Cambridge Youth Programs Summer 2023 Highlights

This summer, 276 Cambridge pre-teens and middle schoolers participated in Cambridge Youth Programs’ (CYP) summer programs at Youth Centers. CYP also offered a variety of teen programming and teen internship opportunities. Highlights from CYP’s summer programming included:

• You Create Plus + Reading Buddies: At The Gately Youth Center, young people had the opportunity to try new activities that they usually shy away from. Each week, young people were developed skills and explored activities they were interested in, including knitting and crocheting. The program model encouraged young people not only to engage in activities, but to find activities that fit their identity. Gately Youth Center also hosted Reading Buddies, where young people volunteered to become leaders in reading to Pre-K children every Wednesday. 
• Intergenerational Poetry: The Youth Worker 101 program at the Frisoli Youth Center ignited a remarkable collaboration. 13 teen interns and 12 Cambridge seniors (residents age 60 and older) converged in a series of weekly, creativity-infused intergenerational poetry writing sessions. The program culminated in an engaging open mic event held at the Little Crepe Café, a local business. 
• Creating the Grace Garden: The Moore Youth Center’s Neighborhood Summer Service Project paired staff and teens to undertake a community service project in their own backyard.  Teen interns worked together to revitalize and transform the Moore Youth Center’s side yard area into an outdoor retreat and learning space known as the Grace Garden. This inviting space features lush greenery, quiet corners, sitting areas, and garden spaces offering an ideal spot for Cambridge's youth to unwind, connect with friends, and engage in what the Moore Youth Center has to offer. 
• 10th Year of Boys II Men: The BIIM Empowerment Program successfully completed its 10th summer of programming, marking the longest tenured program in CYP. During the 6 week program, a group of 20 young kings focused on the exploration of masculinity and manhood, and the various internal and external factors that shape our ideas. Topics included Health and Wellness, Media Analysis, Creative Expression and Financial Empowerment. Teens also collaborated with Pagu, a local Cambridge restaurant, for a culinary pilot program called “Culinary Kings” which highlighted food’s ability to create bridges in community, career, and personal growth. 

CYP’s Youth Centers continue to be a hub of learning, growth, and fun for Cambridge youth. Pre-teen / middle school afterschool programs began in September and teens will be able to join interactive workshops, projects that focus on community involvement, and paid internship opportunities throughout the fall.

Learn more about the Department of Human Service Programs' summer programming highlights.