By Bryan Van Dorpe | Executive Director
Summer at Youth Enrichment Services (YES) was a great success and a lot of fun! Youth enjoyed a wide range of outdoor activities in and around Greater Boston. The Tier 3/High-Impact YES Academy programs - Junior Volunteer Leadership (JRV), Career Exploration, College Preparation, and Girls Outdoor Adventure Leaders (GOAL) - remained very active engaging over 50 middle and high school students.
Junior Volunteer Leaders (JRV): 15 high school students (ages 13-18) participated in the YES Summer Junior Volunteers program. This program met daily throughout the summer with 3 two-week sessions. Week 1 of each session was focused on training; Week 2 provided hands-on leadership opportunities teaching youth in the outdoors. Training consisted of leadership workshops and practical training in outdoor sports. JRVs were trained to facilitate bike, kayak, and rock climbing days. They were also trained in topics like game facilitation, professional boundaries, group management, leadership styles, conflict resolution, gender and sexism, behavior management, power and privilege, and problem solving.
Career Exploration: During the summer, YES employed 17 teens as junior staff this summer. Teens work as assistant coaches in our Track and Field and assistant counselors in our Outdoor Adventure programs. 10 YES summer staff were underwritten by John Hancock’s MLK Summer Scholars program. Youth in this track participated in weekly leadership workshops and job shadows at sites including Hilton Hotels, Cantina, Union Office, and others.
College Prep Program This summer, five (5) teens living at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments (formerly known as Bromley-Heath Apartments) participated in a mini-session of the College Prep program. Students received support from YES around college research; guidance with financial aid forms; and preparation for campus life – a challenging transition for inner-city students. One of the students from the Hailey Apartments session was nominated for a prestigious Posse Scholarship!
Girls Outdoor Adventure Leaders (GOAL) This summer, YES offered two sessions for girls-only activities. The program served girls ages 11-14. 20 girls participated over the course of the summer. Through girl-centric workshops, active outdoor activities, and small group exercises, the GOAL program empowered girls to challenge gender stereotypes and their own perceptions about what girls can do. Activities this summer included rock climbing, biking, stand-up paddleboarding, surfing, and much more!
YES is unique in how we engage inner-city Boston youth through a three-tiered ladder of programs which support and challenge them throughout elementary, middle, and high school. As they move through the progressively challenging tiers, youth develop confidence and gain valuable life skills. YES Academy is the culmination of those tiers. Through YES’ menu of programs, youth learn how to stay active, set goals, be confident, make healthy choices, act as community leaders, and succeed in college.
On behalf of everyone here at YES, I extend our sincerest thanks for your support of our programs through Global Giving. 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 a great back-to-school season this fall!
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