Youth Civic Showcase & Awards Ceremony

On Saturday, June 14, 2008, Social Capital Inc. (SCI) launched the First Annual Youth Civic Showcase and Awards. This new and exciting event attracted a diverse group of youth participants from Lynn, Dorchester, and Woburn, all of whom participate in SCI’s statewide Engaging Youth Program. Each youth group presented their civic projects from the 2007-2008 service year.

Projects included information around alcohol and drug prevention, highlights of successful teen events that encouraged civic leadership, and activities and Mini-Grant initiatives. We were honored to be accompanied by Professor Timothy McCarthy,PH.D, Assistant Dean at Harvard University, George Jr. “Chip” Greenidge, Founder of the National Black College Alliance, Carla Beaudoin, Development Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Woburn, and John Franson, Finance Advisor of Globalview Advisors LLC. One teen participant, Estephania Villar, from the Part of the Solution Lynn Youth Council, described the Youth Civic Showcase as, “a fun way to see what other groups did and to meet new people.”

Youth Council members from SCI's three communities began the day by meeting and mingling with one another over lunch. After lunch, the Youth Councils exhibited posters, collages, slideshows, and movies displaying the projects and events that they carried out this year.

In addition, each Youth Council highlighted a health or environmental project that they created to address specific needs in Woburn, Dorchester, or Lynn. The Woburn and Dorchester Youth Councils exhibited multimedia presentations explaining the anti-litter and anti-pollution campaigns that they carried out in Woburn and Dorchester, respectively. Teens from the Dorchester Teen Center group, on the other hand, presented their work as part of The 84, a statewide youth-led movement to reduce tobacco use among teens. Finally, Girls Inc. from the Part of the Solution Youth Council and the Lynn Boys and Girls Club's Keystone Club teamed up to showcase what young people are doing to combat underage drinking in their city. Guest judges critiqued each Youth Council’s presentation. Overall, judges, guests, and members of other Youth Councils were impressed to hear of all the initiatives led by each of SCI’s five Youth Councils since September 2007.

During the Youth Civic Showcase, participants also had the privilege of hearing fro

m Jesse Winfrey, a teen activist, about his experience promoting social justice in Boston, as well as from a Dorchester Youth Council alumna, Fritz Keisha, who now attends Dennison University and spoke passionately about her motivation to serve her community. The First Annual Youth Civic Showcase and Awards was a great success! SCI’s Engaging Youth Department looks forward to hosting another youth-led showcase in 2009.