Hyde Square Task Force youth are leaders within the organization and beyond, helping to diminish negative stereotypes of urban youth with their positive energy and dedication to improving their community. In each of our high-intensity youth teams, participants ages 14-21 receive specialized training and participate in 6-15 hours of community-building and youth development activities each week. Youth develop leadership skills through our core curriculum (click to view in Adobe PDF format, file size: 420 kB), while acting as instructors and role models for younger children in our elementary and middle school programs.
"Before, I had my opinions about what went on in the community, but I never knew I could do anything about it." Now, Francheska is empowered to do something...
>> Read Francheska's story
Community Development Artists
The Community Development Artists (CDAs) are a group of 15 youth who create public art that is representative of themselves, their community, and their vision for the future. As they work with professional artists to create thriving open spaces that welcome and celebrate the diverse cultures of our neighborhood, the young apprentices develop leadership skills. CDAs flex their leadership muscles by working with elementary and middle school students, serving as positive role models and involving local children in the creation of public art. Their work can be seen throughout Hyde/Jackson Square: on plaques and columns in the Jackson Square T Station and in Mozart Park. The public artwork of our youth has received support and recognition from the New England Foundation for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information on Community Development Artists, please contact Chrismaldi at (617) 524-8303 x 325 or chrismaldi@hydesquare.org
Read more about the Jackson Square Mural Project in English and Spanish.
View a slideshow of Phase III of the Jackson Mural Project.
Health Careers Ambassadors Program (H-CAP)
The Health Careers Ambassadors Program (H-CAP) builds the leadership and professional skills of youth as they work to create a healthier community through education and outreach. H-CAP began in 2004 as an employment opportunity for local youth who were interested in working in health career fields. Since then, the program has expanded to place 15 youth in internships at Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, Brookside Community Health Center, Martha Eliot Health Center, and Dimock Community Health Center. H-CAP youth also research community health issues and disparities and help raise awareness of them through published health guides, workshops for local students, and advocacy.
For more information on Health Careers Ambassadors Program (H-CAP), contact Guy at (617) 524-8303 or guy@hydesquare.org
Watch the trailer of H-CAP's documentary 'Looking for Peace: One Block at a Time'
Read a report describing H-CAP teens at work.
Ritmo en Acción
Ritmo en Acción, an award-winning Afro-Latin and contemporary dance troupe, builds the skills of youth while giving them the opportunity for self-expression and cultural celebration. The Ritmo en Acción youth dance troupe began in 2001 through the vision and hard work of Chrismaldi Vasquez, then a teen leader with the Hyde Square Task Force. With the help of instructors from HYM Dance Company, Boston’s premier Latin dance company, Ritmo en Acción has gained local and national attention. Since its founding, the program has grown from a group of six to serve over 300 teens and children in our community. Ritmo’s 15 core teen dancers are trained as dance performers, instructors, and cultural stewards. They share their knowledge and talent with local children and adults, and with audiences throughout Boston.
For more information about Ritmo en Acción , contact Barbara at (617) 524-8303 x 327 or barbara@hydesquare.org
Learn more about Ritmo's recent recognition by the President's Committee on the Arts & Humanities.
View Ritmo's August 2006 performance at Mozart Park.
Youth Community Organizers
Youth Community Organizers (YCO) build the leadership skills of urban youth, as they mobilize the community to take action on issues of importance and make lasting social change. The YCOs initiative was formed in 1999 to connect teens with the civil functioning of our society and to facilitate their work towards changing the political and economic structures that produce injustice. Since then, 15 youth organizers have been trained each year in community organizing skills such as power and social class analysis, the history of social movements, advocacy and public speaking. Their organizing campaigns have received extensive media coverage, support from city, state, and elected officials, and have changed our community and educational system for the better.
For more information about Youth Community Organizers, contact Mark at (617) 524-8303 x or mark@hydesquare.org
CLICK HERE to learn more about our youth organizing efforts.
Youth Literacy Tutors
The Youth Literacy Tutors (YLT) is a leadership development program in which teens promote literacy throughout the community while acting as tutors and positive role models for local children. Formed in the 1990’s, the Youth Literacy Tutors (YLT) program was the very first Hyde Square Task Force youth team, and was created to address the lack of academic support and employment opportunities for youth in the Hyde/Jackson Square neighborhood Fifteen youth are supported in developing their own literacy skills, then trained in techniques for coaching younger readers. YLTs are placed in HSTF’s After School programs, where they lead educational activities for younger children. Through innovative events and publications, they use literacy as a tool for community development.
For more information about Youth Literacy Tutors, contact Ana at (617) 524-8303 x 324 or ana@hydesquare.org