Cambridge Savings Bank and DivcoWest Donate $50,000 to Support Summer Empowerment Program for Cambridge Youth. City Partners with My Brother's Keeper

This summer, My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Cambridge Task Force, in partnership with the City of Cambridge, launched a new Summer Empowerment Program for Cambridge youth. This program, which supported 50 young people in an interactive summer experience, was funded through $63,000 in City funds, $25,000 donated by Cambridge Savings Bank, and $25,000 donated by DivcoWest.

“I am so pleased that the City was able to support 50 young men and women in gaining critical life skills through this Summer Empowerment Program. The My Brother’s Keeper Task Force planned and executed a first-rate program,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “I want to thank Cambridge Savings Bank and DivcoWest for their generous donations, which ltimately provided critical resources for this summer learning initiative. We are fortunate as a city to have great community partners like Cambridge Savings Bank and DivicoWest, who are willing to support such important programs.”

The Summer Empowerment Program provided participants with a suite of skills to expand their personal toolkits. The four-week curriculum, which was conducted at Danehy Park, included sessions on Financial Literacy, Executive Functioning, College and Career Planning, Social Justice and Policy, Social Emotional Supports, and Health and Wellness.

“The Summer Empowerment Program provided tremendously valuable life skills and experiences for many young men and women in our community,” said Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. “This is the type of program I wish I had an opportunity to participate in when I was their age. My Brother’s Keeper Cambridge did a tremendous job and the Cambridge Police looks forward to supporting their ongoing efforts in the future.”

The MBK team worked closely with the Cambridge Police Department, the Office of the Mayor, and the Office of the City Manager. Instructors were supported by young adults from the community, members of the Cambridge Police Cadet Program, staff from the Department of Human Service Programs, as well as Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Principal Damon Smith. MBK selected a diverse and gender-balanced cross-section of young people from Cambridge to participate in the program.

"As a son of Cambridge it was important for my team and I to expand the classroom for the young people in our community. We wanted to provide them with the opportunity to engage the world around them in a strategic way and we believe this summer we helped our youngsters believe in their genius, a genius that we need to help them tap into more as a community," said Tony Clark, President of MBK Cambridge Task Force Board.

On August 18, 2020, program participants were celebrated for their successful completion of the program at the Starlight Theater in Central Square. A summary video of the program is available online.