Project Y.E.S.

North Shore Community College

300 Broad Street, Rm. LE-329

781-593-6722 x2178

Program Overview:

            Project Y.E.S. (Youth Empowerment and Success) is a community resource that utilizes a holistic and strength-based approach for providing youth development services that empower youth with the assets they need to succeed. Project Y.E.S. believes in the ability for youth to behave responsibly and grow and supports them in taking a leadership role for social change.

            The program aims to prevent youth’s involvement in delinquent or antisocial behaviors, including gang related activity, by empowering youth with the assets they need to make positive choices and succeed. Project Y.E.S. serves middle school students, age 10-14, from Lynn who are displaying various risk factors including difficulty in school (low academic achievement and behavioral issues), history of delinquency, low self-esteem, and/or drug use/abuse. The youth we serve are identified and referred by various community agencies that serve youth, including school resource officers, probation officers, and other community agencies.

            Project Y.E.S. conducts a structured after school and summer program for middle school students designed to boost academic performance, healthy behaviors and personal development as well as provide a safe, fun, and welcoming environment for youth. The major components of the youth program include social skills/leadership development, career development, academic tutoring/support, fitness opportunities, fun-filled activities, and field trips. The youth component will utilize innovative methods to develop assets including use of the arts, technology, mentors, and community leaders as speakers/presenters. The activities will primarily be held at North Shore Community College. In addition to youth development, Project Y.E.S. includes a family component. Various support workshops are offered for parents, caretakers, or other family members of participating youth. The workshops will be a resource for family members who want to learn new and creative ways of guiding and supporting children.*

Best Practices:

            -A strength/asset-based approach for the whole of the program.

            -Building a positive community to counter-act the negative sense of community found in gang involvement.

            -A parent component that aids parents’ understanding as to how to best support their children and help them succeed. Project Y.E.S. hosts parents’ workshops in English and Spanish.

            -A summer program which takes place 2-3 days a week and involves field trips, exploration in the arts, and academic help.

Areas of college access it addresses:

            Academic Readiness—Through helping tutoring, homework help, MCAS prep, and developing writing skills, Project Y.E.S. promotes academic readiness.

            Social Readiness—By connecting students with a high school and a college mentor, students are encouraged to be post-graduation minded.

            College Information Awareness—Participants spend time on North Shore Community College’s campus, becoming familiar with how a higher education institution looks and functions.

*Language taken from Project Y.E.S. marketing materials.