Bringing youth and adults together to reach shared goals
Our Ongoing Partnerships
Since 2016
South Boston
With an amazing group of young people, we are building a more tight-knit and safe community
Since 2017
Dorchester
In partnership with both youth and employers, we are working to improve youth employment outcomes in Dorchester
in progress
New Partnerships
We are working to develop new partnerships in communities ranging from Somerville to Needham
Building a Stronger Safer South Boston
The Spark
One year ago at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in South Boston, eight young people realized they wanted to build a stronger, safer, South Boston. SparkShare was there to help. We connected them with eight other organizations in South Boston such as the Boys and Girls Club, South Boston Community Health Center, and the Boston Housing Authority.
Building Connections
We built a core group of 20 young people from these organizations, and together with the adults, we crafted a vision of a more connected, more supportive community -- one that enables young people to make healthier decisions and connect to the resources and support they need to thrive. Their target: reaching all 1,000 young people in South Boston.
Reaching 1,000
A galvanized community is now moving forward with events and programs to expand the circle of youth in South Boston connected to each other, to adults, and to the organizations that serve youth.
Our goal is to have a community. A real community
-- Dion, Youth Participant, Tierney Learning Center
Events in South Boston
Basketball Tournament
April 2017 -- A community basketball tournament to broaden youth participation in the partnership
Field Day
August 2017 -- A community field to bring youth together to build and strengthen their networks
Expanding Youth Employment Pathways
How We Started
At our inaugural summit, youth leaders raised lack of employment as a critical barrier to opportunity. In May 2017, we launched The Youth Employer Roundtable, in partnership with Opportunity Youth United.
Our Focus
The Roundtable brings together youth, employers, service providers, policy makers, and educational institutions to create specific, actionable ideas for improving employment outcomes for young people in Dorchester.
What We're Doing
I think if somebody that you look up to invests time into you and makes you realize all the things you can contribute to society, that's the biggest thing
-- Sky, Youth Participant MassVOTE
From our May Summit, we created three youth/employer working groups to craft solutions to addressing racial and cultural biases in hiring, expanding networks and mentor opportunities for youth and employers, and skill development.