|
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The
Holyoke Youth Commission will strive to help our community and youth create
a better living environment by working with the mayor, city officials,
and the media to create plans and goals for youth. We will strive to empower
youth by supporting youth programs that promote diversity.
|
 |
|
|
The Holyoke Youth Commission Only a handful of Massachusetts communities boast Youth Commissions where youth actually make decisions, set agendas, run meetings and carry out community projects. The Holyoke Youth Task Force is proud to be part of this initiative in our city. Click here to find out more about our city. We sponsor and support the Holyoke Youth Commission, made up of approximately 20 youths, ages 13-21 and hailing from many different after school groups, high schools and middle schools. Members reflect the economic and racial diversity of Holyoke, and represent multiple neighborhoods and wards.
The Youth Commission meets weekly at City Hall Annex, and they meet regularly with the Mayor. The Youth Commission has gone door-to-door to survey residents about their neighborhoods. It has organized an MCAS forum in 2001 to help peers learn about the state test and speak their minds about the issue, and, working with other youth groups, it organized three Youth Summits where young people from across the city created a "Youth Vision Map"of their goals for the city. After the Youth Summits, the Youth Commission developed a youth proposal process for other youth in the City to request funding for youth projects that reflect some of the goals articulated in the Youth Visions Map. This project put young people in charge of funding and gave other youth the opportunity to write their own grants for their own great ideas. Six diverse youth groups received funding from the Youth Commission through their inspiring proposals. Find out more about the six grantees from 2002/2003. This round of mini-grants were made possible by funding from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts. To download a 2006 Mini-Grant application click here. New cycles of mini-grants were made available to young people in the city through grants from the Massachusetts Service Alliance and the Drug Free Communities Fund of SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Find out about the grantees from 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Youth Commission organized
the city's first ever Holyoke Youth Day in May 2002 in which over
200 youth crowded the corridors of City Hall and City Council Chambers.
Mayor Michael Sullivan, Representative Michael Kane and Senator Michael
Knapik signed onto a commitment to value and support Holyoke youth.Mayor
In June 2002, seven Youth Commissioners
went to Kansas City, Missouri with a delegation from Holyoke to vie for
an All-America City nomination. The Holyoke Youth Commission and
Holyoke Youth Task Force were highlighted as community assets in the city's
All-America City application. The Youth Commissioners, together with the
delegation, made a powerful presentation to the judges and thousands in
the audience, showcasing some of the most enthusiastic youth from the
city. While Holyoke didn't receive the nomination this year, the Youth
Commissioners made us all proud.
The Youth Vision Map is a compilation of twenty of the most agreed upon goals by Holyoke youth for their city. The broad ideas encompass increased safety, cleaning up the city and more positive hangouts for youth. The specific ideas range from cleaner parks to teen cafes to better transportation in the city. How can you help make some of these visions a reality? We'd love to hear from you! Give us a call or email us! The Youth Vision Map can be viewed at the Holyoke Planning Department and at other locations throughout the city. If you'd like to display it at your business or organization, give us a call, Youth
Visions Request for Proposals The Youth Commission is proud to announce the funding of many great projects that received funding under this youth-driven grant process! We thank the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts for funding the mini-grant project and for having faith in this innovative youth-run grant program in 2002, and we thank the Massachusetts Service Alliance for continuing to support this program in following years! For 2006 applications, click here. 2002 Youth Visions Mini-Grant Project Grantees El Arco Iris community based teen arts center received $2,000 to host a series of Youth Dance Parties. Call 532-2360 for more info. The Youth Entrepreneurship Program received $2,000 to conduct the marketing phase of their youth-run ice cream store. Call 315-6017. NEARI Jump-Start, a teen program in the Flats, received $2,000 to start a youth-run store in the flats specializing in logos and designs. Call 532-1713 extension 15. Girls Incorporated of Holyoke received $1,960 to establish a Teen Center that will be co-ed during some periods and for girls only during other periods. Call 532-6247 extension 110. The Holyoke High School Diversity Club received $1,400 to see a play about diversity and make a video about the issues to be shown around Holyoke. Call 534-2020. Blessed Sacrament School received $640 to offer to needy families in Holyoke during the holiday season. Call 532-8647. 2003 Youth Visions Mini-Grant Project Grantees Girls Incorporated of Holyoke received $1,400 to help equip, decorate and staff a youth van that will bring resources and information to youth across the city. The Teen Resource Project received $1,400 to organize a performance or talent show at Open Square by members of TRP and other youth organizations to benefit participating youth organizations. The Care Center received $1,400 for the "Healthy Initiative for Parks" project which began as a research project on Holyoke's parks system and culminates in cleaning up the Valley Arena Park on South Bridge Street. The Care Center is a G.E.D. program for pregnant and parenting teen mothers. The Youth Entrepreneurship
Program received $1,400 to organize four talent shows while offering their
main product, ice cream, to audience members. The talent shows take place
in the two high schools as well as community-based locations. The Holyoke Street School received $500 to paint a mural on the outside of their building together with youth from other programs. The goal of the mural is to beautify the school and surrounding neighborhood, and involve youth in the process from design to finish. 2004 Youth Visions Mini-Grant Project Grantees Nuestras Raices received $1,225 to complete a large mural at their main site at the corner of Cabot and Main streets. El Arco Iris received $1,475 to paint a mural focusing on education on plywood boards so it can be shown at various locations. Girls Inc. received $1,500 to hold a community barbecue and dance to kick off their male peer leaders group. NEARI Jump-Start received $1,500 for their Traveling Treats Program, a summer project where teens prepare healthy food and deliver it to other teens in the city. Holyoke High School Diversity Club received $1,010 for Diversity Week which highlighted a multi-ethnic fashion show, an assembly and lunch room messages of diversity. 2005 Youth Visions Mini-Grant Project Grantees NEARI Jump-Start received $1,500 to support a basketball league started in 2004 by NEARI, the Youth Commission and the Holyoke Parks and Recreation Department. The league allows over fifty 15-18 year-olds who don't play on any other league in Holyoke to play for ten weeks with referees, scoreboards, play-offs, trophies etc.
Girls Inc. of Holyoke received $1,500 to clean Jarvis Heights, doing community service and setting a good example. The Community Service Day will be followed by a barbecue for all who help out. Girls Inc. teens will also organize and offer a summer dance to all who participate in the clean up. El Arco Iris received $870 to improve and repair their community center, the only one in the neighborhood and is open to all 9-19 year-olds. They will paint murals on plywood, buy plants and cleaning equipment, and offer food and prizes for a celebration event. The Girls Scouts of Western Massachusetts received $1,500 for a Studio 2B Girls Club. The club will allow girls from Holyoke to come together for fun and cultural experiences that increases the understanding of the Latina culture. The club will take place at the community center on East Dwight Street, although girls anywhere can participate via email and the internet. The club will create a website to reach out to girls from all around. 2005 Drug Free Communities Mini-Grantees The Holyoke Youth Commission awarded four grants totaling $5,630 for summer activities that are designed to keep youth healthy and away from drugs. Funding comes from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Support Agency and the Massachusetts Service Alliance. The Holyoke Parks and Recreation
Department received $1,475 to start a summer basketball league for Holyoke
girls, ages 10-16. The program focuses on instruction and skill development.
Its goal is to offer a positive, drug-free activity that builds skills
and confidence, and fills a large gap in Holyoke that has little sports
activities just for girls. Nueva Esperanza received $1,350 for a project called "Holyoke Youth Bridging Neighborhoods through Sports." Gladys Lebrón-Martinez and Yolanda Nogue are acting as advisors to the youth who will start a summer co-ed volleyball league for youth ages 13-24. The goal is to bring 200 youth together from neighborhoods in South Holyoke and the Flats. Youth participants engage in informal talks before the games about staying healthy and safe, and building a positive community. NEARI Jump-Start received $1,150 for a Basketball Snack Team in which youth from NEARI Jump-Start to provide food and drinks for the boys basketball summer games. This summer league is a continuation of the Youth Commission/Parks and Recreation league that ran in the winter. The food and drinks, either free or very cheap, are used as incentives to get players and spectators to take the drug awareness information that NEARI youth will be offering. Girls Incorporated of Holyoke received $1,630 for their Summer Fun project whose goal is to engage 25 girls, ages 12-18, in positive activities during the summer. The majority of the girls who are targeted are not involved in any programs. Instead of hanging out or getting into bad situations, these girls will have the opportunity to meet new people and learn about programs they can get involved in throughout the year. Summer Fun will offer trips to places like Forest and Look Park, the movies, ropes course, camping, water park, Bronx Zoo and more. Youth Commission Presents at Conferences and Offers Workshops! The Youth Commission ran a workshop at an October conference in 2003, put on by the Associated Grantmakers of Massachusetts and the Massachusets Service Alliance. The focus of the workshop was Youth in Philanthropy: Making the Connection between Civic Involvement and Philanthropy. In November of 2003, Commissioners presented a workshop, together with young colleagues from Easthampton, to a group of adult youth workers from Russia. Here for several weeks through the Institute for Training and Development, the Russians said their workshop in Holyoke was one of the highlights of their trip! They were impressed by the way young people led such an effective workshop on youth leadership. Racism Speak Out a BIG Success! The Youth Commission teamed up with Girls Inc. to organize a speak out against racism as a barrier to education. The January 2004 event drew approximately 130 young people and parents together. Thanks to a grant from the Haymarket People's Fund, these important issues were aired. A Basketball League is Born! The Youth Commission wanted to do something positive for teens. Plenty of youth wanted to play b-ball. NEARI Jump-Start, a neighborhood youth program, and Girls Inc. focused their energy. The Parks and Recreation Commission was supportive. It wasn't always simple but working together we started a four-team league in 2003/2004 for ages 14-18 that runs for eight weeks! The YMCA generously contributed their gym on Sunday afternoons, volunteer coaches came forth, and local businesses sponsored teams, and the Hampden County Anti-Drug Coalition made a donation. Thanks to everyone, this league is up and running! In the 2004/2005 season we expanded to five teams, and in the 2005/2006 season six teams! Sponsors of the Youth Commission Recreation (YRC) Basketball League have included: Hair Hunterz Thank you!! Kids Voting Holyoke The Youth Commission pulled off something really big! They brought Kids Voting to Holyoke for the first time! Kids Voting USA is a program that has been instituted across America and in several Massachusetts communities such as: Boston, Cape Cod, Worcester, Peabody, Plymouth, Quincy, Richmond and Springfield. This program has allowed for over 4.3 million young people to have a voice across America and 134,000 are from Massachusetts. We're excited that Holyoke was part of it for the past two years, with youth from the two high schools participating. Teachers incorporated voting and civic engagement into their curriculum and over 2,000 youth actually went to the polls that day and cast ballots. Of course it didn't count in the national elections but it develops the habit of voting. In the 2005 election, youth voted overwhelmingly to support a Youth Commission ballot question that asked: Should youth have membership on the City Council. Now we'll be looking for ways to make that happen! The Superintendent of Holyoke Public Schools, the City Council and the Mayor were very supportive of this effort as were many adult and youth volunteers. Thanks to donations from Senator Mike Knapik, Representative Mike Kane, and PeoplesBank, and to the many hours the volunteers put in.
All Participants Agree to the Following Rules: 1. It is agreed that participants
will treat each other and those around them with reasonably respectful
behavior to include adults, youth, facility patrons and staff and whoever
else is directly or indirectly involved with the youth commission 2. It is agreed that violation
of these offenses results in a strike, upon receiving three strikes the
violator will be asked to leave the meeting. 4. It is agreed that facilitators
and group leaders will conduct themselves in the following manner: 5. It is agreed the commissioner
will notify Julie 413-322-5578 if they cannot make a meeting or activity
of the Youth Commission. I understand and agree to the
above rules. I understand that there may be consequences or penalties
issued individually or as a group for failure to abide by these rules.
|
E-mail: jkumble@ci.holyoke.ma.us |
|
The
Holyoke Youth Commission is endorsed by the 
Sullivan
signed an official proclamation marking the day as Holyoke Youth Day.
"Celebrating the positive contributions of youth in the community,"
as the Union-News described, young dancers and a rapper entertained
the crowds and many local stores contributed gift certificates to make
the event a huge success.
Solutions
Community Development Corporation Youth Programs received $1,500 to hold
a big Youth Festival downtown. The festival will feature a big name act,
volleyball and basketball tournaments, food, music and games. The ultimate
goal is to raise funds to open a Youth Enterprise Plaza that will have
a karaoke bar, computers, ice cream and a space for youth who would like
to open a small business of their own within the café.
Youth
Commission Rules