Exciting Update to our B-PEACE Program

Through a generous multi-year grant from the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Economic Development’s Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Program SSYP is proud to welcome Cecile Romiette Auguste to our team leading our B-PEACE initiative. This program will focus on community based violence prevention for youth and young adults.  Building on the success of the program’s work in gun-violence prevention, B-PEACE will leverage the work that SSYP does with our community to address the root causes of violence in our community through education, advocacy, and community engagement.

Meet Cecile Romiette Auguste

B-PEACE Program Manager

Cecile Romiette Auguste is a Physical Therapist from Haiti. After finishing high school in her hometown she was awarded a full excellence scholarship by the Taiwan Government. For the next 7 years she lived in Taipei and pursued her bachelor at the prestigious National Taiwan University and then she got her MBA in Healthcare Administration at Taipei Medical University. She was very involved in the Foreign student associations, advocating for her fellow students and organizing activities for them.in 2017 with diploma in hands, she returned to Haiti to give back to the society. She worked as a PT at the Institut Haitien de Rehabilitation and because she has a passion for education she was the PT program coordinator and also served as the vice dean of a PT faculty. She also taught healthcare Administration and physical therapy at two other schools. She moved to the US in 2020 and kept teaching Haitian students online. She is enrolled in an online transitional doctor of Physical Therapy. She is also licensed to practice in the United States as Physical Therapy Assistant.

In 2022 She was one of the awardees of the African Bridge Network Administrative fellowship program. She then worked at Boston Children Hospital as program coordinator of the Rehabilitation program. In 2023 she joined McLean Hospital ECT and Ketamine clinic as Administrative coordinator. During her times at Childrens she got her lean six sigma white and yellow belt certificates. One of her passion is to work as a volunteer in helping immigrant families adjusting to the United States. In february 2024, she gladly accepted the offer to serve as Program director at St Stephens. She will work with a team and with partners in various violence prevention projects and activities in the St Stephens community. 

Cecile is a mother of three beautiful kids who keep her very busy and happy. She loves to do yoga, dancing, reading and hiking in her spare time. She is fluent in Haitian Creole, French, English and Mandarin Chinese. 

cecile@ssypboston.org

Bittersweet News from SSYP

Dear SSYP Friends,

It is with mixed emotions that we share the news that Executive Director Chris Sumner is leaving St. Stephen’s this month.  Chris has been an integral part of our team, providing critical leadership at a time of great transition at SSYP.  During his tenure, Chris advanced important facilities and security capital projects, built strong connections to our church partners and brought a network of new funders and friends to the SSYP community.  We deeply thank Chris for his passion and dedication.

Inés Palmarin, longtime St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church parishioner and former executive board member, has been appointed as Acting Executive Director by the St. Stephen’s Church Executive Board.  Inés brings with her a wealth of experience, most recently with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. 

Prior to joining the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Inés worked as the Senior Program Officer for Resilient Communities, Resilient Families for LISC Boston.  She spent over a decade in the public government as a Senior Planner/Project Director for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, where she led numerous neighborhood planning and economic development initiatives.

As a first-generation Puerto Rican woman, Inés has dedicated 25+ years of personal and professional life to providing resources and access to BIPOC communities to improve their economic well being. She believes that working in service and partnership with the community is a calling. 

Inés is the co-founder of Boston Mothers Care, a volunteer-run organization focused on bringing humanitarian aid to children and their families in Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Boston. She serves on the National Vital Village board and is currently attending Gordon Conwell pursuing a new path focused on Latinos and Global Ministries. Inés is passionate about civic engagement, women empowerment, and young leaders, especially in urban neighborhoods.

Inés graduated from Wheelock College in 1992, where she fell in love with Boston neighborhoods and the network of nonprofits. In 1999, she received her Master’s in City Planning from MIT.  Inés is currently enrolled in Seminary in a Latinos and Global Ministries program.

Rev. Michael Deegan, Interim Priest at St. Stephen’s, will continue to support and work closely with Inés during this time. 

If you would like to share your congratulations or schedule time to chat with Inés her email is Ines@ssypboston.org and she will be based out of our main office at 419 Shawmut Ave in the South End. 

STEPPING IN AND STEPPING UP - STAFFING UPDATES

Transition can be a challenge, but it’s also a cause for celebration.  This fall we are welcoming a number of new faces to the SSYP community, and also celebrating a number of staff who have transitioned into new roles on our team! Check out below for more information on our amazing team!

WELCOME TO OUR NEW STAFF

Courtland Daniels, Deputy Director of Youth Development*

Courtland is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston and holds a bachelor’s degree in music. She has over 10 years of experience working in youth development with experience working in licensed after schools, recreational camps, mentoring and program development. Courtland is passionate about community engagement as well as watching youth thrive in a safe and nurturing environment.

Gabby Ligresti, Jesuit Volunteer Corp Fellow

Gabby Ligresti has joined St. Stephen's this year as the organization's Jesuit Volunteer, serving as the Arts Academic Coordinator for SSYP and Spiritual Education Coordinator for the Church. She is from New York and holds a Bachelor's degree in Applied Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Boston College. Gabby has a passion for working with young people and their families and is excited to be a part of the St. Stephen's team this year!

gabby@ssypboston.org

Casaundra Knight, Director of Finance

casaundra@ssypboston.org

Rochelle Barross, Bookkeeper

rochelle@ssypboston.org

*Starting October 2, 2023

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STAFF IN NEW ROLES

Tyler Cavanagh, Associate Director of Development & Communications

Tyler holds a bachelor's degree in music with a concentration in vocal performance from Westfield State University. With almost 20 years of experience in nonprofit youth work, including licensed summer camps and childcare programs, teen leadership programming, mentoring, and arts education, Tyler is excited to bring his experience to the development side of the table. He has a passion for building community and creating opportunities to celebrate diversity and inclusion in all ages but especially in young people. Tyler currently lives on the South Shore where he is an active performer in community theatre, choirs, and recitals. He currently serves on both the board and faculty of Spotlight Music and Theatre Academy in Scituate MA.

tyler@ssypboston.org

Elwyn Cruz, YLC Site Manager

Elwyn Malyk Cruz was born and raised in Boston. His journey at SSYP has given him the opportunity to be a junior counselor, which prepared him for the role of a CIT. That experience then led him to becoming a lead counselor and Site Coordinator.  Elwyn has had many roles and opportunities at SSYP and is currently stepping into the role of Site Manager for the Youth Leadership Corp. 

elwyn@ssypboston.org

Lanaya Kimble, Teen Program Manager

Lanaya started at St. Stephens in Summer 2016 as a Counselor-In-Training (CIT) and continued through all four years of high school. In the summer of 2021, Lanaya took on more responsibility as the Site Assistant for LEARN, and in January 2022, was hired as an SSYP Fellow, where she will continue to serve as a Site Assistant. Starting in the fall of 2023 Lanaya has moved into the role of Teen Program Manager, overseeing all aspects of our teen programs.

lanaya@ssypboston.org

Tracey Merrill, Senior Director of Development

Tracey is thrilled to return to SSYP as its first, full-time Director of Development.  Tracey has previously held part-time grant writing roles at SSYP.  She is excited to work with Chris, SSYP's Governance Committee and the exceptional staff leadership team on advancing SSYP's mission through philanthropy.  Tracey has worked on both the institutional side of fundraising, for among others, Quincy College, the Life is Good Kids Foundation and the YMCA, and provided development consulting services to a wide range arts, education and social service non-profits.  She lives on the South Shore with her busy family, including two poorly behaved - but adorable - golden retrievers. 

tracey@ssypboston.org

Sugey Rondón Reyes, Parent Organizing Coordinator

Sugey Rondon is a mother of three. She joined SSYP in 2019, starting out as a volunteer parent leader and later as a staff member.  She is currently a Family Organizer, teaching families the importance of getting involved in their children's schools.  Sugey has a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from the Universidad Tecnológica de Santiago DR. She came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 2016. Sugey loves family togetherness, sharing and collaborating.  She celebrates being able to motivate families about investing quality time with their children.

sugey@ssypboston.org

Latasha Scott, Assistant Director of Development

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. After several years of leading the YLC program, Latasha has transitioned into a new role on the development team. Latasha likes to build relationships and connect with the youth in a fresh way. She enjoys learning and teaching about current events.

latasha@ssypboston.org

B-SAFE Teens Get Organzied!

SSYP’s Teen Organizers program has made a triumphant return to our B-SAFE Summer Program this year! Under the leadership and guidance of our Director of Organizing, Ari Branz, and B-SAFE Teen Organizing Coordinator, Michael Cordero, this program is designed to train our teens on the core concepts of community organizing and instill in them the passion for this important work. Below you can learn more about what the teens have been working on during the first two weeks of B-SAFE in their own words!

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Priscilla Davila - B-SAFE 2023 Teen Organizer

In the beginning of teen organizing we were introduced to a book called This Book is Anti-Racist written by Tiffany Jewell and illustrated by Aurelia Purand. This book teaches you about the identities, different types of identities, true histories, and anti-racism. This book makes young people feel empowered, are taught awareness, are taught stuff about society and about their selves. It asks questions such as “Who are you? What is your identity? How can action be taken?” and more.

So far we have learned about being anti-racist, who am I, our identities, dominant culture, social identities, intersectionality, and race and ethnicity. This has taught us a lot about ourselves and who we are. I am very interested in this book and my favorite part is the written responses and shareouts within it. It teaches me more about myself and teachers me more about my peers.

This book also shows its OK if you still haven’t figured out who you are. I hope to learn and be able to teach others what they can learn about themselves, their backgrounds, and others around them.

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Isaiah Hines - B-SAFE 2023 Teen Organizer

Hello all! My name is Isaiah Hines and I am a teen organizer for SSYP. I am one of ten organizers. This is my first summer working for this program and despite it only being the second week it’s already been a growing experience. 

My favorite activity that we’ve done so far was a scavenger hunt (created by Ari and Michael) where we were tasked with finding different landmarks in the neighborhood. Even though it was a simple activity, the first and (to me) most notable thing about it was the level of freedom we were given. Ari and Michael explained what we were supposed to do, gave us our deadline (allowing us to ask for time extensions if needed) and from there it was up to us. They didn’t supervise us on the hunt, hovering over our shoulders and making us feel policed.

The scavenger hunt gave me the opportunity to learn more about the history of the city I’m growing up in. The landmarks had all different kinds of stories to them, ranging from being where they are as a form of representation for groups and so on. Furthermore, when we came back we watched a video digging further into the history of the people that live in the neighborhood. It talked about the different people being integrated into a new community and being expected to adapt despite the large change in environment.

On a separate note, I really appreciated the task because it gave me the chance to explore the area for the first time since I’m not familiar with it as a result of the fact that I don’t live around here. Overall, the first week of work was great and I’m excited to see the new experiences and relationships that are to come.

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For more information about SSYP’s Community Organizing programs please email Ari Branz at Aribranz@ssypboston.org or visit our website!

SSYP High School Seniors "Reach Beyond"

Congratulations to our seniors from the class of 2023! SSYP is so proud of your accomplishments and wishes you nothing but the best as you take your next steps into the world.  One Thursday, May 25, 2023 SSYP hosted our annual Reach Beyond Celebration, and evening honoring the hard work that these young people have put in.  We were also able to award scholarships through our student support fund to X graduating seniors to put towards continuing their studies, whether that is through higher education, certificate programs, or professional development to build stronger career pathways.  

The evening, hosted by the Teen Program dynamic duo of Dede and Lanaya, included speeches from SSYP’s Executive Director, Chris Sumner, one of our Community Partners, Jessica Ortiz, several of our teens, and Chaniery, an alumni from the class of 2022.  Chris charged our seniors with a tall order, one that we know they can fill; “We need you to be undefeated, because the generation behind you is watching.” Jessica Ortiz, who holds four degrees, shared her personal story of challenges she faced growing up and in high school.  Her pride as she shared her successes was palpable in the room, and she reminded everyone “you will be defined by what you achieve, but also how you survived it.” Overall the night was celebratory, inspiring, and powerful. 

As we send our seniors out into the world, we know that they will represent our community with pride! 

Meet the Blackstone Elementary School Librarian - Barbara Landolfi

The Blackstone Elementary School Library has been a long term partnership between BPS and SSYP. As of the start of the academic year BPS made the choice to invest in the Blackstone Library by hiring a full time librarian, Barbara Landolfi. SSYP continues to be committed to the success of the Blackstone Library and to our wonderful volunteers there, but without further ado, meet Barbara!

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Hi! My name is Barbara Landolfi, and I recently joined the faculty at the Blackstone School at 380 Shawmut Avenue in Boston’s South End as their full-time librarian. Our school serves grades K through 6th grade, and the student body is made up of nearly 600 children living within every neighborhood in the city of Boston. I am proud to serve a broad and diverse group of students from many different cultures and nationalities. Our teachers and our students speak, at last count, 8 different languages making our work as educators enlightening and exciting every day. The kids teach us every day!

I grew up in the city of Boston and have been teaching in Boston Public Schools for more than 24 years, starting my career, at the Dearborn School in Roxbury and most recently at the Jackson Mann School in Brighton, MA. I am a certified Social Studies teacher and I have worked with students at all grade levels, but most of my time has been spent teaching middle school students in both history and civics. I love both subject disciplines, perhaps, it is because I am a first generation American, and both my parents emigrated to the United States in the early 1970’s. They always touted the virtues of being an American and constantly spoke about education, freedom and the rights entitled to all Americans. They also instilled in me gratitude and acceptance for different cultures and races.

I am bilingual enabling me to communicate with a portion of our students that either originated from the island of Cape Verde or speak it currently, but more importantly my immigrant background allows me to serve our students with an enhanced level of compassion and empathy given I have done what they are being asked to do. I am proud that I had the privilege of growing up and teaching in such a diverse city, like Boston, that has worked hard, over the years, to become a more inclusive community. It wasn’t always easy having parents that spoke a different language at home, but fortunately I grew up in a neighborhood that was diverse, and I was not the only child/student with parents and families from another country. These challenges allowed me to find comfort in other people from other nationalities where we learned to lean on each other with our shared experiences. These experiences have made me a more enlightened teacher in a school system that requires many different skills and sometimes unique resources to create the ideal learning environment our students to excel.

I am new to the library environment at the Blackstone, but our mission is clear. Our mission at the school is to deliver first rate library services to our students and faculty. I was hired, not because of my library experiences, but for my long track record of being an effective educator with compassion and discipline skills in a system that requires a unique skill set different from that of a traditional librarian.

Did I mention I have a lot of help! I had a running start with all my efforts from our many talented and giving volunteers. The Blackstone School, prior to my arrival, relied heavily on a network of volunteers to support the school’s library efforts to provide services. I came into a community that had 8 fully committed part time volunteers from St. Stephen’s Youth Programs’ community. Their organization started working with the Blackstone school in 2010 committing both time and money to the school’s library efforts and working hard to improve the library experience for our students.

I want to recognize their efforts by sharing with you their names and their contributions. Kim Paddock, Paula Ewenstein, Stephanie Terry, Susan Haskell, Maria Johnson, Lucy Costa, Maria Huhta and Patty Woodlock all of whom are dedicated and committed to helping our students achieve every day. They avail themselves every week to reading for our students, helping to organize our efforts in the library, and most of all showing our students the power of literacy and its beneficial effect on learning and discovery.

SSYP Senior Retreat

By Dede Evans, MPF College and Career Fellow, 2022-2023

St. Stephen’s annual senior retreat took place from November 18th to the 20th with seven seniors traveling out to Wareham, MA with our staff for college workshops and relationship building. The weekend include four workshops ranging from navigating roommate conflict, to the Enneagram Personality Test, to how to utilize college for their own benefit. Seniors also used this time to bond with each other through board games, and even going out into the community of Wareham to do some bowling together.

This retreat allowed many of the teens to unwind and leave the stress of college prep, school, and work responsibilities in the city of Boston. At the end, seniors left this retreat with new skills in their pockets for the next chapter in their life, but many of them are still enjoying themselves before turning that page in their books.

Carta a la Superintendente / Letter to the Superintendent

[English translation below]

Fecha: 08 de noviembre de 2022

Para: Mary Skipper, Superintendente de Boston Public School

De: Familias de St. Stephen’s Youth Programs

Re: Plan de mejoras para las escuelas de BPS

Estimada Superintendente Skipper,

Las familias de St. Stephen 's Youth Programs, queremos darles las gracias por haberse reunido con nosotros hoy. También queremos extender nuestras felicitaciones por su cargo como Superintendente de un Distrito tan complejo como lo es el Distrito Educativo de Boston.

En nuestro Distrito educativo, todo lo que hemos conseguido hemos tenido que lucharlo (como ejemplo más Consejeros, Trabajadores Sociales, Encargadas de Familias y Comunidades, la inclusión a las escuelas de exámenes, etc). Sin embargo, sentimos que queda mucho por hacer, por eso hemos preparado este documento donde queremos dejarle saber nuestras principales preocupaciones y al mismo tiempo le estamos entregando posibles soluciones.

A principio del año escolar, llevamos a cabo una encuesta, donde preguntamos a las familias cuáles eran sus principales preocupaciones con relación a la educación de sus hijos, y los resultados se basaron en 4 puntos principales: Seguridad, Educación Especial, Housing y Covid 19. 

Tomando en cuenta estos puntos le presentamos los siguientes:

En cuanto a la seguridad: Los problemas que nos afligen en la seguridad en las escuelas públicas de boston son los siguientes:

• Falta de monitoreo de seguridad y protocolos en las entradas y salidas de las escuelas en especial en las elementarias.

• El monitoreo en los baños es escaso, ya que se han escuchado que algunos estudiantes están usando cigarros y drogas en los edificios escolares.

• Falta de seguridad en el transporte que utilizan nuestros estudiantes.

• Problemas en las redes sociales y la forma como nuestros estudiantes la están escuchando dentro de las escuelas.

Posibles soluciones a estos problemas:

• Más personal de seguridad escolar capacitados para cualquier tipo de situación que se presente en las escuelas, entrenados en justicia restaurativa.

• Clases de como usar las redes sociales para nuestros estudiantes.

• Conversaciones con los estudiantes y personal de la escuela para que puedan evitar el bullying y la violencia que desata caos y tragedias. 

• Cuando hay un comportamiento agresivo o inadecuado por parte de un estudiante, que se brinden reuniones individuales entre las familias y los trabajadores sociales para ofrecer apoyo a las familias y a los estudiantes en la escuela y en sus hogares.

• Talleres socio emocionales para familias y los niños que han sufrido trauma por violencia desatada en la escuela.

• Una mesa de equidad racial y comunicación con las familias sobre qué tipo de guardias de seguridad queremos en las escuelas.

• Entrenamiento para los maestros y trabajadores sociales en cómo construir confianza de poder expresarse que le afectan y que los estudiantes puedan sentirse confiados en que serán ayudados de la manera correcta.

• Monitores en los buses, para que puedan brindar más confianza y seguridad a nuestros estudiantes.

• Motivar a los miembros del Concilio de padres de la escuela, para que puedan ser voluntarios, trabajando dentro de la escuela, sirviendo como vigilantes de seguridad en la llegada y salida de la escuela, proponiendo un estipendio para ellos por hacer este voluntariado.

Educación Especial: Principales problemas que afectan a nuestros niños de educación especial son:     

• El tiempo que ofrece la escuela para las Terapias de Habla y otros no son suficientes

• Falta de atención individualizada, porque a veces hay más de 25 estudiantes en un aula.

• No hay alfabetización en el idioma nativo, el estudiante está confundido, las familias no saben inglés y en la escuela las terapias son en inglés. 

• Las evaluaciones de los estudiantes sólo las ofrecen en inglés para las familias.

• Las evaluaciones de seguimiento duran mucho tiempo para entregarlas.

• Las aulas de inclusión no tienen suficiente personal calificado.

     Posibles soluciones a estos problemas:

• Cumplir con los minutos de terapias de habla u otros conforme al IEP del estudiante, en grupos de solo uno o dos estudiantes. 

• Que todas las aulas tengan solo 10 estudiantes.

• Que los niños que necesitan más atención, tengan instrucciones individualizadas.

• Que nuestros niños reciban alfabetización en su idioma nativo, para esto deben contratar más maestros bilingües.

• Que los resultados de las evaluaciones que reciben las familias de los estudiantes las realicen en el idioma que hable la familia del estudiante.

• Que las evaluaciones de seguimiento se realicen mensualmente

• Que las aulas de inclusión tengan un maestro especializado, un maestro regular y un ayudante de maestro.

En cuanto a Housing: Los problemas que nos afligen son los siguientes:

• Muchas familias de los estudiantes sin hogar

• Muchas familias no tienen acceso a recursos humanos para llenar los documentos en la búsqueda de vivienda pública.

• Renta cada vez más alta en Boston

• La lista de espera para viviendas bajo ingreso muy largas

• Las familias no tienen claro qué rol tiene la escuela de su hijo en ayudarle encontrar un hogar seguro y estable.

   Posibles soluciones a estos problemas:

• Proponemos que en cada escuela, se establezcan conversaciones con las familias sobre los recursos con los que cuenta BPS, cuando un estudiante no tiene hogar estable.

• Que el Distrito presente un plan para que las familias que tienen hijos en las BPS y están en lista de espera para tener una vivienda bajo ingreso, puedan tener preferencias en la lista de espera.

• Que las familias de los estudiantes que no tienen vivienda seguras, tengan un acompañamiento seguro de las encargadas de familias y comunidad de las escuelas, ya que muchas de estas familias son analfabetos en sus propios idiomas y no saben cómo desenvolverse.

• Que se establezca la visita domiciliaria de las encargadas de familias y comunidad a las familias de BPS. Sabemos que hay familias que no pueden llegar a las encargadas de familias y comunidad, en algunas ocasiones porque no tienen documentos legales para estar en los EU. Entonces que ellas lleguen a ellas, y puedan brindar apoyo.

En cuanto a Covid 19: Los problemas son los siguientes:

• Un alto porcentaje de las familias no se sienten seguros con los protocolos establecidos por el Distrito Educativo, para mitigar el Covid 19.

• No están de acuerdo que hayan quitado el uso de mascarilla

• No hay suficiente limpieza en las escuelas 

• El área donde comen los niños no es segura

• Muchas escuelas no tienen una buena ventilación/ filtros adecuado para las escuela

• Hay varios problemas con los sensores IAQ, que incluyen: No tener pantallas externas, lo que reduce la capacidad de los educadores de monitorear la calidad del aire en sus aulas

Posibles soluciones a estos problemas

• De poner un orden que los padres cuando vean que sus hijos este enfermo con mucha fiebre y gripe no lo envíen a la escuela y que esa ausencia sea excusada.

• Cuando ellos falten porque tengan COVID ya los maestros debería de tener un paquete preparado para que compartan con esos padres y los niños no pierda clases 

•  Con la presencia de variantes más nuevas e incluso más transmisibles, BPS y BPHC deben seguir incluyendo pólizas del uso de mascarilla basadas en datos, en sus medidas de seguridad ante COVID. 

• Invertir en sistemas de HVAC como un componente de renovación y como complementos en tantas escuelas como sea posible, y garantizar que las escuelas recién construidas tengan sistemas de ventilación de última generación.

• Tomando en cuenta que el Distrito Educativo ha dicho que cada líder escolar, sean quien pueda determinar si su escuela puede tener carpas al aire libre, para que los estudiantes tomen allí su almuerzo, sugerimos, que la Oficina Central de seguimiento, para que los líderes escolares, pueden decir cuales son las barreras que impiden tener esas carpas al aire libre y así abordarlas.

• Cualquier construcción o renovación de escuelas de BPS debe priorizar los espacios al aire libre para comer, jugar y educar.

• Apoyar la salud mental de los estudiantes de BPS es una prioridad clave. Las medidas de mitigación ante COVID, como las pruebas, las vacunas, la ventilación y uso de cubrebocas, están alineadas con el apoyo a la salud mental.

Además de estos cuatro temas, nos hemos dado cuenta que la participación familiar es indispensable para que el rendimiento de nuestros niños tenga mejores resultados. Actualmente, en Boston, a través de la organización St. Stephen's Youth Programs, tenemos el programa de Padres Mentores que ha traído a cinco escuelas de Boston una mayor integración de los educadores, familias, estudiantes, y líderes escolares. Tal como usted lo dijo en sus metas como Superintendente, involucrar a las familias fortalece una participación más activa. Además, muchos de los participantes del programa han podido continuar en las escuelas como paraprofesionales, monitores del almuerzo, y monitores de buses. Vemos una oportunidad de colaboracion con su oficina para cordinar con sus programas de reclutamiento de empleados de color o que hablen dos idiomas. Queremos proponerle que este programa pueda ser expandido a más escuelas en Boston. Sabemos que el distrito educativo había prometido proveer fondos para el incremento de la participación de este programa. Estamos dispuestos a continuar ampliando este programa, con el compromiso suyo. 

Con la esperanza de que nuestras recomendaciones sean acogidas, por esta razón autorizo escribir nuestros nombre en esta petición.

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Date: November 08, 2022

To: Mary Skipper, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools

From: St. Stephen Youth Programs Families

Re: BPS School Improvement Plan

Dear Superintendent Skipper

As families of St. Stephen's Youth Programs, we want to thank you for joining us today. We also want to extend our congratulations on your position as Superintendent of a district as complex as the Boston Public Schools.

In our educational District, we have had to fight for everything we have achieved (for example, more Counselors, Social Workers, Family Liaisons, inclusion in exam schools, etc). However, we feel that much remains to be done, which is why we have prepared this document to let you know our main concerns as well as possible solutions.

At the beginning of the school year, we conducted a survey where we asked families what their main concerns were regarding their children's education. The results were 4 main points: Safety, Special Education, Housing and Covid 19.

Taking these points into account, we present the following:

Safety The problems that affect us in the safety of the Boston Public Schools are the following:

• Lack of safety monitoring and protocols at the entrances and exits of schools, especially elementary schools.

• Monitoring in restrooms is sparse, and some students have been reported to be using cigarettes and drugs in school buildings.

• Lack of safety in the transportation used by our students.

• Problems occurring on social networks and the way our students are using them within schools.

Possible solutions to these problems:

• More school security personnel trained for any type of situation that arises in schools, trained in restorative justice.

• Classes for students on how to use social networks appropriately.

• Conversations with students and school staff so they can avoid bullying and violence that unleashes chaos and tragedies.

• When there is aggressive or inappropriate behavior on the part of a student, provide individual meetings between families and social workers to offer support to families and students at school and at home.

• Socio-emotional workshops for families and children who have suffered trauma due to violence at school.

• A Racial Equity Table and outreach to families about what kind of security personnel we want in schools.

• Training for teachers and social workers on how to build confidence and self-expression, so that students can feel confident that they will be helped in the right way.

• Monitors on the buses, so that we can provide more trust and safety to our students.

• Motivate the members of the Parents Council of schools, so that they can be volunteers working inside the school, serving as security guards at the arrival and departure of the school, with a stipend for them to do this volunteering.

Special education: The main problems that affect our children with special needs are:

• The time offered by the school for Speech Therapy and other interventions is not enough

• Lack of individualized attention, because sometimes there are more than 25 students in a classroom.

• There is no literacy in the native language, the students are confused, the families do not know English and the therapies at school are in English.

• Student assessments are only offered in English for families.

• Follow-up evaluations take a long time to deliver.

• Inclusion classrooms do not have enough qualified staff.

Possible solutions to these problems.

• Comply with minutes of speech therapy or other interventions in accordance with the student's IEP, in groups of only one or two students.

• Limit all classrooms to only 10 students.

• Provide individualized instruction to children who need more attention.

• Provide literacy to children in their native language; hire more bilingual teachers.

• Share the results of student evaluations with families in the language that the student's family speaks.

• Conduct follow-up evaluations monthly

• Staff inclusion classrooms to have a specialized teacher, a regular teacher and a paraprofessional.

Housing: The problems that affect us are the following:

• Many families of students are homeless

• Many families do not have access to human resources to fill out the documents in their search for public housing.

• Rising rent in Boston

• The waiting list for Low-Income housing very long

• Families are unclear about the role their child's school has in helping them find a safe and stable home.

   Possible solutions to these problems.

• We propose that at each school, conversations be established with families about the resources available from BPS when a student is homeless.

• The District should present a plan that families who have children in BPS and are on the waiting list for low-income housing can have preferences on the waiting list.

• For families of the students who do not have safe housing, have Family Liaisons from the school community accompany them in the process, since many of these families are illiterate in their own languages ​​and do not know how the system works.

• Establish home visits by Family Liaisons to BPS families. We know that there are families who cannot come to school to find the Family Liaisons, sometimes because they do not have legal documents to be in the United States.  If Family Liaisons can go to them, they can provide support.

Regarding Covid 19: The problems are the following:

• A high percentage of families do not feel safe with the protocols established by the School District to mitigate Covid 19.

• We do not agree that they have removed the use of a mask

• Not enough cleanliness in schools

• The area where the children eat is not safe

• Many schools do not have good ventilation/adequate filters for schools

• There are several issues with IAQ sensors, including not having external displays, which reduces educators' ability to monitor air quality in their classrooms

Possible solutions to these problems

• To require that when parents see that their children are sick with a high fever or flu, they should not send them to school and that the absence be excused.

• When students are absent because they have COVID, the teachers should have a package prepared for them to share with those parents and the children do not miss classes.

• With the presence of newer and even more transmissible variants, the BPS and BPHC should continue to include data-driven mask policies in their COVID safety measures.

• Invest in HVAC systems as a renovation component and as add-ons in as many schools as possible, and ensure that newly built schools have state-of-the-art ventilation systems.

• Taking into account that the Educational District has said that each school leader be the one who can determine if their school can have outdoor tents so that the students can eat their lunch there, we suggest that the Central Office follow up, so that the leaders can say what the barriers are that prevent having those tents in the open air and thus address them.

• Any construction or renovation of BPS schools must prioritize outdoor spaces for eating, playing and learning.

• Supporting the mental health of BPS students is a key priority. COVID mitigation measures, such as testing, vaccinations, ventilation, and masking, are aligned with mental health support.

In addition to these four themes, we have realized that family participation is essential for the high achievement of our children. Currently in Boston, through St. Stephen's Youth Programs, the Parent Mentor Program has brought greater integration of educators, families, students, and school leaders to five Boston schools. As you said in your goals as Superintendent, engaging families empowers more active participation. In addition, many of the program's participants have been able to continue in schools as paraprofessionals, lunch monitors, and bus monitors. We see an opportunity to partner with your office to coordinate with your Educators of Color or Dual Language recruitment programs. We want to propose that the Parent Mentor Program be expanded to more schools in Boston. We know that the school district had promised to provide funds to increase participation in this program. We are eager to continue expanding this program, with your commitment.

In the hope that our recommendations will be accepted, we authorize the signing of our names in this petition.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP IS THE TRUE POT OF GOLD

By Tyler Cavanagh, Development and Communications Manager, SSYP

Leadership can be a loaded word; it means different things to different people. A leader can be someone with formal, official power like being an Executive Director. More often we see leadership exercised in important yet informal ways. Middle schoolers in SSYP’s Youth Leadership Corps (YLC) had the opportunity to exercise their leadership skills on St. Patrick’s Day when they traveled to our elementary site and took over the LEARN program. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders facilitated fun and engaging activities for our first through fifth grade students.  

With COVID numbers lower than they had been in previous months, SSYP brought back one of our favorite traditions, bridging the gap between LEARN and YLC.  On special days like Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day our middle school students excitedly make the trek from Lenox St. to our program site on Shawmut Ave to run activities for our elementary youth, something they hadn’t been able to do since October.

Some of the activities they ran included making homemade shamrock shakes, a treasure hunt to find a pot of gold, and a rainbow relay race.  The younger crew was not only excited for the activities, but to get to see the older group in action.  The real treat was for the staff though, our pot of gold, we were able to see the hard work of the YLC pay off, and got to share in their pride for facilitating these activities. 

Bringing SSYP Values to Public Institutions

By Liz Steinhauser, Senior Director of Community Engagement, SSYP

The pandemic has taken a toll on our public institutions. We don’t need to tell you that! It has been harder to see our friends without safe-from-the-virus public transportation. It has been tough to gain knowledge when our public libraries are closed. It has been more difficult to get recompense with our public courts not operating at full capacity. And it has been challenging to enact our public values in the absence of these public institutions. 

SSYP Parent Organizer Yrmaris talking with Blackstone School parents about COVID safety and SSYP’s Parent Mentor Program (September 2021)

The motivating values at St. Stephen’s Youth Programs (SSYP) are – and have long been – love, mercy, and hope. For SSYP, love means we welcome and include everyone in our circle of community. We demonstrate mercy by treating each other with compassion, giving people more chances when they have hurt us and making amends when we are the ones who have caused harm. Hope is built at SSYP by helping young people and teens imagine their future and build the skills they need to make those dreams a reality. We are a public institution, too, and these are the public values we strive – even, and perhaps especially, in a pandemic – to put forth into the world.

Love, mercy, and hope are also the public values SSYP’s parent organizers have been encouraging within the Boston Public Schools. At all of our partner schools, where we have students enrolled in our B-READY Afterschool Programs, parents working as mentors in classrooms, and volunteers running the school library, we care about everyone in the community. 

More than 60 parents advocating for safe COVID protocols with BPS School Committee President, Jeri Robinson (January 2022)

To show love, we have been advocating for a set of policies and protocols that will keep ALL the students and staff in the schools safe. For example, SSYP parent leaders have been organizing with MassCOSH for clean and healthy air in the school buildings, including long-term investments of funds to improve ventilation, a problem that precedes the COVID crisis. 

Working with FamCOSA, we have been pushing for mercy by asking the Commonwealth’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to understand that families have different circumstances and need choices, including the option of virtual learning. Championing effective COVID testing protocols that are equitable across schools is another way SSYP is providing options for families, by making sure that in-person learning is safe for all. 

Suleika Soto testifying in front of DESE (January 2022)

We work to keep hope alive by supporting the mental health of students, staff, and families. It takes money for enough school social workers, nurses, and counselors to address the trauma and grief of pandemic losses. SSYP parent leaders are pushing for increased budgets at our schools and speaking out on how district-wide federal funds for pandemic relief should be allocated. 

For SSYP families, the impact and pain of the pandemic remains acute. Families are still experiencing under-employment, food insecurity, housing challenges, and crises of health. Nevertheless, SSYP parents are actively modeling what it means to be public leaders for public values that will bring health and wholeness for ALL of us. 

To learn more or to support our next advocacy event, contact liz@ssypboston.org

Friends of SSYP - Steve and Lisa Kenney

Meet some of the wonderful people who have been building relationships with SSYP and supporting our programs since 2014, Steve and Lisa Kenney!

How long have you been involved with SSYP?

What do you love about SSYP?

We love that SSYP is a community, a place where the youth, parents, schools, community members, and SSYP staff and volunteers work together to make real change in the lives of its youth.  We have met so many wonderful and dedicated SSYP staff, and have had the privilege of watching a few of the youth who we first met as campers move into leadership roles in B-Safe, then into the SSYP Scholars’ program to continue their post-high school education or other career plans. A testament to SSYP’s success at forming long-term relationships and community with its youth and families is to have graduates of its programs return as alumni to support and serve as role models to the younger members of SSYP.

Why does our work matter to you?

We believe strongly in SSYPs mission that education is a critical component to helping its members achieve their career and life goals.  Its model builds strong and enduring relationships that have led to great success in preparing its youth for bright futures.  With every graduating class SSYP’s impact continues to grow.  We look forward to continuing to see how its graduates use the skills and relationships formed at SSYP as they move into their post-high school lives.  

Most importantly, what was your favorite thing to do after school when you were younger?

Steve was never far from his bicycle as he grew up.  Each afternoon was a new adventure on the ride home from school. Lisa remembers spending time after school playing with friends in the neighborhood or doing arts and craft projects at home.

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Are you interested in supporting SSYP? Consider becoming a volunteer or making a donation!

Humans of SSYP (Week 9)

This is my final Humans of SSYP blog post. It has been an honor to help serve the SSYP community for this period of time. I am going to remember and treasure this experience for the rest of my college years and beyond. Thank you so much for reading, sharing and appreciating this campaign. It means the world to me and St Stephen’s Youth Programs. 

• Edina Alix :) 

Tyler

Tell me about your story with St. Stephen's Youth Programs.

I came to St. Stephen's about two years ago as a development associate. It was something that I had a little bit of experience with, having worked in nonprofits for fifteen years prior, but not anything formal. Since I started, I've had the opportunity to grow my position in the direction that makes the most sense for my skills, the needs of the organization and the goals of our strategic plan. I was originally hired to do more development backend, supporting grant work and research for grants. I ended up taking on a lot of our communications program, including our social media, and mentoring CFSI fellows. This really helped me to steer the development team. I help with things like leading our weekly development team meeting called STATUS, trying to keep everything on track, managing things like calendars & timelines and making sure that everyone's projects are where they should be. 

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

I think the phrase would be mission-driven. My experience with nonprofits has been that some are truly mission driven and St Stephen's Youth Programs is one of those programs.

Is there a person or people that you connect with at St Stephens or have found yourself creating a strong bond?

I am a relationship person, which I think is a part of this organization fundamentally. It’s also a huge piece of being in the development world. It's all about relationships. The person who I find myself gravitating towards to have some really enlightening conversations is often Latasha. I  think I am that person who thrives in those small one-on-one or small group conversations.

I learn so much from everybody here every day. I make those relational meetings an important part of what I do. 

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

It's massive. When I first started, I thought of it as an out of school time program. I was coming from a background of working in after-school teens and youth arts programming. There were things I was super familiar with after getting in here and seeing what we did. It expanded my view of the organization. Now, after two years, I'm realizing that SSYP is quite limitless because of our dedication to meeting the needs of the community. Our program changes so significantly on a frequent basis in small ways that create a huge impact. While it may have at first seemed to be a very targeted program,  I'm now realizing how expansive it actually is. 

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP?

My biggest challenge is learning as I go. I am always down for a challenge, and I like to be pushed on things. If I'm given the opportunity to do something, I’m sure I'll figure it out. There have been a few times that I've had to figure things out that were completely new to me. Those moments have really helped me to grow. I've had some major successes with that. Some of them are big things like writing an appeal letter. Some of them are small things like saying no to something. I've had a number of different smaller and larger challenges, but fortunately we have an amazing and supportive team that helps to root for me in my corner. 

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

I would say the growth of the communications program. When I started, it was minimal in terms of social media impact. Even aspects like our monthly newsletter were not monthly at that point. Since I started, we've really grown that department, and we can see that impact in the response from the engagement from our community. We've seen a huge boom, especially on our social media which is thanks in large part to our current CFSI fellow Edina and our last CFSI fellow JP. It’s helped to have someone dedicated to that because as much as I identify the importance of it, it is a big time commitment. It's great to have a fresh perspective on it. The growth of the communications program definitely has been in my opinion what I am most proud of. 

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

This goes back to us being responsive. I think that being an organization that is limitless, we can always be doing more of everything. Coming from a wealthy white suburb and being a middle-class white person myself, coming into SSYP has allowed me to see a much different side of the world. This has been really rewarding and really challenging. I think there's always so much more need in our community, and there's so much that we just can't do still. We're a small organization, and I think that’s what makes us magical and powerful. We're not this giant conglomerate of hierarchy and structure. We are a core team that has a family feel to it. In some ways, this limits how much we can actually do. It’s not that I don’t necessarily want to see us do more in our community. It's just that I wish there weren't those limits on our individual capacity because I don't want to lose what makes us us. It's hard to see the need in the world and feel like we're limited on how much we can do to help. 

What has been your favorite memory at SSYP?

I had an experience where we had a parent in our parent mentor program who was working on her citizenship test and she had a rough go of it. She had taken it before, and it hadn't panned out. Working with our English language teacher, she came to the realization that there were some challenges with reading both English and Spanish. It wasn't a language barrier. It was a learning barrier. Once she figured that out, she was able to advocate for the correct accommodations. She came in a few weeks later to our Christmas party and announced that she had passed. I'm thinking about the emotion that she had because there are so many times in life that we're told we can't do something. SSYP is one of those places that tells people they can do whatever they want, and supports them in that. That is a prime example of one of the times that we were the first people to say to somebody that you have the ability to do this. You just need the right support for it. To see the pride in that person's face on doing something that is a huge challenge for anyone was amazing. It’s such a rare experience to witness that firsthand, and to see the impact that we have. My mind-frame initially having been coming here to support a youth program, and seeing this tangible impact on a parent a few months after starting was one of those moments that made me realize just how much we could do. 

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

I'm going to go to the word limitless again. I think that SSYP has the ability to continue to grow in a healthy way that I don't think I've seen in a lot of nonprofits. This is because while we may increase the size, reach & services of the organization, we never lose the feeling, to borrow a term from our Senior Director of Community Engagement, Liz, we don't want to lose that feeling of being scrappy and legit. I love that about SSYP. I think the future holds so much. With a community that is as passionate and dedicated as the SSYP community is, the sky's the limit.

Is there anything else you want to talk about in regards to your experience at SSYP?

I'm so grateful for this opportunity to be a part of something so important. It's a cliche, but this is more of a vocation for me than a job. I get excited to come to work. I get excited to learn about the new things that we're doing. I get excited to share them. When I see people commenting on our blog posts or on our social media, I get excited because I get to share that with the rest of the team and say, ‘hey, we highlighted you.’ It's so cool to get to be a piece of that. With my role, I get to have my hands on anything that I want to. I get to work with people from every program area. I'm so grateful for that opportunity because there are very few times in life that an organization says we trust you to make good decisions that benefit both you and the organization. SSYP has given me that opportunity. 

Edina

What made you choose to be involved at SSYP?

I was given this position by the College for Social Innovation Semester in the City program. I was matched with SSYP through them. They are a nonprofit that matches undergraduate students with nonprofits and other programs in the social sector to intern at. At first, I wasn't sure about it, but I decided to give it a try and I ended up really falling in love with it. I really love the work that I do there. 

Who were the people that you connected with at SSYP? 

Definitely Briahna and Molly because they are also CFSI fellows. I think the three of us banded together and made a connection right at the beginning. I hope we'll still be friends after the duration of the program. 

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

The phrase I would use is amazing at granting opportunities to people. Not just me, but the whole organization. SSYP gives opportunities to youth, to teens, to parent mentors, to everybody. They give people opportunities to succeed.

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

When I started, I was very hesitant and nervous. Now, I feel a lot more confident in myself and a lot more competent in my abilities. I know what I’m capable of. I was so anxious before I started. Now, I know what to do and I'm prepared for what’s ahead. 

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP? 

My biggest challenge has been keeping up with the interviews and making sure that my output is good. I need to make sure that everything is being posted on time. Additionally, I'd say another challenge has been learning how to become a professional. It's still a challenge, but it's not as big a challenge as it was in the beginning. 

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

The Humans of SSYP Campaign has been my proudest achievement. I'm very happy with how it turned out. I'm also ecstatic that so many people responded positively to the campaign. I'm happy that it'll always be up on the Instagram page, so people can always go back and look at it. I'm proud of that aspect.  

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

I wish we had more opportunities for people in the communications realm in general. I think we need more interns in the communications department, maybe two that'd be cool, but that's it. 

What's your favorite memory at SSYP?

It was definitely when one of the kids came up and hugged me one day. That really made my day because I didn't think they knew anything about me. I've been able to establish these long-term relationships, not just with my leaders, but with the youth as well. That's been amazing. 

What do you think the future holds for SSYP? 

I think in ten years, I think it's going to expand. It's going to be huge. I think it's going to be all over Boston, maybe even outside of Boston, who knows. I hope they'll be able to serve more people and do more of what they already do. 

Is there anything else you would like to talk about?

I want to say thank you to everybody who gave me this opportunity. I want to especially give a shout out to my mentor Tyler. He has been my biggest rock and my biggest support through this whole process. I want to give him a special shout out. 

Minnie

Tell me about your experience with the parent mentor program.

I was first approached by my grandson in the fourth grade at JJ Hurley. He brought the paper home as soon as he got out of class at school. He said, ‘I got something for you.’ I asked what the paper said, and he said, ‘I want you to work at the school.’ I looked at it and I said, wow, what a great experience. It will be a great opportunity. Not only to be around my grandkids, but to be part of the school, which I never was able to go in to see as a parent because you are not supposed to go in the school. For me, it is a way to meet the teachers on a more one-on-one basis. I feel like I'm part of the community now and part of the school. I see what the expectations from the teachers are, especially when they send homework. Although I don't live with my grandkids, I'm with them all the time. When I drop them off at home, now I know what the expectations are with the folder and the book bag. I'm a disabled person right now. The program was something to clear my mind. It was my idea to go in and be a parent mentor and help the teacher. 

What did your past experience look like prior to the program?

I used to be a preschool teacher and a kindergarten teacher. I had never taught in Boston before. I worked at the Jewish community center in Newton for many years. When I came out of college, my first job was working with abused and neglected children. That gave me the strong foundation of what I did later on. I didn't know that those tools were going to be useful to help the children with emotional issues or behavioral issues. I learned a whole bunch of tools, which enriched my performance with working with young children. I love to work with children. That was my passion. I was telling Rafa last night that I was always looking for the word to describe what I'm feeling. That word is relevant. I was just there. Now I am everywhere. It's good to go in the morning. It’s good to find clothing to put on in the morning. It's not just the pajamas and the sandals and dropping my kids off at school, going home and picking them up at three. I have a purpose in life. I look forward to going and being in the classroom. 

What’s been your biggest challenge? 

I didn't know anything about math. This new system of math gives me nightmares because it's a challenge. I was talking to one of the other parent mentors, but she is limited with English. I'm with a teacher that speaks English with me in the classroom and the children as well. I was telling her that you are doing more than what I'm doing because you're teaching the other kids Spanish. The kids will take advantage of that. I have to figure out what I'm going to say in Spanish. I speak more English than Spanish now. I feel that she and I, because we are the fifth grade mentors, are going to be the ones gaining the most out of this program because we came here with no knowledge. Right now, we are gaining math knowledge. We didn't know what volume was or anything about fractions. Now we are doing everything. We are helping the teacher, but they are helping us enrich our minds and our brains and us as people. To be the better versions of ourselves. We are learning the same way they learn. I have nightmares from the math, but they are good nightmares. It gives me the chance to get my brain working. 

What’s your hope for the future of the program? 

I hope that this will continue to be in other schools and to add more mentors at JJ Hurley. I want other classrooms to take advantage of the parent mentors. I see how much we need to be a support system for the teachers. I'm not there to teach. I'm here to support the teacher, but she still gives me that purpose and push. I'm looking forward to doing something that I didn't do before, gaining new resources and learning about my community. I live in Roxbury, and I have family that live here at Villa Victoria. I have never been to the Blackstone school. My kids went to JJ Hurley for a year and then I put them in private school. I was never in the Boston public school system. Now, I know what it is and what the needs are. I hope I will be in a boat in which I will swim and do more things. Not only at the Hurley, but everywhere. 

What are you the most proud of? 

Today, I talked to a parent that works at the school. The mother was telling me, ‘Are you Miss Minnie? My son speaks about you all the time.’ Yesterday, I had another parent who said, ‘oh my gosh, are you Miss Minnie?’ I'll say yes. And she says, ‘oh, my daughter talks about you all the time.’ So that for me feels amazing because I have only been here for two months. Having that relationship with the kids and being talked about is very rewarding. I said, ‘This is why I get up in the morning. This is why I decided to be a teacher before even though I never thought I was going to be in the fifth grade classroom.’ 

What have you learned the most? 

I will be such a great help to my grandson when he goes to the fifth grade because I’m learning math. Before, I couldn't help them. When there was a pandemic, I was with them. I had three grandchildren in the same household. I couldn't deal with the fractious. I saw these little blocks and I didn't know what they were. I couldn't help my granddaughter. I became very frustrated because I don't know, we did just one simple step for math. Now there are like ten. I feel that I am going to be a good resource for my grandson in the fifth grade. I could help my granddaughter when she goes to the fifth grade as well. I look forward to getting up and coming to JJ Hurley and my time there. Usually, I leave at 11 and I'm pushing it to 12.30 now. I was telling the teacher, I said ‘pretty soon I'm going to be here until three o'clock.’ It's not the pay. It is the fulfillment that I'm doing something to help them and they are helping me in return. I'm learning the transitions in the classes. I'm more prepared. I want to know what the next class is after 10 o'clock, or how do you deal with this issue? I’m having the time of my life. 

What's been your favorite memory so far?

My best memory so far is meeting my teacher and seeing that we have a good chemistry together. If we didn’t have good chemistry, then it would have been hard to be together in the classroom. She gives me a lot of feedback. She takes her time to be with me. My best memory is being welcomed to the classroom with open arms and not feeling like I was an outsider going to do something that I didn't know. I felt like they knew me forever. I was given things to do that weren’t initially comfortable for me to do. I felt like a fish out of water with the math. She knew that I was not feeling comfortable because I'm very verbal. So I told her, ‘give me homework. I'm going to go home and do this so I can come back.’ That is the best that I have is being with the teacher and making me feel so welcome. The school principal and the people at the office used to know me because I'm the grandmother. Now they know me as Miss Minnie. If something happened and I won't be able to be at the school or whatever. I will take those memories with me. 

What do you think the future holds for the program? 

I hope I'm still at JJ Hurley. I see myself there because of the feedback that I'm getting. They want me to participate in the school lunches, but I can't do it because I can’t get paid that much. I told them yesterday, I said, ‘use me as a volunteer.’ I want to be useful and productive. If I could be a volunteer for whatever you need, great. I see myself working at Hurley for many years, either as a school lunch mother, or a parent mentor. Whatever they need from me, I'm there. 

What's something you wish the parent mentor program did differently?

I wish they could train the people that are mentor parents who are going to a classroom of what the expectations are. I went the same way that my other friend did. We were frustrated. The kids are asking us what to do, and we couldn’t help them because we didn’t know. I am learning from a fifth grader what math is. You are teaching me as much as I'm helping you. I wish that we had a better understanding of what the expectations will be. When you go to the first grade or kindergarten or preschool it is easier, but when you throw yourself in a classroom with older children and you don't know what they are teaching them, it’s a little bit concerning.  I had more experience because I used to be a teacher, but my friend is not. I heard her frustration. I saw her tears. It is a learning experience. We are learning the things that we're doing with them. We are going to enrich our minds and ourselves by knowing things that we didn't know. I wish that the expectations were more clear just to be more helpful to the teacher. 

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

When I first started, I didn't know what it was all about. Now, I know what the community is working together to accomplish in order for the kids to be in a good school program. I didn't know about other schools closing. I came here with no knowledge. Every day, my knowledge grows more and more. We were talking about the Blackstone and what they are fighting for. I want to feel part of that too. It gives me an incentive to work with the community that I didn't have before. It's a process of learning what it is to be a parent mentor. I have much more to learn. I hope that I can eventually be a good resource for St Stephen’s Youth Program as well. 

Humans of SSYP (Week 8)

Hi everyone. It’s hard to believe that this is the second to last blog of the Humans of SSYP Campaign. It has been wonderful to work on this important initiative for the duration of the semester. I hope that you enjoy this week’s interviews and that you learn something new. 

Liz

Tell me about your story with SSYP. 

I grew up Roman Catholic. At the point when I was in my early thirties,  I had my last straw sermon at the Roman Catholic church. I went to a different Epispocal church where I knew the priest for a mid day service. He had lunch with me afterwards and recommended St. Stephen’s Church. I knew that Tim Crellin was the priest here because we had gone to graduate school together. I had a month or two before that been walking in the neighborhood and saw Tim standing outside of St. Stephen’s. That combination of things, being ready to leave the Catholic Church, getting the advice to come to St. Stephen’s and having been reminded that Tim was the priest here was my catalyst. I came to a November or December worship service here. Tim gave me an extremely warm welcome at the end of the service. I have basically never left. I came here first as a congregant for a couple of years, and was hired as the first director of youth programs. That was seventeen years ago. I promised to stay for either three or five years, and here I am still.

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

SSYP is definitely a community for me. It's a healing community and I definitely feel I'm broken in various ways. We all are. I believe St Stephen’s Youth Programs is a place that welcomes us with all of our brokenness, and gives us a place to heal ourselves and heal others. That's part of what SSYP has been for me.

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

I feel proud of St Stephen’s Youth Programs. I believe we're better at a lot of things than we were in the beginning. We talk about having a growth mindset with the youth. I feel like we have that as an organization too. I hope that we stay humble and are always thinking about how we can do things better. I also hope that we are always ready to take feedback and suggestions. I feel like how we are now compared to how we were twenty plus years ago is progress.

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP?

I think the biggest challenge at SSYP is as much as we try to be a healing community, that's not always what we're surrounded by. As much as we try to create a sanctuary for young people, staff, teens and volunteers; we're still surrounded by institutions and bureaucracies that are built on racism and wealth disparities. We still have neighborhoods that experience gun violence.

Especially the youngest and most vulnerable of our elementary schoolers feel the impact of the forces outside of our doors. 

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

I like watching young people grow up and feel like they're leaders. I like that they push back on staff because they feel like this is a safe place to speak their minds. I feel really proud of the teens that were elementary school participants who are now on our teen staff. I feel proud of young adults who feel like they can run things because they've been here long enough to do that. I’m proud that folks that are communications majors in college can come here and try out their skills. 

I'm really happy that you guys have that community here too. It's really special. What do you wish we did more of or differently at SSYP?

We talk about having another neighborhood where we have a year round program. I'm excited about pursuing another year round location with elementary and middle schoolers. Growing another program like we have in the South End and lower Roxbury would be something to be proud of. I think the more we do, the more we recognize what else there is that we could be doing more of. Young people, teens and parents say they did this or they need that. I think continuing to listen would be the other thing we should always do more of. More relationships with teachers and more relationships with schools would be amazing as well. 

That'd be really cool to see that expansion. What's your favorite memory at SSYP?

I have a ton. A lot came to mind, but there’s one specifically that stands out. In the summer of 2020, maybe four months into the pandemic, things were shut down and none of us really knew what was going to happen. This was pre-vaccine, lots of fears. We were wiping down our groceries and not feeling like we could be near anybody. I remember walking over to Peters Park, which is a couple of blocks from SSYP, and seeing Damien who's now in the middle school programs. He was playing basketball with a teenager. I arrived at the park and hung out with the group. It was a field day for the summer and it's the sort of thing we would have done on a typical afternoon, regular Monday through Thursday. It wasn't really anything special going to Peters Park. When I arrived, Damien was playing basketball with this teenager, and when I left Damien was playing basketball with his teenager. He was so happy and smiling. I was amazed by the patience the team had to keep playing. I also felt like this thing that was so basic and simple to us was no longer basic and simple in the midst of the pandemic. I felt really happy that he was happy, and I felt really happy that we had created the opportunity for him to feel happy. I felt happy that the teenager was also making them feel happy. That's a favorite memory. It was like normality in the middle of something abnormal. It was one of the first signs for me. Of joy in the midst of something that wasn't normal. It felt like I've seen this so many times and I've missed it. I'm seeing it again. It can happen again. It gave me a lot of hope actually. 

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

I hope that we're in a third neighborhood. I hope that we have parent mentor programs in at least eighteen schools. I hope our site managers at all of our sites are graduates of SSYP. That'd be cool to see that transition. 

Is there anything else you'd want to say or talk about in regards to your experience at St. Stephen's Youth Programs?

I think I'm a better person for everyone as a result of St Stephen’s Youth Programs. I think that young people appeal to me, the teens appeal to me. I think they pushed me to be more mindful of my words and more careful in my practices. They also pushed me to be more grateful for what we accomplish. They make me a better human being. 

Kim

Tell me your story with the Blackstone library and how that unfolded for you.

I moved into the city about five years ago. I knew that I wanted to get involved with the local neighborhood. I was approaching retirement and felt like I wanted to work with kids and the school that was here. I reached out to a couple of community organizations and was connected with Tricia, who was the librarian at the time. This was going back to 2019. I only worked as a library volunteer for about six months before the shutdown, but it was fun. I found it really rewarding. There was so much children's literature. It’s fantastic, but so much is new. My son at the time was twenty eight, and seeing how children's literature changed in the time from when he was little to now was just amazing. Seeing the excitement from little kids when they were coming to the library, they all seemed to really enjoy it.  It's been a lot of fun helping them, reading to them and helping them pick out books. It was how I came to it, and I missed it a lot during the pandemic. I’m glad to be back now, and glad to have Molly here. It's been an amazing help. 

Can you summarize your position in a word or phrase? 

As a library volunteer, we have many tasks, mostly reading to the children. The days where we interact directly with the classes here are the most rewarding. We read a story at each class and help individual kids pick out books. Sometimes, we'll sit and read the books that they've picked out afterwards while they're waiting to go back to class. That's the fun part of being a library volunteer. We help with maintenance, like restocking the books and making sure the books are in order. We also help make sure that the collection is maintained. 

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

I really missed being with the kids. I also feel like the kids lost out on a lot trying to learn remotely. I'm happy to be back at the school. I'm happy that we can have as many classes in the library as we do. It’s just opened back up after the pandemic, but we're getting there. 

What's been your favorite memory in the library?

I was new to working in the library and working with kids. I adopted a kindergarten class, and I read to them every week and they were so sweet. The first time they came in, they were all very shy and it was all new to them. It was new to me too. Over the course of the time that we were together before the shutdown, we got to know each other and feel more comfortable. What started out as a very quiet and reserved class got to be a very engaging class. They asked lots of questions. That was really fun watching the kids come out of their shells and be more vocal and engaged. 

What do you think the future holds for the library?

Fingers crossed the library will get a full-time librarian or a permanent librarian starting in the fall. I was quite shocked honestly, when I first started working at the Blackstone Elementary School, that they didn't have school librarians. My son was raised in one of the suburbs, and going to the library was such a big part of his elementary school experience. It made me very sad that every school here didn't have librarians. That's the thing I'm most anxious to see is a permanent, professional librarian on staff. I want to work with them to keep growing the library and making it a great resource for the kids and the teachers of Blackstone.

Is there anything else you want to say about the library or your experience at the library?

Thank goodness Molly is here. Otherwise, we wouldn't be getting the three days we have to be able to have students back in here. 

Marielena

Tell me your story with the parent mentor program.

I started off having not been able to work for two years. I was able to join the program because I had problems at my previous jobs. I wasn't able to be at home with my children because of the time changes. I wouldn't get home until late. One of my children ended up getting involved with gangs. I decided to stay home and be with my family, no matter what happened. One of my friends told me about the social and emotional support that the program offers parents. From there is how I was able to get involved and know about the program and everything. 

Is there a person or group that you really connect with in the parent mentor program?

I connect really well with the mentors. 

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

Marvelous. It changes your life. 

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

I’m really happy. I would stay in the program, even if they didn’t pay me. The program's wonderful. I give props to the teachers because they work really hard. Every day, I learn something new. Before two of my kids graduated from that school, I didn't know what it was like. Now, it's nice that I know what the school is like and what there is. I have learned something everyday. 

What has been your biggest challenge at the program?

My biggest challenge has been connecting with the kids, especially those that don't have the same language or share the same language, just connecting with them. 

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

The biggest thing that I’m proud of is that even though I’ve only been with the program for three weeks, I’ve already been given a group of first graders to manage and work one on one with. This is because of my previous experience being a manager and working with people in customer service. 

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

I wish that we would get more hours because there's lots to do. The teachers need lots of help, at least an hour or two. The kids know that even if you're not their parent, they know that the parent mentors act as their teacher. It gets them to work faster and apply themselves. 

What has been your favorite memory so far at the parent mentor program? 

My favorite memory is that the kids can recognize me. Now that it has been three weeks, they know my name. Even if I don’t know their name, they still recognize me. That's really nice. 

What do you think the parent mentor program is going to look like in 10 years? 

In 10 years, we’ll invade all of Boston and be everywhere. I also think that hopefully in the future, we can find ways to attract people to come because it's hard for a parent to leave their eight hour job to do just two hours. For example, I think about money and most people do, but what happened to me is that when I saw how the program was and got involved, it really gave me a change of heart. I think that getting more people involved by finding ways to convince them to join the program.

Is there anything else you want to talk about or say about your experience at the parent mentor program? 

The program has been so wonderful. I really want to get involved as much as possible in any way that I can. I’ve had depression since I was sixteen. This program has really helped me move out of that mindset. Everyone has super good vibes and are in a good mood, saying, ‘hello, how can I help you?’ It's such a supporting and uplifting community. Everything that I have received, I want to give back and be as involved as I can. I want to help other parents and mothers to understand the program and benefit from it and have their lives changed in a similar way.

Leading in the Library

By Molly Kent, College for Social Innovation, School Partnerships Intern Fall 2021

During my very first week at St. Stephen’s Youth Programs, Liz Steinhauser, SSYP’s Senior Director of Community Engagement, led me through the hallways of the Blackstone Elementary School. We walked up the ramps and staircases leading to the library. At the top of the stairs, the Library can be seen- nestled in the back of the hallway filled with bright lights due to the generous amount of windows the library holds. The Blackstone-SSYP School Library does not have doors or walls. I remember thinking how loud it was- the bustle from the cafeteria just a few feet away and the commotion from classes passing back and forth. I remember Liz was picking up a few books that had fallen from the shelves as we whirled around the space. 

As we left the library, Liz asked me what I thought. “It’s so small,” I said, “the elementary school I went to had a massive library. There was a computer lab, study rooms, and event spaces.” And I loved that library just like I loved the library at my high school and the same way I love the library at my home university now. 

I think my perception of the library being “so small” was not only a reflection of my whiteness and my privilege from growing up in a small town on Cape Cod, it was also a reflection of my ignorance. Not just my ignorant perception of what a school should look like, but also my ignorance as to how much love, care, attention, and energy had gone into creating the library. When I dismissed the space as “so small,” I dismissed the work that had gone into creating it. 

In a way, the space in which the library exists now was not really meant to exist in the school- no doors or walls, no built-in shelving- the space was crafted and curated by volunteers, by the community. 

I came to SSYP on September 7th as the “School Partnership Fellow” from CfSI. While I instantly fell in love with the programming and the staff at St. Stephen’s, it took me a while to get into the library and get things moving. 

After weeks of scheduling, meetings, and a lot of organization and communication, the Blackstone-SSYP School Library opened on Monday, October 18th after 19 months of closure due to Covid-19. As the new Library Coordinator, being in charge of every step of the way has been both rewarding and stressful. 

The library’s re-opening was miraculous and receptive! In about a month, we re-organized the library, processed hundreds of new books, made a complicated schedule between teachers and volunteers, and finally opened up for class visits. 

I work in the library every day, Monday through Wednesday for at least a couple of hours. Seeing the collaboration between volunteers, teachers, and students is wildly important. As we have been approaching this fall’s goal of 1,000 new books shelved to the library, there have been challenges, but coming in every day and seeing the love the students have for the library genuinely makes every step of the way rewarding.

What sets the Blackstone-SSYP School Library apart from other school libraries, is not the absence of a librarian or the lack of walls, it is the amount of genuine love the entire community has worked into the library. The Blackstone-SSYP School Library is filled with committed volunteers like Paula, one of 13 volunteers at the library. Paula is a former school librarian who has recommitted her time and energy into creating a wonderful library space for elementary students. 

The Blackstone-SSYP School Library is filled with passionate teachers like Ms. Rachelle, one of 20 teachers to bring her class to the library this fall. Ms. Rachelle balances three Multiple Disabilities (MD) classes while remaining dedicated to helping the library find storage space and expand to a bigger place in the school. 

Most importantly, the Blackstone-SSYP School Library is filled with curious students who have an avid love of reading like Prince, a 5th grade student at the Blackstone, who always asks where the next book is in the series he is reading or like Mabel, who has literally jumped for joy when she found the perfect book. 

A few months into my internship now, having come a long way from September 7th, I have realized, with absolute certainty, that the Blackstone-SSYP School Library is not “so small,” it is massive because every single day it is FILLED with love, energy, and care from an entire community that is undoubtedly committed to making the library an exceptional space for the students of the Blackstone Elementary School.

Huamns of SSYP (Week 7)

Welcome to week seven of the Humans of SSYP blog posts! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Please enjoy these interviews with some outstanding individuals from St Stephen’s Youth Programs! 

Mauryn

Tell me your story with SSYP.

I've been with the organization for thirteen years. I started with SSYP back in 2008. I started with the organization working for B-SAFE, which is their summer program. My first job was as a health and wellness specialist. I came in four days a week and ran a health and wellness rotation. Every week we had a theme week, so we did soccer week and I taught them the basics. At the end, we would have a big game. That was my first job. From there, I did different specialties. I did math and reading rotations for one year. I became a site assistant during the summer working at our former Chelsea site. I was a site assistant for two or three years, and then became the site manager there. I was in Chelsea for about seven years. I went from being a site manager in Chelsea to deciding to move into a summer position in the Boston area. I've been a site manager at every single site that has existed in the organization except A&M where Latasha is now. I was a site manager up until this year when I became a full-time employee. 

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

If I could summarize SSYP in one word or phrase, it would be creative freedom. 

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

I would say SSYP is constantly evolving, especially with being a full-time employee. I thought I had a grasp of what the organization was about. I have realized that it evolves every year and every season with the new energy that comes in. 

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP?

I would say my biggest challenge would be adapting to the different learning needs that the kids are coming in with. I'm modifying my lessons to adapt to the social and emotional needs of the kids. I'm a seasoned teacher. I've been teaching forever. I've never had to deal with kids that have endured such a broad spectrum of challenges. Most of them are dealing with something. Everybody's needs are different. Looking at that and adapting to that is a challenge. 

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

In terms of the program, I would say my wealth of knowledge and my involvement in the summer only program. In terms of something that I'm the most proud of personally, I would say that when I was a site assistant in Chelsea, I was an adult. The site assistants are adults, but I was a professional adult. I think looking at that role, they gave me a lot more responsibilities because of my level of experience. Over the years, the organization has really adapted the site assistant role into almost a co-manager role where they carry more responsibility and weight. This is instead of the role being secretarial like in the past. I think a lot of that came because of what SSYP were able to see what I was able to accomplish in that role. I think because of me having that job and how I tailored it to the needs of Chelsea, it allowed the organization to work on empowering the role for more site-specific action. 

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

I wish that we could bridge the three different bodies of the organization that currently exist; where we do youth work, teamwork and parent work as a symbiotic relationship where they all benefit from each other. This would be instead of three separate entities that co-exist like they do now. 

What has been your favorite memory at SSYP? 

I would say my favorite memories are the field trips. There was this really awesome field trip that we did. It was a partner church that brought the kids to this farm. Seeing the multi-generational interaction that was happening on that field trip was my highlight. Not only that, but there were kids there from different backgrounds. There were kids that come from affluent neighborhoods working and playing with kids from our organization and our neighborhoods. I think that gave me hope. 

What do you think the next ten years holds for SSYP?

I hope that in the next ten years, there's a more holistic approach to the development of young people at SSYP. I think that would look like what we're doing now. We're looking at the social, emotional, academic and other components of their lives. I think, not just looking at the young people, but the people surrounding them, such as parents or teachers, and bridging those gaps. I want to build bridges among those different entities to work together to empower young people. 

Is there anything else you want to say about SSYP? 

I think it's just been a really crazy experience. I'm glad to be having this conversation. I have been working in the organization for so long, and I have never paused to think about some of these questions. 

Alexis

What is your story with SSYP? 

I'm a grad student studying social work and theology at Boston University. I am in the process of going into my foundation year for social work. You have to apply for different internships to get far- field placements. As I was applying and talking to my field advisor about what area I wanted to work in, I realized that youth work is definitely a place where I wanted to be. I wanted to work and get experience doing clinical work. She sent me to different places and I interviewed with a couple of them. St Stephen's Youth Programs was one that really stuck out in the sense of being very socially minded and that being a big part of the work being done here. I interviewed, and felt really good about the pairing. So did the rest of the team, and we made it a thing on the spot.

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

Ambitious in a good way. 

Is there a person or a group here that you find yourself connected with? 

There's two students that I connect with because I get to work with them and understand their social and emotional needs. I figure out ‘okay, how do I support them in the best way possible with all the things going on there?’ I also connect with Ana who's another SES intern. We are experiencing a lot of the same things at the same time. It's helpful to have someone to walk through this journey with.

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

I feel like now I have more of a grounding as an intern. It's a lot to come into. There's a bunch of different programs. I’m trying to figure out where my work fits into the greater scheme of things. It's kind of what the beginning was like, but now I am figuring out what that looks like in practice. 

What has been your biggest challenge so far at SSYP?

My biggest challenge has been trying to meet the social and emotional needs of the students while also supporting other aspects of the program. Knowing how fundamental it is if a student isn't well social-emotionally, then they can't really show up in other spaces. I’m really trying to figure out how to do that in the best way possible. Obviously, that changes every day because we're all humans and we have different emotions. We all feel different things on different days. That includes our students. It can be a challenge being able to be flexible with them, but also have a curriculum that supports them really well. 

What is something that you are proud of during your time at SSYP so far? 

It's the little moments with the students. Sometimes, when a student doesn't want to engage in an activity, my goal isn't to get them to engage in the way that the rest of the group is. Sometimes, they just need to have a one-on-one conversation about the topic as opposed to sitting in a group of fifteen people discussing it. I'm really proud of being able to sit down with those students, and understand what they need in the moment to have them feel connected, even if they're struggling with their day or whatever it may be. Being able to let them know that they're still included, and we still care about them. We still want them to have a good time, even if that was different than the lesson plan. 

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

I think collaboration time with the staff. It's really hard to collaborate given the structure of the programs. There are a lot of interns and other staff members who have different schedules. I think we could have a lot more impact and power if there was more time for everyone to collaborate and see where goals are met and not met. 

What do you think the future holds for SSYP in ten years? Where do you see this program in this nonprofit? 

I think really honing in on that experience from LEARN to YLC to Teens to JCIT. The students know what that pathway looks like, and the kind of support in taking the experiences of these students into consideration. They have gone through every aspect of this program, and can create a chapter where they can be super successful in whatever way that they want to be. We can support them in depth, and see the support and engagement grow on a massive scale between all those levels. 

What has been your favorite memory so far either as an SES or at SSYP? 

There was a younger student who was visiting for the day with the middle schoolers. We had made sensory bottles, and she was enamored by them. By the end of the activity, there were glitter and beads and all these things inside of the bottles. We had plenty leftover, and I offered her one. She was ecstatic that she could take them home. She ended up taking two home. I heard while she was at home, she was playing with the bottle and was super excited. She said ‘Ms. Alexis gave this to me. I have a sensory bottle, you can't tell me anything.’ It's a really good memory.

Is there anything else you want to say in regards to your experience here?

Latasha's great. 

Carmen

Tell me your story with the parent mentor program.

I know about the program because they sent a letter in my children’s backpack. I applied for the program and got interviewed. I passed the interview, and got in the program. Now, I’m in my children’s school helping the third grade teacher. This is my first year in the program. I'm very happy with the program. 

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

I think it’s a very good program to involve the parents in the school.

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

When I started, I was thinking the program was about working for the public schools. Now, I know everything about the program. I know more about being involved in the community and about other parents in the schools. I think it’s very good. 

What's been your biggest challenge so far at the parent mentor program or something you've had to overcome? 

My challenge is that I want to be better prepared for the teachers because there are too many students for only one teacher. I feel like I can only do so much because that can affect the child. 

What is something you're most proud of at the peer mentor program?

I am proud of the people in the parent mentor program. I am proud of what they have accomplished already, and I want to be like them. 

What kind of skills have you built up since you've been at the program?

I think I have started to build some math skills because I help the teachers in the math classes. I need to build more math skills. 

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

I don’t think I would change anything right now. My hope is that one day, the program will be in more schools because we'll be helping more teachers.

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

I have too many memories. We have staff training meetings on Fridays. Those are very nice memories. 

What do you think the next ten years hold for the parent mentor program?

I want to see the parent mentor program in more schools with more parents involved. We can only be around during the school days in these specific neighborhoods. I want to be in all of Boston. 

Is there anything else you want to say about your experience here at the parent mentor program?

My experience is pretty good. Since you are in the classroom, we can see how challenging it is for the teachers. They teach twenty students at different times at different levels, and have to monitor everything. I think the teachers need more help in these classrooms because there are too many students for only one teacher. They need more assistants helping.

Humans of SSYP (Week 6)

Hi everyone! It’s hard to believe that this is already the sixth iteration of the Humans of SSYP blog. Doing this project has been one of the greatest joys. The fact that so many of you are enjoying it as much as I am makes me happy. Enjoy this blog post! 

Kasey

Tell me your story with SSYP. 

I was about to graduate with my Master's in May of 2013, and I needed a job to stay in the city through August. I found SSYP through Craigslist. I applied, and met Liz. I'm confident that she only gave me an interview because my last name is Boston and she thought it was funny. Nevertheless, I won her over with my charm and education in this area. I worked for the summer and then left to travel around. I lived in New Zealand for most of that year. When I came back, I needed a summer job again. Liz hired me again. From there, I stayed on and kept growing in my leadership. I got excited to have more autonomy over my own programs, budget and to make certain parts of the program my own. SSYP trusted me to do that. Now it’s been eight years which is a long time. I thought I was just coming for the summer, but it’s been really good. 

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

The first thing that comes to my mind is family. We are a family in so many senses of the word. People come and grow close. They go and do their own things, but you're still very connected. The people at SSYP always know when to come home when they need to. You accept that people are always spinning. You go off, you come back when you need to. You’re always a part of this family. I think we do a really good job of supporting each other. We make this a welcoming place for all parts of the community.

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

A lot of it is very much the same. The most important parts about connecting with others and showing people that you care and support one another really haven't changed. What drew me in initially was the restorative justice approach to behavior management which was fairly new at the time. SSYP strives to be a place of restorative culture. We are obviously far from perfect, but we make an effort to be different from what happens in most of the country. Obviously the buildings have physically changed, and who comes and goes has changed. We have a lot more SSYP swag now which I am fully responsible for.

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP that you've had to face?

My biggest challenge has probably been how to grow in my personal life alongside my growth in leadership here. When I first started, I was young and single. Now I have a wife and two young daughters. I’ve been at SSYP through all of those major life changes and very much supported through all of them. In fact, Liz (Senior Director of Community Engagement) was the officiant at my wedding and many of my closest friends are from here. That being said, it can be a challenge to balance being the best mom I can be and the best boss I can be simultaneously. 

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

I think that I've helped to reshape the workplace culture. Over the last eight years, SSYP has become more of a relaxed, inclusive and team oriented place to work and intern. A lot of staff and fellows are only here for one or two years, and I hope that this experience leaves a mark on them. This is how work can feel and it doesn't have to be scary. It doesn't have to feel like you're going to get in trouble if you're five minutes late. If we extend restorative grace and empathy to our youth we have to start with each other, it’s a trickle down.

The other thing I’m proud of is that I started the service learning program (BRIDGE), which we haven't done the last two years because of COVID. This program helped get students out of Boston and into new communities and see and experience how others live. We would engage in service-learning projects in the community and gain experience through volunteering, and in addition try new things like white water rafting, hiking, and local foods. Those trips have been really influential and powerful for people. I think getting those off the ground was great. It’s almost time to relaunch them, but we did it for six years before COVID hit. I think a lot of teens looked forward to it and It was a big part of their high school experience. We expanded from service trips to doing college trips as well which were very valuable. 

What has been your favorite memory at SYYP?

Being here for so long I have had the privilege of watching people grow and see them step into their leadership. Youth that were in middle school when I started became JCITS and then CITS and then Lead Counselors, it’s so cool to watch. Becoming coworkers and friends with someone who grew up in the program is the dream. 

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

I want for us to get into early education and launch a B-BABY program. That would be so cool for SSYP to help support infants through five year olds AND young parents. I'd love to launch it in the next couple of years. The hope is that as our alumni start their own families, we would be here to support them through that process. The childcare system is so expensive and a huge barrier to juggling careers and parenthood. Being able to help our alumni and their babies is a win-win. I will manifest it into reality.

Briahna

Tell me about your story with the program. 

I was very fortunate to find SSYP through a program called College for Social Innovation. They run a program called Semester in the City where college students do a full-time internship. We run a special project through the course of the semester where they come up with organizational needs and how to satisfy them through their project. My position is the Academic Fellow and my role is teaching students. 

Can you summarize SSYP in one word or phrase?

In one phrase, I'd say they're very passionate and supportive about their work. 

Is there a group that you connect with SSYP, is there a specific person or group that you really gravitate towards?

I would say I gravitate towards YLC the most. The middle schoolers are easier to connect with than LEARN because they have begun to fully form at this point. They give more thoughtful meaning to questions. On top of that, the leads and volunteers that support YLC. I enjoy being around everyone in general, but the LEARN youth are awesome too. 

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

I'd say I genuinely enjoy being here more than when I first came. This is because I have more connections with people now. It's easy for me to come in every day and connect with people more so than it was before. I have built relationships that hopefully will last.

What has been your biggest challenge at SSYP?

The academic team would like for rotations to be more based in academics. It's very hard for students to leave school, and then stay in the same mindset of learning math and science. The team feels the challenge of being in an afterschool program and having the students go straight back to academic topics. The hardest part is creating the lesson plans, implementing them and hoping that the youth enjoy them. That would be the biggest challenge of each lesson along with the additional challenge of identifying what their academic needs are. I think now, because we're changing the structure, the youth will be happier than before. 

What are you most proud of during your time here? 

Seeing the students happy to see me. Sometimes I'll miss a day, or I've been sick a few times. I’ll come in and they know my name immediately. The youth will run up to me and give me a big hug. They initially didn't seem like they were that interested in me during our one on one sessions. Knowing they actually are interested in me and that seeing me is exciting for them makes me feel good about my work. 

What do you wish we did more of, or differently? 

It's hard because I believe there's not a lot that SSYP needs to improve on. In terms of making youth more engaged in learning, that’s our main goal. I would say what we're actively doing now by changing the structure and identifying the needs of each student. Even though there's a lot of them, the students all need something different. I identify what each student's strengths and weaknesses are, and subsequently alternate the schedule to fit what they need. This is in order for them to be better at what they need to do to succeed. 

What's been your favorite memory at SYYP?

There's not really a specific memory, but my favorite overall would be seeing the click of the students when they're in my rotation and they actually understand what it is we're teaching them. That would be the most memorable even though it’s not really a specific moment. It happens all the time, but seeing students get excited to learn is the biggest accomplishment I have here as an Academic Fellow. 

What do you think the future holds for SSYP?

The mission is to have long lasting relationships and build community. Right now, half of the staff that works here came to the program when they were younger. I think that the lasting relationships portion is only going to continue. The students who are attending now will eventually do what the students who were here before are doing. They're going to become the staff, they're going to help everybody. The students who do that are going to bring more to the table because they have a fresher look of everything. They know what it was they didn't like when they were here, and what could change. They will create more positive change that brings everybody together.

Is there anything else you want to say and talk about in regards to your experience here? 

I would say that SSYP has taught me a lot about different perspectives and understanding everybody's situation. This role taught me not to always assume that just because students go to the same school and are in the same grade means that they have the same level of learning or experience. Acknowledging that everybody has their own steps to get where they need to be is really important.

Xiomara

Is there anyone during your time at the parent mentor program that you've really bonded with or made a connection with?

I do have connections, definitely with Rafaela and also with Yrmaris. I’ve connected with everybody, but especially with Rafaela. 

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

Growing. 

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

When I started, we were virtual and remote. I also went to the school, and was a part of everything that was happening. The program has changed in a positive way, and I'm a part of all that. 

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

One of the things that has been a challenge is directing people I work with to work on projects and giving them follow up instructions. That was my biggest challenge.

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

One of the things I would say that I'm really proud of is all of the things that I've been working on inside and outside the school. Another thing I'm really proud of is being a part of the parent mentor program because it was a step for me to get a new position in the Boston Public Schools. 

How do you feel about that new position?

I feel very excited. I’m super happy because back in Puerto Rico, I'm a teacher, but I cannot really be a teacher here. Now that I'm going to be working at the Boston Public Schools as a paraprofessional, it's like becoming a teacher again. I’m super excited about that.

What’s your favorite memory as a parent mentor?

One of the moments I had that was memorable for me is when I did my testimony at city hall. I was speaking in front of all these teachers, students and parents. The Boston Teachers Union was there, and I received so much support from them. I expressed that I was worried about the reopening of the schools, and what the safety protocols were going to look like. That was one of the things that was memorable for me because it wasn’t really in my comfort zone to be speaking with power in front of people. I have that little fear of public speaking right in front of the people who I do this for. When I received that support for them and they backed me up, that made me feel really good. 

What do you think the future holds after you've left the parent mentor program?

For myself, I learned a lot and was educated a lot. I learned about every single one of the people that were in the program. For the future of the parent mentor program, I think it's going to keep doing good. As long as they show that leadership and follow up, and do what they need to do to keep that up. The parent mentor program, I would say, it’s going to do wonderful things. 

Is there anything else you want to say about the parent mentor program or what you're doing next?

I will say that I'm very grateful for St Stephen’s Youth Programs staff. I’m also thankful for the parent mentor staff. I have received a lot of beneficial things from having been in the program. I'm very grateful for everything that I have received from them.

In Her Own Words - Xiomara Garcia Talks About the Parent Mentor Program

My name is Xiomara Garcia. I am Puerto Rican and the mother of two children. I have lived in the city of Boston, MA for five years. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. Currently I am dedicated to providing care and assistance services in the home for the elderly and I am also part of the SSYP Parent Mentor Program.

About a year ago I got to know the Parent Mentor Program and SSYP. I remember that when I was going to review my son's homework I saw a report card with information about the program. I read what it consisted of and the first thing that came to my mind was this is an excellent opportunity to be able to achieve one of my goals, to be able to work on what I study. I completed the application, was interviewed, and was selected as the coordinator of the Parent Mentor team that works at Hurley School.

Working directly with the school, and for the school has been very important. As a mother I have learned more about education and the school system that my children benefit from. This program has changed my life in many ways. During my participation in the program, I observed my development on a personal and professional level, I was leaving shyness behind and gaining more leadership power and confidence in myself.

Thanks to that, today I can say that one of my goals that I set for myself more than a year ago has materialized. Today I am an employee of the Boston Public Schools. I was hired as a Paraprofessional at the school where I work as a Parent Mentor. This job offer and opportunity for growth would not be possible if this program did not exist. I am very grateful and blessed for the opportunity and support they gave me on and off the program.

Thank you to the St. Stephen's Youth Programs team and the Parent Mentors for the legacy and teaching you have left on me.

With love,

Xiomara Garcia

Parent Mentor Coordinator

Hurley School

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.