The Holyoke Youth Task Force has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Girls Inc. of Holyoke as our coalition fiscal agent. As our programs have evolved, it has become clear to both the HYTF and Girls Inc. that it is time for our formal relationship to conclude so that each agency can most effectively prioritize our separate missions.

The Holyoke Youth Task Force (HYTF) is seeking a new fiscal agent to partner with us in our mission to strengthen the voice of youth in Holyoke and advocate for resources to meet their needs.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) outlining the coalition goals, needs, administrative and financial structure will be released by the HYTF on June 3, 2013.  Immediately following the release of the RFP, the HYTF and current fiscal agent Girls Inc. of Holyoke will host an Intent to Apply Q & A session on Friday, June 7th.  Agencies with any level of interest are invited to attend, and an RSVP by June 6th is required.

SAVE THE DATES:

Holyoke Youth Task Force Fiscal Agent RFP

Release date Monday, June 3, 2013

Holyoke Youth Task Force Fiscal Agent Search

Intent to Apply Q & A

Friday, June 7th, 2013  ♦  2:00 – 3:30 pm

6 Open Square Way, Holyoke, MA  (Girls Inc.)

RSVP by June 6th to Amy Epstein

AEpstein@girlsincholyoke.org

(413) 532-6247 ext. 103

Holyoke Youth Task Force Fiscal Agent Search

Applicant Presentations

HYTF Coalition Monthly Meeting

Thursday, July 18th, 2013  ♦  11:30am – 1:00pm

All inquiries in advance of June 1, 2013 may also be directed to Amy Epstein, Holyoke Youth Task Force Interim Manager.

The Holyoke Youth Task Force is proud to announce the launch of our Sober Up Your Status (SUYS) campaign! SUYS is an experimental marketing campaign to reduce youth social media posts about drinking and drug use, and to educate the Holyoke community about responsible and safe social media use.

The HYTF believes that the online community forged through youth interaction with social media is an environment like any other, and requires the engagement and participation of adults and community-based organizations to make it a safer place for youth to be. According to a 2012 study by Common Sense Media, 67% of teens have access to a mobile device that connects to the internet. 90% of teens have visited a social media site and 75% maintain a profile. Given this data, it seems impossible to discount the ability of social media engagement to influence youth perception about their peers’ activities. The Sober Up Your Status campaign was created to educate youth in Holyoke about the possible repercussions of exposing their online communities to messages about drugs and alcohol.

SUYS Peer Educators: Raul, Neishalee and Aisha on their first day at work!

Peer Education 

Sober Up Your Status will be implemented from April – August of 2013 with the help of three phenomenal Peer Educators, who were hired after an exhaustive search. We asked them to write short personal statements to introduce themselves to the community and explain a little about why this work is inspiring to them.

Raul Devers

Hi, my name is Raul Devers. I’m a seventeen year old teen father who works for the Sober Up Your Status campaign. I feel very strongly about teens degrading themselves on social media by saying they are high or they woke up with a hangover. These teens feel cool when they do things like this and they make others feel pressured into not being sober. It reminds me of my aunt who passed away from very strong drug use, which began with a little pressure just as the teens now experience—this is an ongoing issue. It’s a really good thing to look responsible on social media because you can say the wrong thing and have the wrong friend who was on your page at the wrong time. This might include teenagers you’re trying to persuade about doing good at the moment, and then you mess up everything when they see how irresponsible you we are being on that social network.

Also important people such as your boss and leaders of the community who are starting to respect you could see negative posts, and you slip up and lose all the respect! What I would say to an adult who down talks social media sites such as Twitter and or Facebook is that maybe I can show them that it can be the total opposite than what they believe it to be by showing them how teens express their feelings there. Teens use it to share how things make them feel nowadays; it’s hard on them when adults don’t listen to those little hints thrown at them. The hardest part for me in this job would be speaking in big crowds but I can work around it.

Neishalee Alvarado

My name is Neishalee Alvarado and I work for Sober Up Your Status! The way I feel about other teens posting online about being drunk or doing drugs, I feel like they do it for attention, to be cool, and more. It makes me feel like they don’t know what they are doing putting harm in their bodies, I see that I look at them different. I don’t look at them with the respect that I look at others with. I think it’s very important to set examples to everyone, not just friends, family members, people all around. I set an example to my little brothers and sister the most. I want them to grow up as a good people, to be kind, when they use the internet I want them to use it the right way. I want them and everyone else that looks up to me to see that you can make a change, it doesn’t matter how old you are if you have something to say, speak up.

I think Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc, are important because you can learn a lot on them. You don’t just go on them and just update your statues or anything like that. If you have the right people on your page, the ones that can give off good examples you can learn a lot. A lot of things that are said on the internet are true, that’s why you need to be careful what you write or what you put on the internet. I think the hardest part [of this job] will be to work with new people, at times I can be shy. After awhile I get use to it, but I would stick to it because I like to try new things, I wouldn’t want to give up on an opportunity like this. To speak up, to set an example, most importantly to make a change!

Aisha Cruz

My name is Aisha Cruz. I am 16 years old and I work for Sober Up Your Status. I am a peer educator and there are a couple personal things I would like to share with you today. My personal experience with alcohol, smoking, etc. is that I lived around people that did it all the time and didn’t realize how others felt. Today what I see lately on the Internet are young teens doing the same things; drinking, smoking and using drugs, and they don’t realize how it affects others when they see it. When I see photos and videos of many teens doing that, it brings sadness and hurt to me because that is not a good start in life. I think is important to project a responsible image to the online community because it is a way where you can show how well you really use the Web for good. I would want to set an example for my family, but also mostly my friends because they are teens. I would like to earn my respect from my friends, and not only them but also other people that look at my page.

I think is important for organizations like the Holyoke Youth Task Force to go online because that is where teenagers are and spent most of their time. If an adult came to me and said that Facebook and Twitter are not important, my response would be, “I don’t think so because that is where we can reach out to teenagers, but also adults.” I think the hardest part about working in the Sober Up Your Status campaign is talking. It is difficult at first since I am new at this. I still want to do this work because I do want to reach to other teenagers any possible way I can.

Thank you to all three of our amazing SUYS Peer Educators! In the near future we will be available to do workshops with the youth in your organizations about safe and responsible social media usage. If you’d like us to put on a workshop for your program, please contact Leah Uberseder at leah@youthtaskforce.org or by calling (413) 532-6247 ext. 108.

On March 27^th, Holyoke youth, community members, parents and others gathered in the Holyoke Health Center (HHC) to talk about the issue of teen suicide and depression in our city. Co-Sponsored by Holyoke Nights and the HHC’s Peer Health Advisory Board (PHAB), the event was called “We Are Listening” in an effort to highlight the community of resources and support systems that may otherwise be invisible to a hurting teen.

A completely youth led-event, “We Are Listening” was an idea of the Holyoke Nights youth planning committee after the loss of friend and former Holyoke Nights DJ Hector Ofray in December. The planning committee partnered with PHAB because of the HHC group’s expertise on health and mental health-related issues, and together the two groups envisioned an open forum for other youth to learn about suicide and depression, access community resources, and receive support and care from their peers. “We Are Listening” also received significant assistance from the Holyoke Equal Rights Association (HERA) in recognition that GLBTQ youth can be disproportionately at risk for suicide and depression.

Youth attendees arrived to a space adorned with affirming posters, declaring “You are Loved,” “You are Strong,” and “You Matter.” Participants were able to receive complimentary massages from a professional masseuse on site, speak with one of the two Holyoke Health Center counselors available for the event, lounge in the snuggle corner, or add to the Memory Wall in recognition of those they’d lost. PHAB put on an educational presentation about recognizing the signs of depression and suicide risk, how to respond, and who to contact. After a raffle of several self-care related prizes, including a journal, home spa kits, and two massage gift certificates, youth were able to participate in an open mic. Participants shared performance pieces and poems about the issues of suicide, loss, depression, and hope for the future.

Masseuse Sheila Petigny goes to work. Thanks, Sheila!

The evening concluded with a showing of the family movie “Cyberbully,” in which a young woman attempts suicide after experiencing significant online and in person harassment from her peers. Attendees were able to take home resources about local mental health care, youth suicide risk, self-care activities and community programs. Holyoke Nights and PHAB were both thrilled with the turnout, and we all look forward to keeping the conversation about these important issues open and proactive going forward. Thanks to all who came out to support the youth of Holyoke on this important!

Read more about the event in the Holyoke Sun!

Resources:  River Valley Counseling: (413) 540-1234

ServiceNet: (413) 592-5414 / (413) 585-1328

Local Crisis Line: (413) 536-2251

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255) / www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Our table of resources

This January, the Holyoke Youth Task Force began a process of strategic planning to map out our next five years of work. Our strategic planning committee includes representatives from many different organizations in Holyoke, several youth representatives of current programs, city and police department representatives and others. Each month we meet to examine the HYTF’s position in the community, our goals and direction for the future, and the best methodology for getting there. This process will culminate in two city-wide summits, one for youth and another for adults, to frame the direction and purpose of the HYTF’s next stage of growth.

HYTF Staff Leah Uberseder and Youth Commissioner Anysha Diaz

One of the youth members of the committee is Anysha Diaz, who is representing the Holyoke Youth Commission. Anysha and I sat down to interview each other about how the process of Strategic Planning has been so far and what our hopes are for the future.

Anysha: What do you think can be accomplished with the strategic planning meetings?

Leah: So much! I think that we will accomplish a solid vision and plan for the next five years. We are at a huge turning point with our funding and our fiscal agency relationship with Girls Incorporated, and it is time to use this moment of change to propel ourselves to the next level. Because of the many different people on the team, I see that we will really be able to get some direction from our coalition partners of how we can best serve them. I want to see milestones and clear direction on the issues and focus of our work. And I want to hear from the youth members on the team about what you want to change and where you want to go. We will leave this process with a solid plan for the next five years, and be able to know whether or not we are being successful along the way.

Leah:  Why do you think it’s good to have a strategic planning process that involves so many different community members and youth?

Anysha:  It’s important to have different community members and youth at the strategic planning meetings because then you get more input from a larger variety of people. This is because you can get feedback from what youth think in Holyoke, not just the adults. Therefore the youth can have an insight and input towards the topic discussed at the meetings. It is also good to have different community members because you get different ideas.

Anysha: Why do you think the Holyoke Youth Task Force is important?

Leah: A few weeks ago,  we were able to have Enlace De Familias Executive Director Betty Medina-Lichtenstein come and give a talk to our strategic planning group, and she gave this remarkable overview of the founding of the HYTF that none of us knew. In the late 1990’s, a group came together to really take action to support youth inHolyoke. In the beginning, everyone volunteered, and this dedicated group was able to find funding and other support to really make the HYTF a solid, working entity. I think that story in itself is a testament to how important it is to have a platform for youth voice and youth relationship with the City, as well as to have a support mechanism for adult youth workers to come together and increase opportunities and safe spaces for young people. The origins of the HYTF were truly grassroots, and represented a need that this community saw to amplify youth voices. That need hasn’t gone away!

Leah:   What are some of your biggest hopes for how the Holyoke Youth Task Force can grow and get better from this strategic planning process?

Anysha: My biggest hopes for the HYTF to grow I think is to first advertise themselves so that way more people know who they are and the work they do that helps Holyoke youth in great ways, so that they can be around for a while and not die off. So the hope is to get more recognition there for to some day be a bigger part and do more things in Holyoke.

Anysha:  Do you think there is anything that the Holyoke Youth Task Force should change in order to grow and become better?

Leah: I think there are always things an organization can do to grow, and that we are no different. That is the thing that is so great to me about strategic planning, since it is that time to really look at things and identify what is or isn’t working. One thing that has emerged really clearly to me (and you too, apparently!) is that we need to become better at talking to other people—youth and adults—about what we do and what we can provide for them. At the same time, we need to increase our offerings to our coalition partners. I want to see us as a go-to resource for professional development opportunities and support for all the youth-serving agencies in Holyoke, and that’s one part program and another part marketing. Finally, and most importantly, we need to do the same thing with the youth in our programs; we need to provide clear opportunities for leadership as well as the training and oversight to support that leadership. I think we are on our way!

Leah:  What have you learned about the Holyoke Youth Task Force that you didn’t know before being part of this committee?

Anysha: What I learned about Holyoke Youth Task Force that I didn’t know before being a part of this committee is that they are a not their own fiscal agent but that Girls Inc. is theirs. And that Girls Inc. oversees everything and gets percentages from whatever grants the Task Force gets to do this. Which isn’t always the best thing, but it is very hard to become your own agent [i.e. becoming a 501c.3 organization] and there is a long process to do so. Also, there are reasons that the Task Force needs to represent a lot of other groups and not be their own fiscal agent.

Anysha:  What do you think can be the biggest accomplishment by the Holyoke Youth Task Force or is the biggest accomplishment they have done?

Leah: I think the Youth Commission’s role is an incredible thing. It’s an enormous responsibility to represent the youth of Holyoke, and to have the ear and support of the City of Holyoke for your projects. I think the potential there is unlimited, and I am looking forward to the strategic planning process to define these roles and firm up our ability to do this work. I also think that, on the youth worker side of things, the HYTF as a coalition is really fantastic. The fact that every third Thursday of each month we are able to bring together so many amazing people to find opportunities to collaborate in support of Holyoke youth, that is just incredible.

Thanks for chatting, Anysha!

The Holyoke Youth Task Force strategic planning process is open to anyone in our community. We utilize online project management software so that all of our notes, discussions and decision-making can be visible to anyone who would like to participate or offer a comment. If you would like to join in, send an email to Leah@youthtaskforce.org to receive the log-in information to our strategic planning site. Stay tuned to our social networking pages and this blog for announcements of our upcoming youth and adult summits. We look forward to engaging event further with our community!

The Youth Commission is hiring again! Here are the applications, you can do it two ways, you can submit it online (http://kwiksurveys.com/s.asp?sid=5zzgy9gbmj0xban96033) or print it out from (Application for Membership PDF) and get it back to us when you finish, mail it to Holyoke Youth Commission, 6 Open Square Way in Holyoke. The deadline is April, 3, 2013.

-Holyoke Youth Commission

En nuestro esfuerzo por reconocer a jóvenes de Holyoke que están trabajando para hacer una diferencia positiva en la calidad de vida de la juventud de nuestra ciudad, cada mes el Holyoke Youth Task Force, el Holyoke Youth Commission y los miembros de la coalición, elegirán y honrarán a un “Joven que Hace la Diferencia”.

Durante veinte años, los jóvenes de Holyoke han jugado un papel importante en Nuestras Raíces. A través de estos años, la participación ha evolucinado de jardinería juvenil, a los sistemas educativos alimentación, a la investigación ambiental y a la producción de videos. Hoy en día,  la juventud pieza clave en su programa de formación inicial de un agricultores y agricultoras. Por otra parte, una de las capacidades básicas de Nuestras Raíces es la identificación de líderes locales para cultivar el talento local; como es el caso de nuestra primera joven galardonada con el reconocimiento de “Joven que Hace la Diferencia”, Jazmin Colón.

Diego Angarita, Director Asistente Ejecutivo de Nuestras Raíces, compartió con nosotros lo siguiente a acerca de Jazmin:

“Jazmin ha sido una participante activa en Nuestras Raíces desde 2010. Comenzó con la intuición más básica de la equidad y el deseo de contribuir a su comunidad. La he visto expandir su conocimiento sobre sistemas de alimentación, el medio ambiente y con la colaboración toma de decisiones sobre el tema de la alimentación escolar. Ella está conectada en red a nivel nacional y poseen habilidades que muchas personas sólo adquieren en las instituciones de educación superior. Más recientemente, se ha desempeñado como coordinadora de la juventud del programa. Nuestro objetivo para el año 2010 fue desarrollar el liderazgo juvenil y cultivar historias de éxito, honestamente puedo decir que con Jazmin hemos logrado nuestro objetivo “.

El Holyoke Youth Task Force se dió a la tarea de entrevistar a Jazmin electrónicamente, y a continuación compartimos esta entrevista:

Holyoke Youth Task Force:Cuéntanos un poco sobre ti: dónde naciste, cuéntenos sobre su familia, sobre tu vida académica (¿dónde estudias, qué grado …?)

Jazmin: Nací en Springfield, Massachusetts, tengo una familia grande. Tengo una mamá, cinco hermanas, dos hermanos y un padre. Estoy en el undécimo grado. Me gustan las matemáticas. Voy a la Escuela Superior de Holyoke.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: Dinos, ¿cómo te involucraste con Nuestras Raíces?

Jazmin: Me involucré cuando yo estaba en octavo grado, mi mamá fue la que me dijo sobre el programa. Empecé por el dinero, porque cada adolescente quiere dinero pero con el paso de los años yo estaba muy apasionada por el trabajo que hice lo que tenía que trabajar sin cobrar por algunos años, pero se quedó quieto.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: Nuestras Raíces promueve el desarrollo humano, económico y comunitario a través de proyectos relacionados con la alimentación, la agricultura y el medio ambiente, dínos, ¿por qué se involucran los jóvenes para apoyar esta misión?

Jazmin: Porque las voces juveniles por lo general no están siendo escuchadas y en el programa de Nuestras Raíces decimos lo que queremos. También es un lugar donde se puede sentir igual, no hay muchos lugares en donde podemos sentirnos así.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: ¿Qué has aprendido a través de Nuestras Raíces?

Jazmin: Aprendí muchas cosas: justicia alimentaria, justicia social, agricultura, expresión oral y habilidades de liderazgo. Además, he ganado confianza.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: ¿Cuál ha sido tus mayores logros gracias a Nuestras Raíces?

Jazmin: Mi mayor logro ha sido viajar y decirle a jóvenes iguales que yo lo he hecho, y ver lo mucho que he cambiado y ver que realmente me he hecho cambios.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: Háblanos de las habilidades para la vida que has desarrollado o adquirido a través de las oportunidades que Nuestras Raíces te ha brindado.

Jazmin: Destrezas de comunicación verbal. Antes de Nuestras Raíces, nunca habría pensado sobre hablar en lugares públicos importantes, porque su yo todavía hablar de las cosas que he aprendido y lo hizo en Nuetsras Raíces y si nunca había ganado habilidades de hablar, entonces no tendría que viajar a pasos y tenía confianza en lo que estaba diciendo a otras personas.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: Recientemente tuviste la oportunidad de ser una de los oradores en la Gala de Nuestras Raíces “, ¿cómo fue esa experiencia y qué esta experiencia significó para ti?

Jazmin: Sí, fue una de los oradores en la gala. Como siempre que estaba nerviosa, pero se sentía muy bien saber que yo era parte de la Gala de Nuetsras Raíces y de ser capaz de hablar sobre todo lo que pasó, y que la gente sepa que a los jóvenes de Holyoke nos importa. Realmente significó mucho para mí ser capaz de hablar en la gala.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: A través de todos estos años, ¿qué significa ser parte de Nuestras Raíces?

Jazmin: Significa cambiar Holyoke y aprender mi cultura y aprender de la granja y de la justicia alimentaria. Esto significa que los jóvenes quieren aprender acerca de todo lo que tiene que ofrecer Nuestras Raíces y tomarlo y mostrarlo al mundo.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: En tus propias palabras, ¿qué impacto tienen los programas para la juventud, como Nuestras Raíces, entre los jóvenes de Holyoke?

Jazmin: Es un lugar donde puedes ir y conocer a otras personas como tu, que quieren cambiar las cosas en Holyoke, se auspicia a que los jóvenes hagan lo mejor y cambiar, por que nosotros somos el futuro.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: ¿Qué se siente al ser el primer ganador de la Juventud del laudo diferencia?

Jazmin: Me siento feliz y honrada de ser reconocida y emocionada.

In our effort to recognize young people of Holyoke that are working towards making a positive difference on youths’ quality of life in our city, each month the Holyoke Youth Task Force, the Holyoke Youth Commission and the members of the coalition, will choose and honor a “Youth Making a Difference.”

For twenty years the young people of Holyoke have played an important role at Nuestras Raíces. Through these years, participation has evolved from youth gardening to food systems education to environmental research to video production. Nowadays it is a youth pipeline into their beginning farmer’s training program.  Moreover, one of the core capacities of Nuestras Raíces is identifying local leadership, cultivating local talent; like the first “Youth Making a Difference” recipient, Jazmin Colón.

Diego Angarita, Assistant Executive Director of Nuestras Raíces, shared with us the following about Jazmin:

“Jazmin has been an active participant at Nuestras Raíces since 2010.  She started with the most basic intuition of fairness and a desire to contribute to her community.  I have watched her expand her knowledge of food systems, the environment and engage with decision makers around the issue of school food.  She is networked nationally and possesses skills that many people only acquire in institutions of higher learning.  Most recently she has served as a staff youth coordinator for the program.  Our goal is 2010 was to develop youth leadership and cultivate success stories, I can honestly say that with Jazmin we achieved our goal.”

The Holyoke Youth Task Force interviewed Jazmin, and we share this below:

HolyokeYouth Task Force: Tell us a little about you: where you were born; tell us about your family; about your academic life, etc.

Jazmin: I was born in Springfield, Mass; I have a large family. I have a mom, five sisters, two brothers and a dad. I’m in 11th grade. I like math. I go to Holyoke High School.

HolyokeYouth Task Force: Tell us, how did you get involved with Nuestras Raíces?

Jazmin: I got involved when I was in 8th grade; my mom was the one who told me about the program. I started for the money because every teenager wants money but over the years I was really passionate about the work that I did so I had work without getting paid for a few years but still stayed.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: Nuestras Raíces promotes human, economic, and community development through projects related to food, agriculture and the environment; tell us, why are youth involved in supporting this mission?  

Jazmin: Because usually youth’s voices are not being heard and Nuestras Raíces’ program lets us say what we want. It’s also a place where we can feel equal– not many places do.

HolyokeYouth Task Force: What have you learned through Nuestras Raíces?

Jazmin: I learned many things: food justice, social justice, agriculture, speaking skills and leadership skills. Also, I’ve gained confidence.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: What it has been your biggest accomplishment thanks to Nuestras Raíces?

Jazmin: My biggest accomplishment would be traveling and telling other just like me what I’ve done and seeing how much I changed and seeing that I really did make a change.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: Tell us about one life skill that you have developed or gained through the opportunities given by Nuestras Raíces?

Jazmin: Speaking skills. Before Nuestras Raíces, I would have never even thought about speaking in public places. Its important because I do still speak about the stuff that I learned and did at Nuestras Raíces  and if I never gained speaking skills then I wouldn’t have been able  travel to places and have confidence in what I was saying to other people.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: Recently you had the opportunity to be one of the speakers at the Nuestras Raíces’ Gala; how was that experience and what did this experience mean to you?

Jazmin: Yes, I was a speaker at the gala. As always I was nervous but it felt great to know that I was a part of Nuestras Raíces, and to be able to talk about everything that happened, and let people know that youth of Holyoke do care. It truly meant a lot to me to be able to speak at the gala.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: Through all these years, what does it mean to be part of Nuestras Raíces?  

Jazmin: Being part of Nuestras Raíces means changing Holyoke, learning about my culture, learning to farm, and about food justice. It means youth do want to learn about everything Nuestras Raíces has to offer, and take it and show it to the world.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: In your own words, what impact do youth programs, like Nuestras Raíces, have on Holyoke’s youth?

Jazmin: It’s a place were you can go and meet other people like you, who want to change things in Holyoke. It encourages youth to do better and change because we are the future.

Holyoke Youth Task Force: How does it feel to be the first recipient of the Youth Making A Difference Award?

Jazmin: I feel happy and honored to be a recipient. I’m excited!