of the organization. The Fellow will enable BBBSCCI to serve more children and grow programs.
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Bikes Not Bombs
Alumni Services Fellow: Jessica Stein
Position Overview: Lasting peace and social justice require equitable and sustainable use of resources. Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) provides community-based education and assists development projects with recycled bicycles, related technology and technical assistance as concrete alternatives to the militarism, over-consumption and inequality that breed war and environmental destruction. BNB is part of a worldwide movement for peace and responsible stewardship of the earth. BNB is a safe haven, a space, and a community where youth can identify their personal strengths, build positive relationships, and serve as role models for their peers. Many of BNB’s program graduates seek out opportunities to stay involved and currently are able to do so in an informal way. The Fellow at BNB will serve as the Alumni Services Coordinator, and will focus on continued alumni engagement and development. The Fellow will take the lead on planning, organizing, and implementing a formalized Alumni Services Program.
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Boston Children's Museum
Countdown to Kindergarten Fellow: Yolanda Kee
Position Overview: Boston Children’s Museum (BCM) exists to help children understand and enjoy the world in which they live. Our vision for children is that we want all children to grow up as creative, curious learners who live healthy lives in healthy communities. We want all children to be ready for school and ready to succeed as active, global citizens. To achieve this vision, BCM translates research into action; develops innovative, replicable hands-on learning resources for all children and parents, particularly the most vulnerable children and families of Greater Boston; and creates the most welcoming, empowering and playful environments that bring together the full diversity of our community. The Fellow at BCM will work on the Countdown to Kindergarten school readiness program and will focus on expanding our work with community sites by providing more support in their efforts to develop on-site program activities.
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Boston Public Health Commission
Start Strong Fellow: Tamar Holoshitz
Position Overview: The Boston Public Health Commission provides a variety of services to protect, promote and preserve the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly the most vulnerable. The commission operates more than 30 different programs that are dedicated to the core priorities of expanding preventation strategies, increasing access to health care, and reducing and eliminating racial disparities in the measures of good health. The Start Strong Initiative housed at the Boston Public Health Commission is designed to help prevent teen dating violence. The Fellow will coordinate two projects over the course of their service year. First, the Fellow will develop an adult-led curriculum to be used by educators and staff for teens in after school and in-school settings. Second, the Fellow will take ownership around developing a series of trainings for the senior peer leader cohort throughout the course of the academic year.
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Boys & Girls Club of Boston
Capacity Building Fellow: Anita Yip
Position Overview: For the past 116 years, since its first Club opened in Charlestown, Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston (BGCB) has been a major resource in Boston’s underserved communities. BGCB’s mission is to help boys and girls develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders. Young people have relied upon the opportunities and resources offered by the Club to help them succeed in school, learn critical life skills, prepare for adulthood and have a safe, fun and affordable place to spend their out-of-school hours. The Fellow at BGCB will serve at the Yawkey Club of Roxbury and will manage the partnership between the Yawkey Club and Northeastern University. Moving into the second year of the partnership, the Fellow will focus on deepening the relationship, measuring the impact, and identifying new and efficient ways for the two organizations to collaborate and resource share.
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Cambridge Family & Children's Service
Cultivating Youth Voices Program Fellow: Jeston Sussman
Position Overview: Cambridge Family and Children’s Service’s (CFCS) mission is to identify and implement ways to strengthen family and individual self-sufficiency and to promote conditions that provide children and adolescents with stable homes and community environments. CFCS manages the following programs: Waiting Child Adoption Program, Intensive Foster Care, Developmental Disabilities Program, Family Support and Stabilization, Mentoring and Residential Services. The Fellow at CFCS will develop, formalize and pilot a self-advocacy program for youth 16+ who are on track to age out of the foster care system. In addition, the Fellow will work with agency leadership and the Board of Directors to begin the formation of an program alumni-based advisory committee. This committee will include former youth as well as former adult clients. The Fellow will inspire youth, as well as staff to embrace, organize, create, and lead their futures.
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City of Brockton Mayor's Office
Brockton's Promise Coordinator Fellow: Trisha Godio, Senior Fellow
Position Overview: The Mayor’s Office of Brockton works collaboratively with other local agencies to provide resources for youth. It is responsible for a variety of services to the citizens that include, but are not limited to, public safety, public works, and recreation. The Fellow serving with the Brockton Mayor's Office will manage a number of youth development initiatives that relate to Brockton’s Promise. The Fellow will provide support to the five Brockton’s Promise Teams as well as participate on the steering committee. The Fellow will also provide youth leadership development as well as convene the Mayor’s Youth Summit, and support both the Brockton After Dark Summer program as well as the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee.
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City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development
Youth & Arts Coordinator Fellow: Max Moy-Borgen
Position Overview: The City of Pittsfield’s Office of Cultural Development promotes, supports and initiates cultural activities in the City of Pittsfield to contribute to the health of the city’s economy and community. The Office serves as the first point of contact for artists, cultural organizations, event organizers and creative businesses in Pittsfield; organizes community events; staffs the City’s Artscape public art committee, which juries and funds yearly public art shows in downtown Pittsfield and leads community-based public art projects; and represents the City’s cultural sector regionally and statewide. The Fellow at the Office of Cultural Development (OCD) will serve as a link for OCD to the schools and other community youth organizations, as well as a direct link to students through the Youth Commission.
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COMPASS
Job Readiness Fellow: Kerri Foley, Senior Fellow
Position Overview: COMPASS provides four community-based service programs serving disadvantaged, high-risk children, adolescents, and families. The mission of the COMPASS School is to provide high quality special educational, counseling and transitional services to students with disabilities. Our goal is to return students to mainstream educational settings or to graduate students with the skills necessary for success in the workplace or in post-secondary education. The COMPASS School works with students referred by public schools systems under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. The Fellow at COMPASS will enhance current transitional services by developing a job readiness and supported employment program.
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Girls' LEAP
Outreach Coordinator Fellow: Cecilia McKevitt
Position Overview: The Fellow will serve with Girls’ LEAP (Lifetime Empowerment & Awareness Program) which is focused on promoting the safety and well-being of girls, women and their families in underserved communities through education programs. The Fellow will focus on two major projects. First, the Fellow will lead teams of college and high school-aged women to deliver safety and self-defense programs to at-risk girls as a Fellow led portion of the Service Expansion Initiative. The Fellow will help maintain growth by serving 150 girls. Secondly, the Community Outreach Initiative, will raise awareness about violence against girls and build commitment to girls’ safety through workshops and broader communications strategies.
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Girls' LEAP
Teaching Women Program Fellow: Kaitie Chakoian
Position Overview: The Fellow will serve with Girls’ LEAP (Lifetime Empowerment & Awareness Program) which is focused on promoting the safety and well-being of girls, women and their families in underserved communities through education programs. The Fellow will strengthen and expand the Teaching Women Program at current partner campuses. The Fellow will work closely with Simmons College, Wellesley College and Northeastern University, as well as research potential new campus partners. The Fellow will focus on three main areas: teaching the Girls’ LEAP Self-Defense curriculum, recruiting, training and coordinating college-aged women to assist on Girls’ LEAP programs, and evaluating the Teaching Women Program and identifying potential new partners.
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Greater Fall River re-Creation Committee, Inc (CDRec)
Youth Leadership Fellow: Annemarie Sharkey, Senior Fellow
Position Overview: The Greater Fall River Re-Creation Committee, Inc. (CD Rec) provides year-round recreational, educational, and cultural programs for Fall River residents with a particular emphasis on socioeconomically disadvantaged youth. The agency’s goal is to provide a variety of programs ranging from participatory sports and creative classes to educational presentations and theatrical/musical performances for those who would otherwise be unable to afford or participate in these programs. The Fellow at CD Rec will work with the Promise Leaders of Tomorrow (PLOT) and will lead Fall River’s newest Youth Initiative-the Youth Bill of Rights Youth Delegates. The Fellow will continue to address Fall River’s challenges (poverty, delinquent behavior, low school achievement, and a high dropout rate) by continuing PLOT as a school-based and community-based project. S/he will also lead the effort to create a Youth Master Plan that encompasses the elements of the Youth Bill of Rights.
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Green Education Foundation
Green Thumb Challenge Fellow: Sarah Rubin
Position Overview: Green Education Foundation (GEF) is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to provide environmental education resources for Pre K-12 classrooms and youth groups nationwide. GEF believes that what is healthy for the environment is healthy for kids, and promotes learning opportunities that develop sustainable habits of environmental stewardship in children and their communities. GEF is launching its Green Schools Initiative. The goal of this program is to ensure that schools and school districts nationwide “go green”. GEF’s vision for this program is provide K-12 students with model environments, surroundings that foster students’ curiousity and enthusiasm and provide continual opportunties to: 1) learn environmentally and economically sustainable practices, 2) grow as environmentally literate individuals, 3) engage in community-based service learning/action projects, and 4) discover green careers. The Fellow at GEF will focus on the Green Schools Initiative.
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Health Resources in Action
Training & Capacity Building Fellow : Christine Roque
Position Overview: Health Resources in Action’s (HRiA) mission is to help people live healthier lives and create healthy communities through prevention, health promotion, policy development and research. HRiA’s broad definition of health includes physical, mental and emotional health. The organization is particularly focused on youth and improving the health of youth by building the capacity of community-based organizations, youth workers, educators, public health professionals, and youth themselves. HRiA’s work with youth is conducted through its Training and Capacity Building (TCB) Department which provides trainings, technical assistance, program development and other services to individuals, institutions, organizations and communities to support the health and overall well-being of young people. The BEST Initiave which provides training and professional development for youth workers in the youth development approach is also located in the TCB Department. The Fellow at HRiA will coordinate, manage and implement the Massachusetts Peer Leadership Institute (PLI) which will convene 200+ youth for two-days and will provide youth with a hands-on educational and networking experience for young people (ages 15 to 18) who are engaged in social change and peer leadership work throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Fellow will also have hands-on experience providing training in the HRIA peer leadership model.
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Massachusetts Coalition of Occupational Safety & Health [MassCOSH]
Teens Lead @ Work Fellow: Adrian Bispham
Position Overview: MassCOSH is a nonprofit, membership coalition that organizes and advocates for safe jobs and healthy communities. Based in Dorchester, MassCOSH focuses on immigrants and people of color in the lowest paid and the most unsafe/unhealthy jobs, and engages them in efforts to improve workplace conditions and civic participation to have a voice in policies that govern these conditions. Through a four-tiered approach combining popular education, participatory action research, community organizing, and policy advocacy, MassCOSH engages its constituents directly in the process of identifying and developing strategies to promote improvements in their workplaces and communities. The Fellow at MassCOSH will work specifically on the Teens Lead @ Work program, a youth led education and organizing program in which peer leaders identify environmental hazards and unsafe conditions at work, in school, or in their community and then develop and implement solutions to these issues. The Fellow will be responsible for all peer-to-peer activities for Teens Lead @ Work, will facilitate partnerships with other youth programs, and will conduct a Train the Trainers program. The Fellow will also develop and implement a sexual harassment curriculum, which trains teachers on how to facilitate the curriculum to educate their teens.
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MathPower
After School Tutoring Fellow: Shanell Mosley
Position Overview: MathPower is dedicated to taking a comprehensive approach to developing both proficiency in advanced mathematics and personal resiliency as vehicles to bring about transformational change in the lives of urban youth. We envision a world in which all students achieve competency in advanced mathematics which serves as a gateway to lifelong learning and a productive career. The Fellow will be responsible for overseeing and expanding the current after-school tutoring programming and for overseeing an existing site or setting up a program at a new site to host an after-school program. S/he will also have the opportunity to help design and participate in research that will help us discern which types of programming have the most positive impact on students’ academic and personal success.
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MathPower
After School Tutoring Fellow: Hatsie Haley
Position Overview: MathPower is dedicated to taking a comprehensive approach to developing both proficiency in advanced mathematics and personal resiliency as vehicles to bring about transformational change in the lives of urban youth. We envision a world in which all students achieve competency in advanced mathematics which serves as a gateway to lifelong learning and a productive career. The Fellow will be responsible for overseeing and expanding the current after-school tutoring programming and for overseeing an existing site or setting up a program at a new site to host an after-school program. S/he will also have the opportunity to help design and participate in research that will help us discern which types of programming have the most positive impact on students’ academic and personal success.
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MGH Center for Community Health Improvement
Youth Programs Fellow: Rantimi Oluwasegun
Position Overview: The mission of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Community Health Improvement (CCHI) is to collaborate with community and hospital partners to build and sustain healthier communities and to enhance the hospital’s responsiveness to patients and community members from diverse backgrounds. Over the past 14 years, the CCHI has worked with community partners in Chelsea, Revere, Charlestown, and Boston to assess needs and create more than 35 programs that prevent and reduce substance abuse and violence, increase access to care for vulnerable populations, eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care and provide opportunities for Boston youth. The Youth Programs Fellow will provide support in achieving a higher level of impact, sustainability, and measurability as we work to broaden and deepend our impact with Boston students. The Fellow will be working specifically with the Senior STEM Club Programs at the Timility Middle School and Young Achievers Science and Math Pilot School to further advance the innovation, programming, and partnership development.
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Pernet Family Health Service
Youth Programming Fellow: Emily Barnett
Position Overview: Pernet Family Health Service was founded by the Little Sisters of the Assumption to address the physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs of individuals and families, especially poor families and ethnic minorities. Pernet provides health and social programs to enhance family and community life. The Fellow at Pernet will oversee two major areas of programming. First, the Fellow will recruit and manage volunteers to assist with the Homework Club. Secondly, the Fellow will coordinate outreach efforts to grow and manage the Pernet Youth Group, as well as to ensure that the Youth Group is youth driven.
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Plymouth County District Attorney's Office
Brockton's Promise Marketing Fellow: Amanda Trask
Position Overview: In an effort to protect our children, the District Attorney continues to expand the traditional role of his office to include extensive outreach and prevention programs in collaboration with our local schools and service providers. Since Brockton’s Promise’s inception in 2003, the District Attorney’s Office has served with the Mayor’s Office as its lead Champions in the City of Brockton. The Fellow serving at the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office will develop a marketing plan for Brockton’s Promise, to include branding activities and a public awareness campaign on the importance of attendance in school, and assist in the further development of an asset mapping website that could be used to direct at-risk youth to available services.
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Raising a Reader
Partner Engagement Specialist Fellow: Lucia Flores
Position Overview: The Raising A Reader MA (RAR MA) mission is to give every child an equal opportunity for achievement by engaging low-income parents in a routine of daily book sharing with their children from birth to age five, fostering healthy brain development, parent-child bonding, and the early literacy skills essential for school success. RAR MA works with families where reading aloud is least likely to occur because parents may have low literacy and/or English language skills, they may lack information about the importance of early reading experiences, or they simply may have no access to books. We provide training to both parents and partner program staff, as well as bright red bags filled with high quality children’s books to rotate through the families’ homes throughout the year. The Partner Engagement Specialist Fellow project will involve three key components: 1.) Partner outreach 2.) Visits and support 3.) Capacity building. The Fellow will manage a caseload of sites from our longest standing communities of Chelsea and Somerville and will build and maintain partnerships with these sites. In addition, the Fellow will have the unique responsibility of critically examining our Partner Engagement Flow with the ultimate goal of producing a proposal on how to articulate and practice the services RARMA provides to sites. The Fellow will also develop and strengthen partnerships with other organizations by representing RARMA as a stakeholder at community-based events.
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Regional Environmental Council, Inc
YouthGROW Fellow: Grace Duffy
Position Overview: The mission of the Regional Environmental Council, Inc. (REC) is to build strong, healthy, sustainable and just communities in Worcester, MA, the state’s second largest city. Founded in 1971, we accomplish this mission by working with residents of the city’s lowest-income neighborhoods to address the environmental justice issues they face. These issues include a lack of opportunities for youth employment/development, high prevalence of youth violence, high rates of food insecurity/hunger/obesity, a lack of green spaces, and high exposures to indoor and outdoor air pollution and toxins, among others. The YouthGROW Fellow will coordinate year round activities for our youth agriculture project. YouthGROW employs 32 low-income teens (ages 14-17) to maintain 2 inner-city organic farms as they complete a job and life-skills curriculum and community service projects. The heart of the YouthGROW program is the creation of mentoring relationships between YouthGROWers and REC staff/volunteers. The Fellow will support the program in expanding its activities and curriculum to youth year-round; they are currently only employed during the summer. The Fellow will also design and initiate a YouthGROW alumni-relations project, providing skill-building workshops and activities to YouthGROW’s more than 70 graduates.
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Science Club for Girls
Special Programs Fellow: Sonal Dhingra, Senior Fellow
Position Overview: Science Club for Girls increases the self-confidence and scientific literacy of girls from underrepresented groups through free, after school programs that focus on hands-on activities, mentorship, and leadership opportunities. The Strategic Partnerships Fellow at Science Club for Girls will capitalize on the strategic partnerships built with various community partners to expand the awareness and reach of our programs in Boston in the coming year. Specifically, the Fellow will serve as part of the Program Leadership Team. Specific goals are to increase enrollment and “mentor-guide” participation at one Vacation Week Science Program and two half-day Show Me the Science fairs. The Fellow will also expand our collaboration with the Girl Scouts’ Diversity Initiative to at least one other site, and conduct systematic outreach to potential partners to develop at least one Saturday program and one other after school science program. As the program manager for the Boston area science clubs, the Fellow will supervise work-study or community-service students as appropriate.
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Science Club for Girls
Volunteer Fellow: Meredith Blake
Position Overview: Science Club for Girls (SCFG) increases the self-confidence and literacy in science, engineering, technology and mathematics in girls from underrepresented groups through free programs that focus on hands-on explorations, mentorship, and leadership opportunities. The Fellow at Science Club for Girls will primarily be responsible for coordinating program volunteer recruitment and training efforts for our Boston, Cambridge, Lawrence and Newton sites. The Fellow will build on the existing process for science club volunteer recruitment and assignment to recruit volunteers for other programs. The Fellow will also oversee the transition of the outreach and volunteer information to an online database.
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Sociedad Latina
Mission Possible! College Access Fellow: Katie Magyar, Senior Fellow
Position Overview: Since 1968, Sociedad Latina has been working in partnership with Latino youth to cultivate the next generation of leaders. With the support of families and the broader community, Sociedad Latina fulfills its critical mission by providing a broad array of programs that: 1) build youth skills, 2) educate and enrich the lives of youth and their families, and 3) foster youth and adult leadership and action. We subscribe to a positive youth development philosophy. The youth who attend these programs are stewards of the organization; their leadership and insight inform all programs and events. The Fellow will work with Sociedad Latina’s Mission Possible! (MP) College Access Program, which connects local high school students with the colleges and universities in their own backyard. As MP gains momentum, this year’s proposed program expansion would focus on engaging younger youth in the college preparation process. The Fellow will recruit younger students through Sociedad Latina’s Mission Enrichment Program for middle-schoolers and through existing relationships with the Boston Public Schools. The Fellow will also develop a formalized program structure and curriculum for all grades, which could be used as a college access model.
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Sportsmens' Tennis Club
Academic Programs Fellow: Airlie Parham
Position Overview: Sportsmen’s Tennis Club (STC) is the first African-American owned non-profit tennis club in the country. Formed in 1961 with the belief that quality instruction and interaction with caring adults would develop excellent tennis players and well-rounded young citizens, our mission is to raise academically and physically healthy young adults, with a love of learning and a commitment to excellence in all facets of life. The Academic Programs Fellow will lead the growth and assessment of our middle and high school academic program. The Fellow will develop a comprehensive program providing SAT prep programs and ongoing tutoring and homework help for students in grades 6-12. Based on the expressed needs of students, additional components may be added such as: assistance with college applications, essays and financial aid forms and assistance in the high school choice process. The Fellow will also coordinate STC student athlete participation in the United States Tennis Association First Serve National Student Athlete competition.
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St. Stephen's Youth Programs
Volunteer Coordinator Fellow: Jane Rosales
Position Overview: St. Stephen’s Youth Programs offers youth from age 5 to 17 a year-round program of care and learning through two core programs: 1.) The B-READY Program which serves more than 160 children and teens at two sites in the South End and Roxbury every school day 2.) The B-SAFE Program which serves more than 550 children and teens for seven weeks at seven sites in the summer in and around Boston. A Fellow will support our mission by helping to build communities where all people feel safe, feel big, and feel connected.
The Volunteer Coordinator Fellow will help recruit, train, and coordinate volunteers in three ways: 1.) Coordinating staff members who each track 10-15 volunteers and planning and leading training for more than 75 volunteers during the school year 2.) Engaging talented volunteers from local colleges and partner churches to expand the program’s capacity for educating youth, especially about values, critical thinking skills, and science 3.) Expanding the mentoring program for high school seniors by including college campus visits and also introducting a college preparation program for eighth graders.
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The Discovery Museums
Public Programs Fellow: Teresa DiCureia
Position Overview: The Discovery Museums (TDM) mission is to inspire enduring curiosity and love of learning through interactive discovery, hands-on inquiry, and scientific investigation. TDM’s interactive exhibits and programs foster curiosity and encourage children of all ages and abilities to learn through play, exploration, and investigation. Programs enrich and extend the museum experience. They provide opportunities for valuable in-depth explorations, bring outside experts and performers to TDM’s audience, and encourage valuable one-on-one interactions. TDM is initiating a new strategic plan which includes expanding our public program offerings to serve more people, increase visitation and membership. The Public Programs Fellow at TDM will support this goal and build our programming capacity in several ways. The Fellow will work with our education staff to present and coordinate hands-on programs and will also develop and pilot new programs. The Fellow will network with community organizations and cultivate new volunteer led public programs. These volunteers will range from teens to professionals and will bring variety and expertise that will enrich the learning experiences for our community.
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The Food Project- Boston
Build-A-Garden Program Fellow: Joy Gary
Position Overview: The Food Project’s mission is to create a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. This community produces healthy food, provides youth leadership opportunities, and inspires and supports others to create change in their own communities. One way The Food Project makes healthy, locally grown food more accessible to low-income urban residents is by building raised bed gardens in their yards and providing them with the materials and training they need to plant and maintain home gardens. Our Build-a-Garden program allows residents in areas with high levels of lead in the soil to grow food safely.
The Build-a-Garden Fellow will work with The Food Project’s youth interns to increase the impact of the Build-a-Garden program. The Fellow will guide youth through an evaluation of the garden’s long-term benefits and the effectiveness of the program. Together the Fellow and the youth will design a survey tool, collect and analyze the data to make recommendations for changes to the program. The Fellow will also be in charge of growing a garden in collaboration with youth to quantify the amount of produce grown in a raised bed, and subsequently assess how raised beds can impact the food costs and consumption patterns of participating families. The Fellow will blog about his/her raised bed and write monthly newsletters containing advice and encouragement to raised bed garden recipients. S/he will also lead youth in several key operational aspects of the Build-a-Garden program. Finally, the Fellow will work with TFP youth in hunger relief organizations during the winter months and co-supervise an internship of 8 youth in the summer.
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The Food Project- Lynn
School Partnerships Fellow: Sally Velez-Guzman
Position Overview: The Food Project’s mission is to create a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. This community produces healthy food, provides youth leadership opportunities, and inspires and supports others to create change in their own communities.
The Fellow will engage youth from two different age groups in work and learning around food and the need for equitable food access in the Lynn community. The Fellow will work with younger students as the leader of our School Partnership Program. S/he will partner with teachers and administrators to develop, implement, and evaluate curriculum for elementary school students around nutrition and growing food. S/he will also work closely with teens employed by The Food Project to develop and implement models to increase food access in North Shore neighborhoods, through promoting The Food Project’s new Community Supported Agricultural program, publicizing and working at our Lynn Central Square Farmers’ Market and other North Shore markets, and leading a variety of community volunteers on The Food Project’s urban and suburban farms. In addition, the Fellow will establish a Build-A-Garden program on the North Shore building raised bed gardens for residents and community groups.
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Tutoring Plus
Academic Success Fellow: Minh Nguyen, Senior Fellow
Position Overview: Tutoring Plus aims to support and encourage the academic, personal, and social growth of children and youth in Cambridge, Massachusetts with the help of volunteers and community partners through free programs for Cambridge students grades 4-12. Tutoring Plus programs are focused around five core values: Academic Success and Self Esteem, Mentoring, Multiculturalism, Collaboration, and Inclusiveness. The Fellow at Tutoring Plus will oversee academic progress for all middle school students via goal-setting, progress report and grade card monitoring, achievement-based activity time and open community with faculty and staff. The Fellow will work closely to foster collaboration between Tutoring Plus and Cambridge Public Schools.
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Youth Advocacy Department
Community Outreach Fellow: Katy Thompson
Position Overview: The Youth Advocacy Department (YAD) was established in 1992 to provide legal representation for children by using a proactive, multi-disciplinary approach. With the ultimate goal of preventing future court involvement for juveniles, YAD provides expert legal representation to indigent youth combined with social service needs assessments, case management and community-based referrals from licensed social workers, and psychological assessments from our staff psychologist. In addition, we have three education attorneys to address academic issues.
YAD seeks to maintain a local presence within the communities it serves, and form relationships with community members to improve case and life outcomes for clients while strengthening families and communities. While YAD has numerous partners in the community, we would like to spend the next year deepening existing relationships and creating new ones. The Fellow will build relationships with community-based agencies through coordinating educational workshops for youth and adults. The Fellow will oversee and facilitate the use of YAD’s “Know the Law” workshops and the EdLaw Project’s “Education Rights” workshops. Additionally, the Fellow will act as a community liaison for YAD. S/he will attend community meetings, participate in community coalitions, recruit and work with community volunteers, and assist in YAD’s communication efforts, including working on the Community Notebook (a resource guide for those working with juveniles). Lastly, the Fellow will assist in connecting YAD clients with community-based organizations for jobs and/or community service. As part of this process the Fellow will keep up-to-date files/notebooks listing job and other opportunities offered by community organizations.
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Youth on Board
Student Engagement Fellow: Jeff Foulkes
Position Overview: Youth on Board’s (YOB) overarching goal is to create schools in which youth are empowered to advocate on their own behalf and youth engagement is interwoven into the structure of schools, thus encouraging a cultural shift that creates respectful and mutually supportive learning communities. YOB works closely with the Boston Public Schools (BPS) in ensuring that high school students are integrally involved in the decisions that affect them the most. The Fellow will work closely with two key Boston Public School (BPS) student engagement groups, the Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) and the Student Engagement Action Collaborative (SEAC) to advance student engagement and promote student voice at the district and the local level. The primary goal of the Fellow will be to support the student engagement efforts of the students at the district and school based level through efforts that focus on shifting school/peer culture and student involvement in genuine decision making at their schools. In order to be successful in this effort, the Fellow will forge relationships with key BPS community members and student members. The Fellow will meet regularly with BSAC, SEAC, and student government advisors and student government groups from the high schools. The Fellow will convene a group of student representatives from BSAC, SEAC members, and partnering organizations to form a planning committee to explore developing a school/peer culture campaign/event/project that will connect and work with existing student government/leadership groups. The Fellow will assess the needs of the students, schools, and district and implement the groundwork to support student voice as a priority on this project. The Fellow will report back to both YOB and BPS on the status of the project and the status of the student-engagement and student voice in the schools.
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