HSTF's Learning Institute
Panelists Ernesto Arroyo, Vanessa Calderon-Rosado, Ayanna Pressley, and Robert Lewis discuss leadership with HSTF youth.
(Photo by Christina Wegs, 2008.)
Learning to Create Change
From October 20th through the 24th, our Cheverus Building was transformed into the Hyde Square Task Force Teaching and Learning Institute. As part of our effort to build the skills of our youth, all of our program participants attended a series of trainings and workshops on a variety of subjects to help prepare them to create social change.
The first workshop featured a panel discussion on leadership, with Vanessa Calderon-Rosado, CEO of Inquilinos en Accion (IBA) Ayanna Pressley, Political Director for Sen. John Kerry, Ernesto Arroyo, a hip-hop recording artist, and Robert Lewis, Vice-President of the Boston Foundation all sharing their personal stories and the importance of leaders in their lives.
David Szebeda, HSTF's Music Manager, led two sessions teaching public speaking skills and all of our youth were given an orientation to our organization and the non-profit sector. Youth will participate in additional workshops during school vacations throughout the year.
For more information on HSTF's Learning Institute, contact Jesús Gerena at 617-524-8303 x304 or via email at jesus@hydesquare.org.
Mark your calendars: HSTF Annual Meeting!
Don't miss out on this year's Hyde Square Task Force Annual Meeting. It's not only an opportunity for our youth to show off all of the phenomenal work they have done this year, it's a chance for the community to come together, enjoy some delicious food and live entertainment, and have a great time!
What: HSTF Annual Meeting
When: June 18th, 6-8PM
Where: Blessed Sacrament Church, 365 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
For more information, contact Paul Trunnell at 617.524.8303 x321 or via email at paul@hydesquare.org.
May is Arts Month at HSTF!
The last track has been polished, the final step perfected, and the young artists of the Hyde Square Task Force are ready to rock the city of Boston. Please join us in celebrating the hard work and amazing creations of these youth!
HSTF's WaveLink Productions Album Release Party
Friday, May 15th, 7-9 PM
Cafe 939
939 Boylston Street, Boston
WaveLink Productions, comprised of youth from HSTF's Music Clubhouse, is proud to release their first, self-produced album entitled 'Crucible.' The youth will debut hip-hop and spoken word tracks, perform live, and make album copies available for sale. The show is free, but tickets are required.
For tickets and information, contact David Szebeda at 617.524.8303 x312 or david@hydesquare.org.
Ritmo en Acción Showcase
Sunday, May 31st, 4-6 PM
Tower Auditorium
Mass College of Art and Design
621 Huntington Avenue, Boston
You're not going to want to miss this! The free showcase features the Afro-Latin and Contemporary dance stylings of the Ritmo en Acción dance troupe, the HYM professional dance company, video work by Mass Art students, and a photography exhibit by Christina Wegs, a Lewis Hine fellow.
For more information, contact Barbara Civill at 617.524.8303 x327 or barbara@hydesquare.org.
Peace in Our Time...
When youth violence strikes our community, it is sometimes hard to see any silver lining at all.
But the truth is that 1% of youth in our city account for more than 50% of the violence in Boston. The vast majority of young people, including dozens at the Hyde Square Task Force, are ready to stand up for peace.
On April 23rd, youth leaders organized a press conference to launch their summer peace initiatives. Youth screened their self-produced anti-violence documentary entitled 'Looking for Peace: One Block at a Time.' It was the first stop on the upcoming HSTF Peace Tour, an effort by the film's creators, the Health Careers Ambassadors, to screen the film across Massachusetts and lead discussions on how to stop the epidemic of youth violence.
To schedule a stop on the HSTF Peace Tour, contact Guy Armand at 617.524.8303 x302 or guy@hydesquare.org.
(The making of the Health Careers Ambassadors' documentary, 'Looking for Peace.' Photo by Alex Gomez, 2008.)
'Looking for Peace' Now on Comcast ON DEMAND!
If you are a Comcast subscriber, visit the ON DEMAND menu, select Get Local, then Comcast Cares to watch the full documentary!
Not a subscriber? Click here to watch the film's trailer.
The press conference was also an opportunity to announce the continuation of last year's Paint for Peace campaign. Dozens of 'peace doves' were painted on sidewalks throughout Boston to raise awareness about the crisis of youth violence. This year, existing doves will be repainted and new doves will be placed in locations where peace needs to be symbolized and realized. Help us end youth violence by painting for peace!
What: Paint for Peace
Where: HSTF Cheverus Building, 365 Centre Street
When: Thursday, May 21st, 3PM
For more information, contact Ashley Cotton at 617.524.8303 x305 or ashley@hydesquare.org.
Youth 'have their say' at BPS Budget Forum!
Facing serious budget shortfalls and weighing potential cuts, Boston Public Schools is hosting a series of forums to discuss the budget issues. On March 5th, a forum specifically for youth and parents at English High School was organized and led by youth from the Hyde Square Task Force, the Boston Student Advisory Council, the Boston Youth Organizing Project, Sociedad Latina, and Teen Empowerment.
Over 250 public school students attended to voice their concerns regarding the proposed cuts and petition the Superintendent and School Committee to find alternative sources of revenue to make up the budget gap.
Click here to view the Boston Globe article on the forum.
The city's budget crisis is threatening funding to a many invaluable youth programs. Please join HSTF youth in advocating to keep funding programs that help improve the lives of young people in our city!
Click here to see what you can do!
Read more about our partnership with the Civic Education Project.
Here's to Our Health
Do you know where your food comes from? If you think the answer is as simple as the local grocery store, then HSTF's Health Careers Ambassadors (H-CAP) have a thing or two to teach you.
As part of a community-wide meeting on health, nutrition, and fitness, H-CAP teens and members of the Boston Food and Fitness Collaborative led a presentation on the systems our food travels through before it lands on our tables. Mapping each stop along the way, the 40 local residents who attended the meeting saw how much energy and nutritional value was lost as the food is repeatedly transported and processed.
The youth also presented the findings of a community health survey they had distributed during the past two months. "People don't eat well, but they want healthier options," explained Guy Armand, HSTF's Health and Wellness Coordinator. "But when fresh and healthy food isn't available locally, families have to leave the area to find it, meaning prices and the cost of transportation goes up."
H-CAP youth advocate for a healthier community. To learn more about their work, or to join in the effort, contact Guy Armand at 617-524-8303 x 302 or via email at guy@hydesquare.org.
'Tis the Season
On January 9th, the three magi made a quick detour to the Kennedy Elementary School. In celebration of El Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day,) youth from HSTF's Dominican Youth Project (DYP) team broke out their finest royal robes and helped celebrate the season with 1st-5th grade students in HSTF's Kennedy After School program. Youth Literacy Tutors (YLT) led an Epiphany-themed literacy activity, guiding the children as they wrote nativity stories on paper crowns.
HSTF's annual Three Kings Day celebration uses the traditional Latino holiday as a way to build the reading and writing skills of the youth in the after-school program. After the writing activity, the teens distributed books to the children to encourage good reading habits.
For more information on the Three Kings celebration or the Youth Literacy Tutors, contact Ana at 617-524-8303 x324 or via email at ana@hydesquare.org.
HSTF Music Clubhouse Winter Showcase
Are the winter blues starting to get you down? Then take a beat to join us at HSTF's 'Winter Blues' Jam Session, featuring performances by youth musicians, Berklee students, and HSTF's own WaveLink Productions, which will be showcasing tracks to be released on their debut album in March of 2009. After the performances, the Clubhouse will stay open for youth, staff, and all guests to join a jam session in our fully-equipped music studio.
What: HSTF 'Winter Blues' Jam Session
Where: HSTF Music Clubhouse, 365 Centre Street
When: December 12th, 6-7PM
For more information, contact David at 617-524-8303 x312 or via email at david@hydesquare.org.
Thank You Bella Luna!
For fifteen years, Bella Luna Restaurant has been a cornerstone of the Hyde Square neighborhood in Jamaica Plain, well known for both their fabulous food & drinks, as well as their outstanding commitment to building a better, more vibrant neighborhood.
On Thursday, November 13th, Bella Luna is throwing its 15th anniversary bash. Tickets to the event cost $50, with proceeds being donated to the Hyde Square Task Force. Complimentary food and beverages will be provided and the Hyde Square Task Force's own award-winning Ritmo en Accion dance troupe will perform!
Please join us for an evening of food, fun, drink, and dance - and thank you!
What: Bella Luna 15th Anniversary Party
When: Thursday, November 13th, 6-9PM
Where: Bella Luna Restaurant, 405 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain
Cost: A $50 donation will support the Hyde Square Task Force
View the Bella Luna Anniversary Party flyer.
To RSVP, contact Bella Luna via email at cdowns@milkywayjp.com. For more information, please call Paul Trunnell at HSTF at 617-524-8303 x321.
Construction Starting!
The Blessed Sacrament Campus, the home of our new program space at the Cheverus Building, is currently under construction—please click here to view updated walking and driving directions to the Cheverus.
The School Year's Upon Us
Hyde Square Task Force is ready to launch into a new school year, and we have a lot in the works. Here are a few of the things we have planned for 2008-2009...
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Expansion from one to two floors at our new program space at the Cheverus, with newly-renovated dance and music studios, computer lab, and classrooms.
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Increasing the size of our Nuestros Jóvenes Mentoring Program to a total of 60 adult mentors, who will support the academic success and college-bound aspirations of our youth.
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Creating 20 new youth leader positions across three new youth leadership teams in music, culinary arts, and immigrant issues.
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Piloting new civics education classes in Boston public high schools.
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Refining our youth leadership development curriculum and implementing new systems to evaluate our overall success.
There's plenty to get excited about at HSTF, but we need your help to expand the reach of these dynamic programs. Become a recurring donor and help support our work all year!
And the Winner Is...
On August 21st, over 40 youth and parents attended the First Annual HSTF Youth Awards Banquet--a red carpet treatment for all the youth at HSTF and a chance to celebrate our many successes this year. HSTF Music Clubhouse's WaveLink Productions provided the evening's entertainment, Youth 'Paparazzi' Project photographers snapped shots of the winners, and the crowd tipped their hats in honor of the graduating class of 2008.
This year, we are proud to announce that every senior who participated in our Paths to College and Careers Program was accepted into a college or university AND three seniors received full scholarships.
Graduating youth benefited from the launch of our Summer Academy, a program that develops individual college plans for youth, including college visits, SAT prep, financial aid discussions, and college application assistance. "If you underestimate the youth," says Peter Barros, PCCP Coordinator, "then you won't see the potential they have to achieve."
For more information on PCCP, contact Peter at 617-524-8303 x313 or peter@hydesquare.org.
Drop-In Opportunities for Youth
If you're looking to get in on the action at the Hyde Square Task Force, we have plenty of drop-in and youth team opportunities.
Stop by the HSTF Music Clubhouse for individual and drop-in music lessons in our fully-equipped, professional recording studio.
Where: The Cheverus Building, HSTF Music Clubhouse
When: Monday--Friday, 3PM--8PM
For more information contact: David at 617-524-8303 x312 or david@hydesquare.org.
Want to learn some Latin moves from professional dancers? Then sign up for our Studio Rhythms Classes!
Where: The Cheverus Building
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30--8:00PM
For more information contact: Barbara at 617-524-8303 x327 or barbara@hydesquare.org.
Youth Beat the Heat with Summer Nights Out
From bumping concerts and hot dance moves, to sports, games, and voter registration, Summer Nights Out has been an enormous success! Over 1300 local youth and their families came together to celebrate their community through safe and positive summer activities. Our thanks go out to Mt. Washington Bank, the Boston Private Bank and Trust Company, Boston Community Capital, Barry Dym, Wainwright Bank and Trust, the First Parish Church of Lincoln, Bank of America, and all those who helped make these events possible!
On August 14th, HSTF capped off Summer Nights Out with 'Beach Party,' an evening of dance, music, summer gear and performances by our graduating summer program kids!
For more information on Summer Nights Out, contact Chrismaldi at 617.524.8303 x325 or via email at chrismaldi@hydesquare.org.
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Blurbs
Red eyes, out of focus images of people without heads-there's a lot more to photography than simply pointing and clicking. For six weeks this summer, a small group of HSTF youth have been learning the basic technical and compositional ins and outs of photography. The Youth Pix Project, led by accomplished photographer and volunteer Mark Saperstein, helps our youth look at their world through a much different lens while honing valuable skills and enjoying themselves.
Now, these youth are taking on the role of photographers at many HSTF events! We would like to thank the Amelia Peabody Foundation and all those individuals who supported this program.
For more information on Youth Pix, contact Paul at 617.524.8303 x321 or via email at paul@hydesquare.org.
Mozart Gets a Makeover
When you next visit Mozart Park, you may find yourself transported. Following the city's renovations, the mural needed to be repainted. HSTF's Community Development Artists took this opportunity to share their perspective of their community and to celebrate their own, unique cultures. The panaroma features an homage to the late giants of hip-hop, a tip of the hat to local legend Manuel 'Madego' DeBrand, a 'just for kids' section, and images capturing the passion of our youth for sports, theater, and nature. Under the guidance of professional muralist Roberto Chao, the CDAs are putting the final touches on their artwork.
These young artists are also nearing completion on a series of murals at Roxbury Crossing, a follow-up to the successful mural project they created at Jackson Square.
For more information, contact Ashley at 617.524.8303 x305 or via email at ashley@hydesquare.org.
Local Youth Take on Street Violence
At the end of a week marred by more killings in Jamaica Plain, over 50 youth gathered on the steps of the Curley K-8 School to turn back the rising tide of violence with nothing but paint brushes, a message of hope and the strength of numbers. After a brief press conference, and under the guidance of Sidewalk Sam, youth from HSTF's Community Development Artists, Spontaneous Celebration's Beantown Society and other members of the Hyde/Jackson Square community painted an enormous dove on the steps of the Curley School in an effort to establish a culture of non-violence on the streets of Boston.
HSTF Youth Dance onto National Stage
If receiving an arts award in the White House from First Lady Laura Bush wasn’t enough to garner some national attention for the Hyde Square Task Force’s Ritmo en Accion dance troupe, then the recent coverage on The NBC Nightly News should get the country talking.
Ritmo en Accion was featured on a special ‘Making a Difference’ segment for the evening news. Not only do these youth dancers make a difference in the lives of elementary and middle school students by acting as role models and passing along lessons about dance, but the lives of the dancers themselves are transformed by being a part of the Ritmo program—100% of alumni have graduated from high school and been accepted into college.
Click here to watch Ritmo on NBC.
Youth Bring Civics Campaign to City Hall
On Thursday, October 18th Hyde Square Task Force youth testified at Boston City Council's Hearing on Civics in Boston Public Schools. This hearing, initiated by HSTF Youth Community Organizers with the help of City Councilor Chuck Turner, called for the addition of a mandatory civics requirement for all Boston Public School students in the 11th and 12th grades. Over 200 youth and adults attended the hearing to show their support for this civics curriculum. Fifteen local organizations, including the Boston Parent Organizing Network and the Civic Education Project were represented at the hearing; many of these representatives also testified on behalf of the campaign for civics.
For more information on this campaign, please contact Chrismaldi at (617) 524-8303 x 325 or chrismaldi@hydesquare.org
Latest Annual Report Now Available
Read about our growth over the past year, as we continue finding new ways to expand youth leadership opportunities, promote civic engagement, build positive relationships, enrich academics, and celebrate culture and community. To get a copy of our new report, you can pick one up at our office (375 Centre St.) or contact Paul at (617) 524-8303 x 321 or paul@hydesquare.org
Click here to download our most recent Annual Report in Adobe PDF format (file size: 3.8 MB)
To download a free copy of Adobe Reader, go to:
To see more highlights, go to our Archives section.
Banner photo by Carol Palmer c 2002 www.BrilliantPictures.com