By Bryan Van Dorpe | Executive Director
Happy Spring, YES Supporters!
Everyone at Youth Enrichment Services (YES) is pleased to share the report on our activities to date for 2016. Our teens enjoyed the winter months with outdoor ski and snowboard activities, numerous job shadow visits, and college tours. The Tier 3/High-Impact YES Academy programs - Junior Volunteer Leadership (JRV), Career Exploration, College Preparation, and Girls Outdoor Adventure Leaders (GOAL) - have remained very active for January, February and March.
Junior Volunteer Leaders (JRV) are in refined grade-based cohorts this year, which allows for a structured curriculum that is aligned with their interests and age group. 70 students enrolled in JRV this past fall and remained engaged through the first part of 2016. The schedule remains the same: on Tuesdays JRV veterans, students who have completed a year of JRV, meet for guest speakers, workshops, and leadership activities. Wednesdays are for first year JRV students, freshman and sophomores, and Thursdays are when the juniors and seniors meet. During the first quarter of 2016, the JRV have participated in shop orientation, as well as trainings on understanding ski fittings and bindings, teaching techniques, and ages and stages in youth development. We are currently preparing for our Spring Pre-JRV Leadership intensive in partnership with the Lee School.
Career Exploration continues to support 10 students who joined the program in the fall at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester. Students have gone on a number of job shadow tours. In February, students visited corporate sites including: Putnam Investments, Neighborhood Health Plan, William Gallagher Associates, and Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
College Prep Program is supporting 33 high school Juniors and Seniors one-on-one, 25 Freshmen in a 9th grade targeted track, and 11 Sophomores participate in weekly workshops. Over February vacation week, YES College Prep teens visited Boston College, Boston University, and Northeastern University. YES College Preparation students attended a real college class about community leadership and engagement at Wheelock College on February 17th. We are currently preparing to bring 10 students on an overnight New England College tour during April school vacation week. Students will tour six universities: Saint Michael’s College (VT), Champlain College (VT), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY), NYU (Y), Yale University (CT), and UMass Amherst (MA).
Girls Outdoor Adventure Leaders (GOAL) has 30 middle school girls enrolled this year. Fifteen 11-12 year olds meet on Friday afternoons and fifteen 13-15 year olds meet on Saturdays. Girls have participated in indoor rock climbing, ice skating, skiing/snowboarding, and discussion groups. They have discussed topics around women’s issues, strong female role models, role of women in other cultures, current events, body image, and healthy eating. In February, the girls hit the slopes with Olympic Skier, Julia Ford, as a part of the ‘Sisters to the Slopes’ – a girls-only ski trip event. (see photo).
On behalf of everyone here at YES, I extend our sincerest thanks for your support of our programs through Global Giving and Trip Advisor. I would be pleased to speak with you any time about YES programs and can be reached via email at bvandorpe@yeskids.org.
Thank you again and best wishes for the spring season.
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