YOU-2022-Annual-Report - Flipbook - Page 10
We take pride in celebrating youth
successes, both small and large. We
embrace optimism, hope, and celebration
as fundamental tenets of and fuel for
our work.
ALUMNI REFLECTION
Javade first became involved with Y.O.U. the summer before his freshman
year through Peer, a bridge program for incoming ETHS freshmen. He
stayed active throughout high school, participating in STEM MakerSpace
programming, entrepreneurial YES! Camp, and organic gardening with
Food, Farming, Future before graduating in 2021.
Looking back, Javade appreciates the welcoming environment that staff
created, explaining, “Whatever idea you had, staff would figure out how to
help you make it. It was easy to access and utilize all of Y.O.U.’s resources.”
During his four years at Y.O.U., Javade’s favorite memories include creating
an intricate Rube Goldberg Machine, learning how to use a 3D printer, and
trying out Puerto Rican food and dancing on a field trip to a cultural center.
Y.O.U. VALUES
Since adopting our strategic plan, Y.O.U. has worked hard to ensure our
values are integrated into our work. At the end of the school year, OST staff
participated in a week of training that explored how relationships, creativity,
belonging, and joy could be instilled into programming.
Shai Sardin started at Y.O.U. as an AmeriCorps before becoming a
Program Coordinator and then the Afterschool Program Manager at Dawes
Elementary. This year, she’s looking forward to welcoming new youth as the
Afterschool Program Manager and creating a space where everybody is
working together because “when youth have supportive adults in their life,
they feel free to share their dreams and accomplishments.”