Our Focus Areas

Advocate for Increasing Opportunities for Youth

Sarah McNeely
Tue, 11/11/2008

Downtown Crossing: A Shopping Center or Local Youth Hangout?

I recently read an article in the Boston Globe about how plans to revitalize Downtown Crossing through the construction of new office buildings, retail stores and high-end lofts and condominiums are causing many youths in the city to seek alternate “hang-out” spots.  read more »

Erin Sunderland
Wed, 09/24/2008

Youth Violence is on the rise

There was a compelling article from the Boston Globe last week about youth gun violence. What was most striking about this article was not that violence in general has increased in the Boston area, but that the number of victims under 17 has almost tripled since 2002.  read more »

Meghan Keaney Anderson
Tue, 08/12/2008

Navigating College Loans

A CBS report Sunday focused on the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)'s recent announcement that it will be unable to provide any more private student loans this year. Every year, thousands of local students rely on MEFA and other lenders to help finance their college educations.  read more »

Elena Sokolow
Sat, 06/21/2008

Summer Jobs for Youth: The State of Teen Employment

What I Learned from My First Job

As the school year ends and summer now honestly feels like it is upon us, I can't help but think of a few things that I have always associated with the season. As a twenty-something, for me this means weekend trips with friends, outdoor festivals and hopefully some time for a little rest and relaxation. For many teens, however, the summer is not just school vacation, but a time to gain critical employment skills through a summer job. Accoridng to New York Times article I read a few weeks ago, however, finding that job opportunity is not as easy as one might think.  read more »

Elena Sokolow
Thu, 05/22/2008

UWA Common Good Report: A Lesson in the Importance of Measurement and Message

What does this report mean for us?

As Meghan said in her last blog, the United Way of America (UWA) recently unveiled what they are calling The Common Good Report which identifies three broad issue areas that UWA believes are the essential building blocks to a successful life, these being education, income and health, and goes on to articulate four indicators within
each of those categories, which they plan to track over time. More importantly though, is the fact that in this report and the communication that has accompanied it both in the press and at the UWA Community Leaders Conference, UWA has put forward what I consider to be both very bold and very specific goals around what they are commiting to achieve in the next ten years. Cutting to the chase, these goals are:  read more »

Sarah McNeely
Wed, 05/14/2008

Children go to jail, for lack of options

Why jail is seen as an alternative

I was particularly struck when I viewed my Boston Globe email alerts the other day and read an editorial called Children go to jail, for lack of options.
I know that this might seem strange, since we are saturated daily by media articles and sound bites of youth violence and crimes on the streets. Last year, in fact, 5,400 children in our state were sent to jail after being charge with a crime.

But that’s not what surprised me.  read more »

Carrie Weatherbee
Mon, 05/12/2008

Calling for Youth Responses

A reaction to a new book "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future''

I had just settled in for a cup of coffee this morning when this headline screamed at me on boston.com: "8 reasons why this is the dumbest generation". This feature shows the reader eight reasons Mark Bauerlein, (author of the new book: The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future) gives to not trust anyone under 30.

The author is a professor of English at Emory University and he is scheduled to moderate a chat on boston.com this Wednesday at noon. While I have a number of concerns about the “8 reasons,” there is one that is jumping to the forefront:

Why host a chat about youth at noon when youth are in school and will be unable to participate?  read more »

Clare Sanford
Wed, 05/07/2008

A Child Lost

Mental illness in children is real, and it is devastating.

You may not have noticed the story in Monday's Globe.More bad news, like background noise - just another person you've never met, who had problems that you couldn't do anything about. Big deal - turn page to see photo du jour of Tom Brady and Gisele.

Except this was different.  read more »

Bridget Jevens
Mon, 05/05/2008

Unnatural Causes

Why Place Matters

Last Thursday I went to a video premiere of “Place Matters”, which is the fifth episode in the video documentary series Unnatural Causes…is inequality making us sick? (see Meghan's previous Blog for a preview) I have to say as I walked into English High School in Jamaica Plain I was surprised to see how many high school students were present. There were parents, non-profit educators and executive directors there as well, but the sheer fact that about 45 high school students gave up their Thursday afternoon and night to come watch a community video in their auditorium was inspiring.

The video raised the question: why is your street address such a good predictor of your health?  read more »

Lanita Tolentino
Thu, 05/01/2008

MA first state to have a statewide youth council.

Encourage youth you know to apply

On April 24, 2008 I had the pleasure of attending Governor Patrick's statewide youth council executive ordersigning. About a year ago the Governor visited Dorchester after a youth shooting. He was asked by a youth during this site " Why can't we have a voice in shaping the policy that affects us". That was the spark that lit the fire to start the statewide youth council. Governor Patrick is the first Governor making MA the first state to take a youth council to the state level. The council will meet at least four times per year and the Governor himself plans to attend some of the meetings. He is looking to get 2 youth ages 14-20 from each of the 14 counties of the
state.  read more »