PBHA’s Roxbury Youth Initiative Term-Time strives to provide continuous, year-round academic and emotional support to youth of our summer program (Roxbury Youth Initiative). Our main focus is on homework and academic help and providing a safe, educational space for youth after the school day. We follow a model of positive youth development, seeking to build on youths’ strengths and community assets. Through hands on enrichment activities and field trips, RYIT allows participating youth to explore their neighborhood, gain academic skills and confidence, and learn from positive role models. For more information, please contact Erika Pierson (e.p.pierson@gmail.com) and Maria Centeio (mdcenteio@gmail.com).
Roxbury Youth Initiative is designed to give academic enrichment and personal support to campers aged 6 through 13 from the Roxbury community. All summer long, the camp provides daily morning classroom academics, which are geared toward teaching fundamental concepts in math, science, and literacy as well as teaching concepts and ideas in the areas of government and history. The afternoons are spent participating in field trips and activities that supplement the learning received in the classroom, as well as provide a source of recreation for the children. The goal is to not only promote academic achievement, but also to cultivate excitement about learning, to expose Roxbury children to a world not yet discovered by them, to foster an understanding of how integral they are to the world, and to give the children concrete tolls that they may use later in life to participate and better this world in its greater sense. Roxbury Youth initiative initially began as two separate camps serving the communities of Academy Homes and Dudley, which are both in Roxbury. These were eventually combined allowing the program to serve Roxbury as one entity. For more information, contact Dominique McCoy (dm3860@mcla.edu) or Catherine Ntube (cntube@fas.harvard.edu).
The David Walker Scholars Program (DWS) was created by members of the Harvard Black Men’s Forum to empower young men in under-resourced African American communities. Today, DWS is a collaborative multi-ethnic effort with the same message of empowerment for both African-Americans and Latino Americans. Specifically, DWS serves the George A. Lewis Middle School in Roxbury afterschool for 1.5 hours with group discussions, enrichment activities, workshops, and recreation on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Additionally, bi-weekly fieldtrips on Saturdays to sporting events, museums, and cultural events reinforce mentor-mentee relationships. Please contact Elliot Ikheloa (eikheloa@fas) or Justin Robinson (jkrobins@fas) for more details.
AHEAD is a tutoring program working to teach and build relationships with the youth of R.W. Emerson School in Roxbury. Our aim is to help disadvantaged children use their academic and personal strengths to succeed academically and personally. There are two parts to the afterschool program: homework tutorial and AHEAD-coordinated educational games and lessons. AHEAD serves 20 Cape Verdean, African-American, and Latino students ages 5-12 (kindergarten-5th grade). AHEAD volunteers are expected to commit one to two afternoons per week. For more information, contact Denetrias Charlemagne (Dee) (dcharlem@fas), Rachel Granetz (rgranetz@gmail.com) or Jacqueline Nesi (Jacqui) (jnesi1288@gmail.com).
PBHA’s Admissions Scholars, together with the dedicated teachers and college counselors at Madison Park High School, provides SAT training, college advising, and essay writing assistance to high school juniors and seniors. Our volunteers offer strategic guidance and personal encouragement, designing and running workshops that target low-income students. It is our goal to increase the number of students graduating from high school in four years and going on to college. We also strive to help our students recognize their personal and professional aspirations. Our volunteers go to Madison Park twice a week, and are invited to hold office hours at the school whenever they wish. Please contact Lindsay Tanne (ltanne@fas.harvard.edu) for more information.
