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 Thank you for joining us at our February Network Meeting at the YMCA. During this month's meeting we discussed the importance of communication, with a focus on practicing empathy. Below is a list network members created outlining how we communicate that our spaces are safe for youth, families, and staff. This is a great list to use with staff and build training around. Please review it, as it’s clear that everyone was considering the fact that each person’s beliefs are shaped by unique life experiences. Below you will also find the summer communications list. Thank you for holding empathy in your communication as our primary focus is on centering the experiences of youth and families. Also, please see below for community announcements! Ways we communicate to youth that our spaces are safe:
Ways we communicate to families that our spaces are safe:
Ways we communicate to staff that our spaces are safe:
Ways in which we shift gears into summer for families, youth and team:
Thank you for your participation and dedication to youth & families! -Greg Green and Vanessa Fisher Community AnnouncementsCCTV
Crystal Rosa - Language Access Manager, City of Cambridge
Ted Hirsch, CCSC
Rachel Kinch - CCC
Andrew Liedtka - Find it Cambridge
Nadia Davila - Office of Workforce Development
Connor Epsteinkraus - Cambridge Public Health Department
Katie Gladfelter - DHSP
Jordan Harvey - Tutoring Plus
Ariadne Bonilla - DHSP Youth Centers
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On Tuesday, December 10th, more than 150 colleagues, including family liaisons, community outreach workers, school educators and counselors, and all types of Out-of-School Time (OST) and community program leaders came together for the second annual School-Community Partnership Gathering, which took place at The Foundry in Cambridge. This event, hosted by the Agenda for Children's Elementary School Out-of-School Time Network and Middle School Network, DHSP's Reaching All Youth Network and the CPS Family Engagement Team, centered on fostering collaboration between the elementary, middle, and high school providers, addressing shared obstacles while building sustainable solutions, and sharing tools and best practices to strengthen networks and connection. Interim Supt. David Murphy also came through to welcome folks, and affirm everyone’s essential support of our shared students and families.
After breakfast and networking, attendees joined grade-specific breakout groups. A big highlight of the event was the zipper activity where participants raised and lowered their arms to simulate a zipper as someone (such as the incomparable Ms. G, from the Cambridge Community Center!) ran through. The event concluded with topic-based breakout groups on subjects including Creating Community Culture, Getting the Word Out, Language Barriers, Let's Talk Timelines, Career-Connected Learning Opportunities, Mental Health and Wellness, Community Partners Portal & Demographic Dashboards, and All Things AI. The energy was electric as new connections were formed, knowledge was shared, and plans were made, all in support of our Cambridge youth. We asked folks to share something they took away from this gathering (If you haven’t had a chance to share your feedback yet, fill out the form here). Here is what they had to say:
And finally, our Winter Break slideshow is now available! Please share this with your families and youth who may be looking for fun programs and activities to do over December break. We are excited to continue this work together! What is a second home and what does it mean for our young people? This question was the focus of our November Network Meeting hosted by the Cambridge Community Center (Thanks, Latifah!). We started by asking everyone what they think makes an after school space safe or unsafe for young people. Here are some of the responses:
We then encouraged folks to get up and moving by asking them to position themselves on a physical safety spectrum based on their comfort level regarding certain topics, including AI and dodgeball. After a lively discussion, we asked: what are the key elements of a safe after school environment in your program? A few key themes came up: Celebration
Cleanliness & Organization
Names
Trust & Openness
Participants then visualized their version of a safe after school space by creating dioramas: Other participants had the opportunity to create sample support plans that promote a welcoming environment. Thank you to our network members for joining us! We hope this meeting inspired ideas on how to create safe environments for young people and how to implement these key elements in your after school programs.
Hi Cambridge OST Providers, We are reaching out to share some messages, information and resources affiliated with the recent and tragic loss of an 8th grade CPS student. Please be aware that all CSUS students as well as others may be aware and impacted by what has happened, now and into the future. We hope that our programs can serve as the sources of support, love and healing that we always strive for -- especially during this difficult time. The following is being reposted from communications that have gone out from Cambridge Public Schools, and includes information about an upcoming webinar happening on the evening of 10/23/24, as well as additional resources. This message is primarily for programs serving upper school students, but also for those with elementary and/or high school students who might have older or younger siblings and/or heard about what happened. Dear CPS Community: The last few days have been extremely difficult for our school district. On Friday the Cambridge Street Upper School suffered an unimaginable loss when we learned of the unexpected passing of an 8th grade student. Our team has been in contact with the student’s family as well as officials from the Cambridge Health Alliance to ensure coordinated supports are in place to assist CSUS as well as the extended CPS community during this painful period of time. Our thoughts and prayers are and will continue to be with the student’s family and friends. We know that a loss like this may evoke various emotions, concerns, and questions among our students. Please note that our schools are staffed with counselors, psychologists, and other caring adults who are fully committed to the well-being of all students. In lieu of our normal collection of newsletter resources, please see below for details related to a virtual information session that will be convened on Wednesday evening focusing on grief, loss and supporting children during times of crisis. This program has been recommended by experts in the field of grief counseling and crisis management. We are providing this resource to the community at-large because we know the impact of a tragedy like this can be both widespread and dangerously silent. CPS will continue to work to identify any resources we can leverage on behalf of our school communities and make them available to all who need support. To the staff, students and families of the Cambridge Street Upper School, I want to offer both my deepest sympathy for the grief you are experiencing and gratitude for the steadfast grace you have demonstrated in recent days. The professionalism and dedication being exhibited by the teachers and staff at CSUS in support of their students is inspiring, and on behalf of the community I extend my most heartfelt thanks. There will be additional resources deployed to CSUS and elsewhere in the days ahead. If your child is in need of mental health support of any kind, please contact your school’s main office or the district’s crisis coordinator, Kim Huffer, at [email protected]. Thank you. Sincerely, David Murphy Interim Superintendent Webinar Information & Additional ResourcesVirtual Webinar: How to Discuss Suicide and Support Youth Through Loss
Riverside Trauma Center will host a virtual webinar in partnership with school administrators focusing on how caregivers can support youth in navigating conversations about suicide as well as how support youth through feelings of grief. When: This Wednesday, October 23 | 7 - 8:15PM Where: Virtually on Zoom Access the webinar here. Attendees will learn:
Finally, I am also re-sharing some information that may be helpful to you in discussing suicide with your child:
Note that children who are already vulnerable may be at greater risk due to exposure to the suicide of a peer. If you or your child needs help right away, call 911 or take your child to the nearest crisis center or emergency department. Additional options for support include:
 During this month’s Network Meeting, we focused on the meaning of quality staff and its importance for our programs and the communities we serve. Breaking out into four groups, we asked each group what key attributes they believe define a high-quality youth worker. The groups also had the chance to discuss:
Based on these colorful conversations, network members had the opportunity to create a visual representation of their quality team members. From stethoscopes to duckfeet, the drawings represented each group's unique vision of a quality team member. Check out the drawings below!
Finally, we reviewed a few antiracism scenarios and discussed the key attributes that would help our quality team members respond effectively and appropriately to the situation. Community AnnouncementsConnor Epsteinkraus - The Cambridge Public Health Department and Family Policy Council are forming a Youth Wellness Working Group to develop policy and program recommendations and a plan to ensure every young person in our community has the skills, supports, and opportunities they need to thrive. All the details are in this proposal and slideshow. They are hoping to get a diverse group of people with multiple perspectives to join us. If you or anyone you know might be interested, fill out this Google form: https://forms.gle/dXgZuDsqrmiCyGTy9 Puja Kranz-Howe - The YWCA’s GOLD and GEY programs for 12-18 year olds are starting at the end of October at CRLS. The programs run once a week until May. Drop-ins are okay! See the flyers for more information. Participants can receive a $100 stipend or community service hours.
Jordan Harvey - Tutoring Plus has put together a monthly math digest for grades 4-8 to illustrate what’s happening in math classrooms. Contact Jordan for more information: [email protected] Carol Urbano - Welcome Carol! Carol is new to the Network having recently been hired at the MIT Museum as the Teen Programs Coordinator. Feel free to reach out to Carol: [email protected]
 Thank you all for attending the ESON and MSN September Kick Off Meeting! Your presence and active participation made the event a great success. We truly appreciate the time and energy you dedicated to engaging with one another, sharing your insights, and contributing to the discussions. It’s your commitment to this network that helps us create meaningful connections and foster impactful change within our communities.  We started with an AFCOST Ways of Being BINGO activity, where folks introduced themselves to each other and shared a story related to the Ways of Being on the bingo card. That was followed by the “Stand up, Sit down” activity led by Greg and Tyrique that helped attendees get to know each other through personal stories. Khari then discussed the broader purposes and objectives of the Networks, its programs, shared information and updates about the OST Expansion Study, and recognized programs supporting this initiative.  In small groups, attendees created skits addressing community issues, such as school phone policies, changes in school schedules, and supporting new families and mental health needs. The meeting wrapped up with a readout of impact statements in response to the following prompt: What impact does your work have on your young people? After announcements were shared, and before leaving, attendees were invited to complete a feedback form which included questions about attendees' expectations and suggestions for future meetings (Please complete the feedback form if you didn't have a chance at the meeting!) We hope this meeting fostered engagement and reflection and set a collaborative tone for the upcoming year! We look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday, 10/2/24, 10am-12pm, location (to be announced!) See full schedule here: MSN/ESON Meeting Schedule 24-25. See below for community announcements, a schedule of upcoming meetings, as well as some resources for you, youth, and families. -Greg, Tyrique, Zeena, and Khari Community AnnouncementsDeeDee Cetoute - Cambridge Camping: Cambridge Camping's Saturday Camp is starting Saturday, Sept. 21st. Camp is for ages 6-13 and there are spots open! Contact DeeDee for more info: [email protected] Matt Meyersohn - Cambridge Basketball Lab: Basketball Lab is happening at PAUS this school year. Open to middle and high school students. It's 4x per week and starts Tuesday, Sept. 24th. No cost! Contact Matt for more info: [email protected] Sarah Lincoln - Cambridge Public Health Department: CPHD is looking for middle and high schoolers to develop campaigns around substance abuse. This is a paid, remote position for about 3-4 hrs per week. Reach out to Sarah for more info: [email protected] Skye Edwards - The Robo Hub: The Robo Hub is offering after school programming for K-8th graders. Parents are welcome to attend programming, as well! Financial aid is available for students. The Robo Hub can also offer workshops at program sites or can host students on a field trip. Reach out to Skye for more info: [email protected] Tagesech Wabeto - Commission on Immigrant Rights & Citizenship: Danehy Park Family Day is happening on Saturday, Sept. 21st, 11am-3pm. Upcoming Opportunities & Resources For YouAFCOST is seeking a new Middle School Network Coordinator! The MSN Coordinator Position - posted by the Cambridge Public Schools as an "Out-of-School Time Partnerships Assistant Manager" - coordinates, convenes and builds a network of Cambridge out-of-school time providers, schools, community partners and others who work together to provide and ensure equitable access to quality learning experiences beyond the school day and school year for 6th-8th grade children and youth living throughout our city. Check out this job posting for many more details. Looking to attend Back-to-School Events? Check out this schedule for all Cambridge Public Schools Back-to-School Events. "e" inc.: Introducing STEAM to Your After School Program Looking to bring STEAM into your after school program? “e” inc. can come to your after school site once-a-week to lead students through science and action lessons that help students better understand our planet and work to protect it. After school science is parsed into three trimesters. Sites can choose whether to offer the program, as one science program to 3 sets of students across the year or three different programs to three distinct age groups. Typically, after school is every day and the “e” inc. science program occurs once-a-week. There are many topics sites can choose, from Backyard Habitats to Our Changing Climate, with many more also available. This program will be paid for by the City of Cambridge as long as your program resides in Cambridge! Interested? Contact Greg Green at [email protected] or Tyrique Kittrell at [email protected] to learn more. Bridge Scholars is Looking For Program Sites Bridge Scholars is a tutoring program, started and run by CRLS scholars, that gives high school students the opportunity to tutor and play with young kids around Cambridge! Bridge Scholars is looking for program sites to send CRLS students to:
Upcoming Opportunities & Resources for Youth and FamiliesThe Back to School Basketball Tournament for middle schoolers is happening on Sunday, Sept. 15th, 10am-2pm at Donnelly Field.
Are you a parent or caregiver of an elementary school-aged child? Learn how to support positive youth development and explore Cambridge resources at the Building the Foundation for Youth Wellbeing event on Monday, Sept. 30th, 6:30-8pm at the King Open School. Mass Audubon's Nature in the City Festival is happening on Saturday, Sept. 21st, 12-5pm at 668 Memorial Drive. Bridge to CRLS 2024: Cambridge Community and Schools Come Together to Welcome New 9th Graders9/6/2024 In the final days of August, just before the labor day trips and new school jitters, 350 new ninth graders lined up (many with their parents) for the third annual Bridge to CRLS day, a project coordinated by the Agenda for Children OST and Cambridge Public Schools and designed to give new 9th graders a more significant introduction to the giant, looming school building before them: Cambridge Rindge and Latin (CRLS). On Tuesday, Sept 3rd, all 2000+ high schoolers would converge on CRLS for the first day of school. But for today, it was just the school’s staff, the new ninth graders, and a robust collection of community partners, all there to ease their transition to the school. The project, now in its 3rd year, originated in community meetings of the Middle School Network (a network of OST programs and school folks working with middle schoolers) about how many young people and families struggle in this ‘transition year,’ particularly the huge transition from middle (“upper”) school and high school. (Want more info on the process of how we got here? Check out this post). Community members highlighted young people’s concerns about the school building and the massive social and emotional changes that come with shifting from a school of 350 to a school of 2,000 students. While many of these changes were seen as normal developmental milestones, a survey of all the transition supports provided by schools showed a necessary focus on the technical aspects of high school transition (signing up for classes, understanding credits). Many community members (in addition to school staff) felt that the wealth of information held by alums and current upperclassmen could be leveraged to help students preview and manage the more personal aspects of the massive transition. This year, the content on the social & emotional transition to high school was split between two experiences:
Bridge to CRLS Event #1Mayor’s Program Workshop Day in mid-August: Facilitated by recent CRLS alums, Mayor’s Program staff, and providers who work with high school students through RAY (Reaching All Youth) Network, this was an in-depth community building day focused on transitioning from 8th grade to 9th grade 55 teens attended, adding this day to their 6 weeks of their job placement for the summer, and they were split into community building groups and rotated through three strands of content.
After the rotations, all teens met at the Field House for celebratory games, food, and raffle prizes. MSYEP liaisons led games of basketball, volleyball, giant-sized games, and beading. SHADE brought snow cones, popcorn, and cotton candy machines. Teens won/earned raffle tickets during the workshops. Raffle prizes included notebooks, pens, art supplies, candy, aquarium passes, kayaking and ice-skating tickets (the candy prizes received the most raffle tickets). In total, 15 teens won prizes. Post evaluation from students was very positive, and there was great energy throughout the event. Some comments from students include: What is one take-away from this event?
Bridge to CRLS Event #2 Welcome Day for all rising 9th Graders This event, open and advertised to all rising 9th graders, is a partnership between the staff at CRLS (particularly the Deans of Students), Cambridge Public Schools/Agenda for Children OST staff and community partners. In keeping with the original goals of the project, the event was designed to help students check off a few of the technical aspects (getting student IDs and chromebooks, for instance) that often take up most of the orientation time on the actual first day of school. In addition to getting these things done, the planning team focused on giving students a facilitated tour experience in a group of their peers, hearing from upperclassmen, and meeting new adults they did not know. What happened at the event?: Due to the large number of students (about 500 rising 9th graders) the day was split into two waves of students, starting with students from Learning Communities C & R. As soon as we approached 10am, students were lined up for registration, making nametags and started off their day listening to a panel of 12-15 Peer Mentors in the auditorium. The panel included a wide range of upperclassmen, representing all parts of CRLS, who answered questions students had submitted on their RSVP forms, from technical issues (how do you not get lost?) to common concerns (how do you make friends in your lunch block?).  After the panel, 9th graders were split into tour groups, each group led by Peer Mentors, and went for a tour of CRLS (using this Bridge to CRLS Tour Highlights route) including a stop to get their ID Photos taken and a stop to pick up their chromebook. Pro-Tips about certain spaces were set up around the building, and Peer Mentors shared the basic in addition to personal stories. All tours ended out front of the high school, where the Welcome Day celebration (aka ‘fun stuff’ was waiting). While the first wave of students started out doing the ‘fun stuff,’ the second wave of students (LC-L and LC-S) arrived and registration began again over by the arts building. Peer Mentors started the second panel and split into tour groups with the second wave of students. Tours ended out front for that group around 1:30, and all the celebration tables were open until 2:30. At the celebration, students could play games, get popcorn, sno-cones and ice cream, earn raffle tickets by talk to community resources tables (or another adults) and use those tickets to enter a raffle for candy and gift cards to the CRLS school store. They also had the option to airbrush-paint their own “Class of 2028” t-shirt, using a stencil designed specifically for the events by the Community Arts Center. How many students came to join in? In total, 365 students attended the event, about 71% of the freshman class. Outreach efforts had been focused on getting the word out to young people & their families, particularly eighth graders designated as ‘priority’ for the 9th grade transition by their Upper Schools through a holistic process considering multiple factors and voices. 51% of those ‘priority’ students attended the event, an increase from years prior and considered a success by event organizers. What did students think?: The exit survey taken by students (226 responses) asked very simple questions that showed the goals in clear, simple terms:
 As always, organizers appreciated hearing students open response answers to the big question: “What’s one takeaway from this event?” Responses below are sorted into popular categories with examples, but it was clear that students appreciated the time to get familiar in the building and meet (and hear from) upperclassmen:
Annie and the CPS & Agenda for Children OST team would especially like to thank the following folks who had a significant impact on the planning, execution and realization of Bridge to CRLS events:
On a sunny June afternoon, the ESON, MSN, and RAY communities gathered at the Moore Youth Center to celebrate the end of the school year. Amidst the lively music, laughter, and the delicious BBQ (thanks, Tyrique!), there was a strong sense of joy and camaraderie among the out-of-school time community. During our second annual Network Love and Impact Awards, several OST colleagues were recognized for their dedication to the youth in their programs and for supporting each other. Awardees included: Latifah James, Sarah Lincoln, George Hinds, Alex Frank, Raul Zaorski, Gavilán Rivas-Chavez, Larry Thompson, Katie Quizhpe, Jack O’Hearn, Yvonne Gittens, and Bo Lembo. Check out the awards ceremony here! We also honored Annie Leavitt, MSN Coordinator, for her work in advocating for children and families and facilitating partnerships between systems, schools, and programs. To honor her contributions, we introduced the inaugural Annie Leavitt School-Out-of-School Time Partnership Award to recognize members of the OST community who embody Annie's commitment.  The community had the opportunity to share their feedback on what they would like to see more of in upcoming ESON and MSN meetings, which we plan on incorporating in the new school year. If you haven’t shared your feedback yet, you can still do so by filling out a brief questionnaire here.
From ESON, MSN, and RAY, we are grateful to be a part of this community and look forward to the upcoming summer programs! Have a great summer!  Our network meeting in March 2024, focused on our middle schoolers (6th-8th graders) - particularly the older rising 7th and 8th graders that are often hardest to recruit and maintain in summer programs, yet are also critically important to have in programming. Our big question for the meeting was: What does it take to engage middle schoolers in the summer? Because only so much can be covered in any 90 minute meeting, we focused on two elements: what trends we are seeing among the 6-8th grade post-COVID (in schools and programs), and what we are naming “the culture challenge”: how do you create a pathway so that 5th graders want to stay enrolled and eventually become the 8th graders in your program? Check out the slide deck from the meeting here: What Does It Take to Engage Middle Schoolers in Summer? We did a number of ‘chat waterfalls’ during this meeting, where we asked the 30+ participants a question, had them type their answer in the chat but not press send until everyone did it together - thus creating a ‘waterfall’ of responses all at the same time. It was a great way to see all the input and perspectives and expertise from across the network. The first of those was just about what trends we are seeing in middle schoolers: What are we seeing? (Chat waterfall responses)
Then, we asked folks to share their own questions about the situation: What questions do we have about what is going on? (Chat waterfall responses)
These responses set the table for a really rich discussion about what we’d like to see in middle school programming. We heard from Melinda Rosado, who has deep history with the Middle School Network and our schools - she was a former youth worker and program director at Gately Youth Center, worked in student support at Putnam Ave Upper School and is currently working across all four Upper Schools as a Safety Specialist for the Safety Dept of Cambridge Public Schools. As someone who spends time in each of the school buildings, and someone who knows both the OST and the school perspective well, she had a lot to say on this topic (which is why we brought her here - her expertise and advice about young people has always been spot on). Some of Melinda’s insights on middle schoolers right now:
 Melinda’s 3Ps and a V from Gately Middle School Programming when she was a program director We spent the rest of the meeting talking about where we would like to be with our middle school programs - thinking and sharing “what it looks like when it works” - and we got some great examples from folks in the meeting. Some highlights: What does it look like when it works?:
As always, here were the community announcements:
Emily Meyer (CPL): The Cambridge Public Library has a few fun and exciting events coming up! On March 14th, there is a Nintendo Switch program for ages 7-9. On March 28th, there will be a shadow puppet story telling event. For the April 8th solar eclipse, the library is giving away free glasses to watch the eclipse and is hosting eclipse-related activities. To view a list of upcoming events and programs, click here. Emily Shield (Women’s Commission): Hosting Consent Camp this summer! During this summer program campers will learn about consent education and activism. Campers will be mentored by high school peer leaders. By the end of camp, they will receive a certificate in Peer Education. To register, 7th-9th graders: click here, 4th-6th graders: click here.  More than 650 Cambridge parents and caregivers attended the third Annual Rollin’ & Summer Resources event, where they learned about how to sign up their children for summer programs. The event took place on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at the Cambridge Street Upper School/King Open Community Complex. More than 50 summer camp and other service providers attended. Families enjoyed plenty of pizza, samosas, wraps, snacks, drinks, popcorn and snow-cones! Children roller skated, made art projects, tried parkour, played life-sized board games, built basketball skills, and more. Families throughout the city accessed school bus transportation to and from the event. They received support to explore program options from: Summer program staff, members of the Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) Family Engagement Team, Cambridge Agenda for Children Out of School Time staff, and CPS parents and caregivers from The Village. Multilingual Family Liaisons and Community Engagement Team Outreach Workers provided translation and interpretation for families -- including many migrant families who have recently arrived to our city and district.  Providers shared that they enrolled more than one hundred new families into their summer programs. Many more providers continue registering and/or making decisions based on what they learned at the event.
Who attended the 2024 Rollin’ & Summer Resources Event?
Together we can make sure that young people connect to high quality summer program experiences! |
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