Tag Archives: youth programs

Pics/text by Ron O’Clair

This image is of Jerry (Dino) Mariano, a cousin of Ray Mariano, who happens to be a member of the Genesis club, at Boston Donuts on Park Ave getting some grub on. He usually wears a funky leather hat, so this is a rare view of him hat less.

This is the house recently built by the Main South Community Development Corporation on Hollis and Kilby streets; it is a duplex …

… the other side. Beautiful!

A self portrait trying to document the injury to my eye socket. (editor’s note: Ron was taking videos in his Main South neighborhood and one of his neighbors didn’t take kindly to the videographing! So he slugged Ronny in the face! Now Ronny’s got a semi-detached retina!)

Previously a clean area, someone decided to drop their trash on the curb. I dislike litter.

broken car door mirror …

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Teens! Join the City Manager’s Youth Council!

The Youth Opportunities Office is recruiting applicants for its 2016-2017 City Manager’s Youth Council.

Applications and student nominations are due on October 14.

If you are interested in nominating a student, please contact youth@worcesterma.gov.

The City of Worcester Youth Council was created in January of 2012 to establish a representative body of young people living in the City of Worcester entering the 9th and 10th grade during the 2016-2017 academic year.

The Youth Council gives young people a direct connection to local government and Youth Councilors take part in civic engagement, leadership development, and planning and decision making opportunities.

The Youth Council will also execute in the following assignments:

• Encouraging youth civic participation

• Enhancing young people’s roles in their community

• Construction of positive youth centered narratives

• Making recommendations, presentations and advocating on issues that affect youth their age

• Involving youth in community awareness and community service projects

• Forming and strengthening working relationships with community

• Eligible youth representation on Boards, Commissions, Committees and Councils

• Public speaking and leadership opportunities

Please spread the word and email us at youth@worcesterma.gov if you are interested in nominating a teen!

If you know a young person who is interested in applying, please have them fill out the application!

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ARTS AND FAMILY FUN AT THE WORCESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY!

OCTOBER 14

4 p.m.

At the Worcester Public Library!

Flamenco for Kids!

The Worcester Public Library will offer a free program for kids to learn Flamenco dancing from Edmy Ortiz, a fine artist, architectural designer, and Flamenco dancer.

The program is recommended for kids ages 4 and up.

The program is in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. The first session was held on Friday, September 30 …The second session, Flamenco for Kids: Part II will be on Friday, October 14 at 4 p.m. This session will also be held in the Banx Room.

This will be your chance to practice and show off your Flamenco dancing skills. Flamenco offers many benefits to kids while they enjoy making noise with their feet!

You may dress-up for these events if you wish! Parents don’t forget to bring your cameras!

Sign-up is requested…you may register at the Children’s Room desk or by calling 508-799-1671.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Worcester Public Library.

For more information on the Worcester Public Library and a complete list of events and programs visit mywpl.org.

InCity Feature, InCity Voices

Outstanding! Friendly House youth tour colleges

May 23, 2015 admin

Here are some pictures from our overnight college tour April 21st & 22nd in New York.

This experience included 7 participants, 2 staff & 2 volunteers. Some of the things we did during these two days:

· Tour:
o University of Connecticut

o Brooklyn College
o Queens

Visit:

o Time Square
o   Ripley’s Believe it or Not
o   Brooklyn Bridge
o   Brooklyn Barclay Center

· Highlights:
o Exploring NY using NY transportation (subway)

– Danielle Delgado, Director of Child, Youth & Family Departments,Friendly House, Inc. 36 Wall St.

InCity Voices

The Friendly House youth programs soar!

January 9, 2015 admin

By Danielle Delgado

The Friendly House Youth Programs have noticeably been pushing towards a bigger and brighter future. With more than 2,300 youth served during the FY 2014 by its youth programs, Friendly House is moving onward and upward!

Over the last three years many of its programs have almost doubled and parent engagement has been resurrected!

Friendly House has a rich history of serving the Grafton Hill neighborhood for more than 94 years. The agency had embedded community, family and service in all that is does. Most recently Friendly House was named Worcester’s Non-Profit of the Year.

Some of this year’s program highlights are from its numerous Family Events (most recently its Annual Christmas Party hosting more than 1,200 children and families), Youth Hoops Program and its After School Drop In Program.

The Friendly House basketball program started back in the early 1980s and quickly became one of the best programs in the central Massachusetts area. It started off with 20 or so children and has grown to more than 300 participants this year, with the program doubling in size over the past three seasons. We attract children from the inner city area of Worcester but also have participants from the other towns of the Central Massachusetts area. The participants range in ages starting at 2nd grade with 9th grade being the last year a player is eligible.

The main focus of the program is to give kids the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game of basketball while promoting sportsmanship, teamwork and the importance of education. We also try to stress the importance of these traits in all areas of life, not just basketball.

We strive for excellence and are moving towards continuing to grow the program each year. In recent seasons we have added an alumni basketball game where players from earlier seasons compete against each other. This year’s game is to be played on January 31st. New basketball hoops have also been installed a few seasons back and we continue to try to find ways to improve our program on a daily basis.

The After School Program has also been gaining momentum in the past few years. We have been adding new programs every year to help enhance the quality of the children’s experiences. This year we added an Arts program with collaborations from the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester Center for Crafts, No Evil Project and Grafton St School. K-3Rd grade did self portraits with the Art Museum, 4th graders will be doing tile work with the Center for Crafts and the 5th and 6th graders will be going photo work with the No Evil Project.

The parent involvement support has been growing each year. Without parent involvement we wouldn’t be able to have success with events such as Family Pot Luck Dinners, Parent/Child Dance, Bake Sales etc. With the parents help we are able to make the program fun and unique for the children.

As in past years, the Afterschool participants also attend a program at WPI on Tuesdays and Thursdays in which the children get to experience different clubs and groups on the college campus. In addition, the children participate in the Little Buddies program which is collaboration with St. Francis Nursing Home.

There have been so many fabulous things happening at Friendly House over the past three years! We are hoping that 2015 continues to bless our agency, families and our community!!