Looking for Peace
Peace in the Making: Youth Violence from a Teen's Perspective
Thursday, May 29th, 6-8PM
John D. O'Bryant African-American Institute
Northeastern University
40 Leon Street (adjacent to West Village F), Suite 212
Join us for the premiere of Looking for Peace--One Block at a Time, a documentary film by the Hyde Square Task Force's Health Career Ambassadors. A panel discussion on youth violence in Boston will follow the viewing. For more information, please Guy at 617.524.8303 x302 or guy@hydesquare.org.
Click here to watch the video trailer.
Click here to read an editorial on the documentary.
Arts in the Summer
Arts in the Summer is a 6-week full-day summer program for youth in grades 1-8. Arts in the Summer is a low-cost program that engages participants through dance, music, sports and other creative projects. Youth take weekly field trips and have opportunities to perform for families and the community at our weekly Summer Nights Out events.
For more information, contact Ana at (617) 524-8303 x 324 or ana@hydesquare.org
Click here to view / download an application for our summer programs.
Mozart Park Sculpture Project
When tapped to create a sculpture for Mozart Park in Jamaica Plain, artist Douglas Kornfeld wanted to take the opportunity to create a piece of public art that would speak to the culture, hopes, and dreams of the Hyde-Jackson Square community. After holding a series of meetings with HSTF's Community Development Artists and local residents, Mr. Kornfeld is again requesting that members of the community make their voices heard and help inspire the design of this project.
To contribute your thoughts to the project, click here.
The Hyde Square Task Force's Annual Meeting
Thursday, June 19th, 6-8PM
Cheverus Building, 365 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain
Please join the staff, Board and youth of the Hyde Square Task Force in celebrating the year's victories - and learn about our efforts this summer to engage more youth than ever through our expanding arts and cultural programs and new youth-led community development opportunities. HSTF's Board of Directors will be elected at the meeting.We hope to see you there!
For more information, please contact Paul Trunnell at 617.542.8303 x321 or paul@hydesquare.org.
Click here to learn more about upcoming events at the Hyde Square Task Force in our calendar.
Local Youth Take on Street Violence
At the end of a week marred by more killings in Jamaica Plain, over 50 youth gathered on the steps of the Curley K-8 School to turn back the rising tide of violence with nothing but paint brushes, a message of hope and the strength of numbers. After a brief press conference, and under the guidance of Sidewalk Sam, youth from HSTF's Community Development Artists, Spontaneous Celebration's Beantown Society and other members of the Hyde/Jackson Square community painted an enormous dove on the steps of the Curley School in an effort to establish a culture of non-violence on the streets of Boston.
HSTF Youth Dance onto National Stage
If receiving an arts award in the White House from First Lady Laura Bush wasn’t enough to garner some national attention for the Hyde Square Task Force’s Ritmo en Accion dance troupe, then the recent coverage on The NBC Nightly News should get the country talking.
Ritmo en Accion was featured on a special ‘Making a Difference’ segment for the evening news. Not only do these youth dancers make a difference in the lives of elementary and middle school students by acting as role models and passing along lessons about dance, but the lives of the dancers themselves are transformed by being a part of the Ritmo program—100% of alumni have graduated from high school and been accepted into college.
Click here to watch Ritmo on NBC.
Youth Bring Civics Campaign to City Hall
On Thursday, October 18th Hyde Square Task Force youth testified at Boston City Council's Hearing on Civics in Boston Public Schools. This hearing, initiated by HSTF Youth Community Organizers with the help of City Councilor Chuck Turner, called for the addition of a mandatory civics requirement for all Boston Public School students in the 11th and 12th grades. Over 200 youth and adults attended the hearing to show their support for this civics curriculum. Fifteen local organizations, including the Boston Parent Organizing Network and the Civic Education Project were represented at the hearing; many of these representatives also testified on behalf of the campaign for civics.
For more information on this campaign, please contact Chrismaldi at (617) 524-8303 x 325 or chrismaldi@hydesquare.org
2006 Annual Report Now Available
Read about our growth over the past year, as we continue finding new ways to expand youth leadership opportunities, promote civic engagement, build positive relationships, enrich academics, and celebrate culture and community. To get a copy of our new report, you can pick one up at our office (375 Centre St.) or contact Paul at (617) 524-8303 x 321 or paul@hydesquare.org
Click here to download the 2006 Annual Report in Adobe PDF format (file size: 1.65 KB)
To download a free copy of Adobe Reader, go to:
To see more highlights, go to our Archives section.
Banner photo by Carol Palmer c 2002 www.BrilliantPictures.com