The Agenda for Children works with Cambridge Public Schools, non-profit groups and other organizations who work with children to improve the educational quality of Cambridge youth. The Agenda was created to address concerns that the city had about after school time and literacy issues. Out of the Agenda came the Middle School Network whose main focus is fostering out of school time activities specifically for middle school students. The network is comprised of 18 different after school programs throughout Cambridge. The networks goals are to strengthen the quality of programming offered to middle schoolers and well as provide students across the city access to the programs. The network meets once a month to collaborate and discuss how things are going in their respective programs.
What we are doing:
Tag team service with middle school and Lesley students
Lesley University students will lead a workshop on leading an effective group to Cambridge’s Youth Involvement Subcommittee. The topics will include; setting community norms, ice breakers, energizers, effective communication, and team building. After this workshop the Lesley students and YIS students will do a service project together.
Lesley students participate in Middle School Network Site Activities and/or Events
Lesley University students have volunteered or participated at Middle School Network sites in order to fulfill a community need. Students have volunteered Cambridge Community Center, Community Arts Center, Tutoring Plus, Boys and Girls Club, and Frisoli Youth Center.
Service Learning Class
A class at Lesley has partnered with Tutoring Plus in a service learning class. The Lesley students have been trained on effective communication, team building and confidence boosters to apply to their work with the middle school girls. These trainings were lead by the MACC VISTA (that’s me J) The middle school girls from Tutoring Plus come to Lesley once a week to participate in group projects and engage in conversations about body image and confidence with the Lesley students.
Sarah Chafe
MACC AmeriCorps*VISTA
Lesley University in Partnership with Agenda for Children: Middle School Network
