The Civic Engagement Initiative (CEI) was established in 2002 as a non-partisan effort to increase voter participation in Boston and Chelsea’s most disadvantaged communities. Since its inception the CEI has funded over a dozen community-based organizations to register, educate, and turnout voters as a vehicle for creating change on issues such as affordable housing, quality public education, job creation, and city services.
The
Young Civic Leaders, a program of MassVOTE, gives youth the tools that
they need to become leaders in their communities. Through active
participation in trainings, workshops, and project-based learning,
Young Civic Leaders become agents of change in their communities. Young
Civic Leaders educate, organize and mobilize their peers to become
civically engaged in their neighborhoods.
YCL
is an 11-month paid internship for high school sophomores, juniors, and
seniors. Young Civic Leaders commit to working 10 hours a week during
the school year and 20 hours a week during the summer. Each participant
must maintain at least a C+ grade average. Upon graduation and
admission to college, Young Civic Leaders are eligible for a
scholarship from MassVOTE.
UPDATE: MassVOTE recently hired a team of four new Young Civic Leaders: Elijaih, Shaughnessy, Daniel, and Flora. They joined Lisa, Donovan, Robeson, and Dozelyn, all Young Civic Leaders who are continuing their work from last year. Together, these 8 YCL’ers make up the 2009-2010 class. Near Election Day, they worked to get out the vote in Boston on a nonpartisan basis, by reminding neighbors to vote. They are working now to learn civics and get ready to present civic workshops around Boston.
WHAT MAKES YCL UNIQUE?
YCLers develop competencies in the following key areas:
Professional Skills Development: relationship-
building/networking, grant writing, budget management, event
planning and organizing
Community Engagement: organizing, relationship-building with
community-based organizations and volunteerism
Media Relations: press releases, T.V. , news paper, and radio
interviews
Educational Activities: workshops, field trips, trainings, research
and tutoring
In addition, YCL is proud to be a part of BNY Mellon CityACCESS program. Funded by The Bank of New York Mellon’s Charitable Giving Program funded through the generosity of the Arthur F. Blanchard Trust, CityACCESS is a partnership of six community-based organizations offering unique opportunities to high school students called Teen Ambassadors.
To apply, or for more information, contact Jasmine Hicks (by email at jasmine [at] massvote [dot] org or by phone at (617)542-8683x202) or click "Application" on the left column to fill out an application.
Updates!
Y.C.L Update: Pre-Registration
Faces of YCL
So whatdo we look like, and what do we do outside of MassVote?
Writing a birthday card for a fellow YCLer (From left to right: Ngan, Lisa, Donovan, Robeson)
Eating birthday cakes!
Training sessions for YCLers
Jasmine, Phi, and Ngan
A field trip on the Freedom Trail
Reliving American history
Typical YCL meeting
Julian, Donavan, and Dozelyn
Ngan and Luisa; behind them is a map of the great state of Massachusetts
Civies Awards Ceremony 2009
On April 23th, the Young Civic Leaders sponsored the Civies Awards to honor youth programs in Massachusetts that have made a powerful, positive contribution. Over 100 youth and adult supporters attended the ceremony, hosted at Northeastern University's Dodge Hall. Awards were given for groups that work on issues including public safety, social justice, leadership, education, and arts. Individual awards were given to special leaders who have served youth with distinction. We congratulate all the winners and nominees!
The nominees included:
Coalition for Asian Pacific American Youth (CAPAY), Asian Voices of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment (A-VOYCE), Mayor’s Youth CouncilBostonCommunity Center for Justice (BCCJ), Teens in Print, Zumix, Youth Design Boston, Project Hip Hop, Critical Breakdown, Youth and Government, Sociedad Latina, Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC), Chelsea Collaborative, Citizens Schools, Year up, Upward Bound, Bottomline, Close to Home, Mission Safe, Beantown Society
For the video introduction of nominees, click here
George Watsky, Malia Lazu, Chikaelo Ibeabuchi, Oscar Brazoban and Jesus Gerena
And winner of this year's Super Civie, for overall achievement in the service of Boston's youth, was:
The Hyde Square Task Force
YCL Application
APPLICATION DEADLINE
August 14, 2009
Young Civic Leaders
Year-long, paid internships available
Young Civic Leaders is a program that gives diverse high-school youth an opportunity to come together with other youth from across Boston and learn about democracy, gain leadership and job skills in a professional environment.
Young Civic Leaders work 10 hours each week from October to August at MassVOTE, which is located near City Hall and convenient to public transportation.Young Civic Leaders are paid $9 per hour. In return for their work, all Young Civic Leaders are mentored and supported.Each year, Young Civic Leaders learn about voting and democracy, and then present Get-Out-The-Vote trainings and reach out to other youth to help them vote and participate. Young Civic Leaders are also given time and support with homework and college applications.
MassVOTE is a non-partisan education organization that works to eliminate barriers and encourage voting, especially among communities of color, language minorities, low income communities, youth, new American citizens, and the disabled. Young Civic Leaders help MassVOTE work for justice.
Young Civic Leaders do research, youth organizing, office work, advocacy, and talk with neighbors and peers to ask them to vote and participate. Each intern is given a specific project to work on, and paired with a staff supervisor. All Young Civic Leaders work together to organize an annual civic engagement event for youth. They come to MassVOTE every Friday afternoon for trainings and leadership-related movies.They assist senior staff on different projects.Each month, they take a civic quiz. At the end of the year, they develop their own presentation and present it on Parents’ Night.
All Participants must earn and keep at least a C+ average, and should be creative, dependable, responsible, able to take initiative, and enjoy meeting new people and working in teams.
To get an application or find out more, contact Jasmine Hicks at jasmine [at] massvote [dot] org or call at (617) 542-8683 ext. 202.
Eye on Democracy is a video contest where contestants are asked to
create a 2-3 minute video reflecting the voting experience, positive
and negative, of voters in Massachusetts on Election Day, November 4th.
Eye on Democracy is a project of MassVote in coordination with: Suffolk
University, The Hyams Foundation, Access Strategies Fund and The Boston
Foundation.
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