|
|
Sociedad Latina
Youth Development for Community Change
|
|
From Sociedad Latina youth, families, staff and board:
Feliz día de los
Reyes Magos!
Happy Three Kings Day!
Tonight, Sociedad Latina will host our 20th Annual Three Kings Day Celebration, a coming together of local children, youth, families, and friends to continue this Latino tradition, celebrate the past year's successes, and prepare for what will surely be another exciting year at Sociedad Latina. The event will feature performances from the Music Clubhouse, dancing, a holiday meal and toy distribution to Sociedad Latina families.
This year, we also begin a tradition of honoring those individuals among us who are champions of the Latino community in Boston and nationwide. Our work at Sociedad Latina is not done alone; our successes are the result of many partners--both individuals and institutions--who share in our commitment to strengthening our Latino community. Tonight, Sociedad Latina's first annual Nuestra Voz Awards will be presented and sincere thanks will be extended to the following individuals who have contributed so greatly to building a strong, healthy Latino community in Boston:
For their work as co-chairs of Boston's ELL Task Force, charged with improving services provided to ELL students in Boston Public Schools:
Claudio Martinez, Executive Director of Hyde Square Task Force
Klare Shaw, formerly of the Barr Foundation, focuses on improving educational outcomes for children and youth. She's currently a consultant with EdVestors.
For their work leading Boston's stand against Arizona's SB0170 law and passing Boston's resolution to end all business with Arizona:
Felix G. Arroyo, Boston City Councillor
Mike Ross, Boston City Council President
Please join us in congratulating this year's Nuestra Voz award recipients!
|
|
Monthly career panels offer 'inside story' on jobs
(From left to right) Chris Faraone of The Boston Phoenix, Link McKie of Northeastern University, and Meredith Goldstein of The Boston Globe, sit on a journalism career panel for Youth Leaders in December.
As part of Sociedad Lratina's Workforce Development Initiative, Youth Leaders have been attending monthly career panels featuring local professionals who volunteer to share their expertise and experience in their fields. Each panel focuses on a specific field or industry, such as public service, health care, business or engineering. Just this year we've hosted police officers, teachers, writers, columnists, college professors and community relations professionals from local institutions.
Ana Vargas, who will begin her freshman year this month at Wheelock College, wants to pursue a career in social work and says she came to this decision after hearing a social worker speak about the profession on a career panel. Ana was inspired to hear panelists talk about working to fulfill their passions at jobs that mean more than just a paycheck.
"I believe in helping a society move forward," said Ana, 19, who is currently employed through our Health Careers for Youth Program and receives tutoring and college access support through Mission Possible!
Career panels are in question-answer format where Youth Leaders brainstorm specific questions ahead of time and pose them to panelists. They ask about education and licensing requirements, salaries, perks, challenges, and what a typical day at work looks like.
"We get to know the panelists as people and as professionals," Ana said. "We don't only get to see the jobs from the outside, we get to see the inside story of the jobs to know what people go through."
To learn more about our Workforce Development Programs, contact Lydia Emmons at 617-442-4299 x121 or Lydia@sociedadlatina.org. |
Mission Possible! takes SAT prep to the next level
Youth Leaders Joseph Monge and Gilberlyn Perea log on to WilsonDailyPrep after school.
This winter, Mission Possible! youth got a new tool in their SAT prep toolkit thanks to the generosity of one of the premiere test preparation companies in the country, WilsonDailyPrep. Founder Laura Wilson recently came to Sociedad Latina from New York to introduce the online program, which she is providing to our high school, after-school Mission Possible! program free of charge.
WilsonDailyPrep sends daily SAT questions to youth by email, providing interactive and long-term preparation for the important exam. According to the company, the service, which normally charges a fee, can result in up to a 200-point improvement in scores.
"It's easier to do a few questions a day than taking a whole practice exam," says Mission Possible! youth Gilberlyn Perea. "If you do a little bit every day, you can see your progress."
Along with access to the service, the company donated SAT and ACT prep books, and will assist Sociedad Latina staff and College Coaches with administering the program. Other features include a communication component that keeps parents in the loop, and a site coach that checks in with Mission Possible! every six weeks.
WilsonDailyPrep is based on Laura Wilson's high school teaching experience that showed less-intensive, consistent practice was far more effective than cramming before the exam. And the email and online format is designed to fit into anyone's schedule.
"The questions basically show me what I'm going to be facing when I actually take the exam," says Joseph Monge, who will take the exam for the first time this spring. "And it's timed, just like the real one. I'm not getting anything in school like this, and it makes it easy since I don't have to go any further for SAT help than to Sociedad, where I already go after school."
For more information about Mission Possible! contact Katie Magyar at 617-442-4299 x141 or katie@sociedadlatina.org.
|
SL honored at El Mundo holiday bash
El Mundo, Liberty Mutual, and the Boston Red Sox recognized Sociedad Latina as one of Boston's best Latino organizations at their holiday event, Moving Forward Together. At the event, Sociedad Latina received a $5,000 check to support our work in 2011.
| 
| Visit our Facebook page for more photos of the event.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
