This summer Groundworks Somerville hired a cohort of Green Team Members for expansive leadership development, soft skills training and environmental justice advocacy engagement. The youth were challenged to step outside their comfort zone and display their best leadership skills. Sabia Miahjee enhanced her leadership skills through her active participation in the Signal Success curriculum and directly applying it in her role at Groundworks Somerville. Read More HERE.

In July and August, participants in Malden’s Summer Youth Employment Program – funded in part by the state through a YouthWorks grant – had the time of their lives working on the City’s “Parkumentary” social media project. Fourteen and 15-year-olds had the rare opportunity to work in paid positions filming, documenting, and reporting on 17 of the City’s more than 50 parks. As well, the social media project team created a documentary of other participants throughout the entire City’s Summer Youth Employment Program on their experiences in the program. Read More HERE.

This summer Yanka was hired to be a Teaching Artist at Cambridge Community Television, which was a huge professional step. Although she held the same title last summer, this year she advocated for greater responsibility and sought a more challenging, involved role on staff. In response to this and out of full respect for her abilities and character, I assigned her the role of co-coordinator of a Virtual Reality module we offered teens this year. Read More HERE.