September Recap: ESON, MSN & RAY Kick Off Event

What an amazing turnout! On Wednesday, September 16, over 84 providers and community partners gathered at the Moore Youth Center for our annual ESON, MSN, and RAY Kick-Off Event.

This annual gathering is always a reminder that supporting young people requires us to support one another. Thank you to every provider who brought their energy, insight, and passion to the space  as we kicked off the start of another after school year!

From catching up with familiar faces to meeting new partners, the morning was filled with deep connections, shared ideas, and powerful reflections. Together, we looked back at the goals we set for ourselves last year through “An Impact Card,” celebrating accomplishments, growth, and the lessons that came along the way. We also welcomed new members by reflecting on the impact we hope our work will have on young people and families this year.

Through the Building Cambridge Families Challenge, we explored the many young people, families, and communities we collectively serve and reflected on their strengths, experiences, and needs. We were reminded that while we may work in different programs and settings, we are all part of the same larger Cambridge community. We also explored what it means to trust one another as an OST community. After sharing ways colleagues have supported us, we put that trust into action with a fun group trust fall, reminding us that we do not have to do this work alone.

And, of course, we had some fun with Network Bingo, giving everyone a chance to connect, learn something new about one another, and strengthen relationships across the network.

Thank you again to everyone who showed up, shared, laughed, reflected, and helped make the kickoff such a meaningful start to the year. We look forward to continuing to build a strong, connected, and supportive OST community throughout this school year!

We'd love to hear your feedback on the event! Whether you want to suggest ideas for future meetings or offer to host us at your program site, please share your thoughts on our short Feedback Form here.

Also, save the date for these upcoming October meetings & events!

• Wednesday, Oct. 7: ESON & MSN Meeting (Location TBD)
• Thursday, Oct. 15: RAY Meeting (Location TBD)
• Thursday, Oct. 22: Agenda for Children OST 25th Year Celebration (MIT: 524 Main St., Cambridge)