The summer months are a critical time in keeping young minds engaged! Here are some great opportunities for summer learning and exploration in Holyoke…

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Organization: Phoenix Dance Academy’s Summer ARTS Series, Contact info: Anthony Wilson 413 345 1798, Ages of youth: 5-15, Types of activities:Arts and Crafts, Dance, Theater skills, performance skills, Cost: $300 for the August Session

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Organization: Girls Incorporated of Holyoke Contact info: Sarah Dunton, Director of Youth Development Programs sdunton@girlsincholyoke.org 413-533-0796 x101 Ages of youth:13-18 Types of activities:Health & Wellness; Outdoor Adventure Programs; College Trips; Science Exploration; Career Exploration; Computer Game Design and Lego Robotics Cost:FREE! Additional info: Girls Incorporated ofHolyokeinspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold. We offer 2 summer programs for teens 13-18, one in July and one in August. All programs are free, lunch is provided. Programs run from 9am – 4pm M-Th and Fridays from 9-2pm. Please call or email me for more information.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Organization: HERA Contact info:Amy Epstein 413.532.6247 x103 Ages of youth: 13-21 (contact us if you are younger or older and we can talk) Types of activities: Support and leadership development for LGBTQ youth and their allies Cost:Free Additional info: Holyoke Health Center First Floor Conference Room 5:30-7:00  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Organization:  CareerPoint Contact info: 532- 4900 Ages of youth: 14 – 21 Types of activities: Job search, Work Place Readiness Certification, Career Exploration, MCAS support &  other Referrals Cost: Free – Call to sign up for orientation Additional info: website about our services: www.careerpointma.org. also find us on face book. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Organization: STEP Program of Holyoke Community College Contact: Brian White, bwhite@hcc.edu, 413-552-2287 students going into 7th or 8th grade in Peck, EN White, Donahue or Kelly Schools Hands-on classes taught by high school and college students, outdoor activities, field trips Free to students accepted into the program Program runs Monday – Thursday, July 30 – August 16 from 10am to 2:30pm at Holyoke Community College.  Not a drop in program.  We request that all students accepted make a commitment to be there the 3 weeks.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       Organization: HUBS (HolyokeUrban Bike Shop), 160 Beech StreetHolyoke Ma 01040, (Located at theHolyoke YMCA)  Liz Budd, 413-534-5631 x114 or email lbudd@holyokeymca.org Youth Ages 12 and up Earn-A-Bike; this is a  six week program where participants learn all of the parts, systems and mechanics of a bicycle while they build themselves one to keep Cost is a suggested donation of $20 but no one is turned away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Email Rebecca with your organization’s summer opportunities to be added here: rmasters@girlsincholyoke.org.

The Holyoke Youth Task Force is underway with a data collection project to find out what the community knows about social hosting laws. In Massachusetts, it is against the law to allow anyone under 21, except for your own child or grandchild, to drink alcohol on property you own or rent. Further, you can be sued if your child or another teenager drinks alcohol in your home and then causes harm to themselves or someone else.
HYTF member organization youth are taking to their neighborhoods, grocery stores, and even the mall to survey parents on the realities and perceptions of serving alcohol to minors in the home. Not only will this data help shape the message of the next social marketing campaign implemented by the Holyoke Youth Task Force, it also draws attention to this important issue. Further, by opening up inter-generational conversations around alcohol, the young people are reminding adults that they are a major influencing factor in teen lives.

The HYTF is in need of new members on the Social Marketing committee. If you are able to donate a few hours a month, please contact

Rebecca Masters at (413) 532-6247, ext. 108 or email at rmasters@girlsincholyoke.org.

The Holyoke Youth Task Force in partnership with the Holyoke Public Schools implemented the Prevention Needs Assessment Survey to all 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in Holyoke Public Schools. The survey shows the risk and protective factors of Holyoke youth. This data is vital in guiding the direction of portions of the HYTF coalition’s work. Please contact Rebecca Masters for survey results at rmasters@girlsincholyoke.org.

On June 11th, youth, parents/guardians, and youth workers were recognized at the Holyoke Health Center as the Holyoke Youth Task Force honored outstanding Holyoke Heroes! Through the months of May and June, the Holyoke Youth Task Force asked community-based organizations, schools, youth, and the community at-large to nominate local heroes from the community to be recognized at the Holyoke Youth Task Force annual recognition event. Traditionally, this event had only recognized outstanding youth in the community. This year, those people who have helped youth succeed were also honored: parents/guardians and youth workers! Over forty nominees were recognized, and three in each catagory were specially selected by the Holyoke Youth Commission to be honored. The winners were as follows:Youth Workers: Jude Kallok, Andrew Melendez, Amanda Melemed Parents/Guardians: Heri Acevedo, Martiza Santiago, Parents from the Girls Inc After School programYouth: Iliana Cabon, Crystal Duck, Hector Lasanta.

If you look to the bottom left of these very words, you’ll find a map with a link. This map leads to something very handy for Holyoke parents looking to find quality, after-school and out-of-school time programs for their children. With a simple click of the mouse, parents and care-givers can locate programs in Holyoke that are close to school, work, or home. Just as convenient, these programs are listed by age and focus area in the near by yellow “Directory”.

Guided by web consultant and experienced youth worker, Jared Libby, youth from Holyoke Youth Task Force member agencies, El Arco Iris and Girls Inc. of Holyoke, were allowed the opportunity to create the cyber map, get a taste of website designing, and most importantly help the community!

The Directory for Afterschool and Summer Programs was develped by the WestMOST Network, the Hasbro Summer Learning Initiative and its partner organizations and was funded by a grant from the MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education.