Last week, 44 youth from Boston celebrated their graduation from YouthConnect’s EPIC program with a virtual ceremony. This celebration not only signified the conclusion of another year of great opportunities and accomplishments, but also the conclusion of the program’s five-year duration.
EPIC, which stands for “Enhancing Potential, Inspiring Change,” has been a YouthConnect program running in partnership with John Hancock and the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety. Each year, participants aged 11-14 years old embarked on a 12-month intensive program that aimed to increase self-awareness and confidence.
“The motivation for EPIC grew from lack of meaningful opportunities for young teens during a time when Boston witnessed the tragic death of two youth from gun violence,” explained Andrea Perry, Executive Director of YouthConnect. “The primary focus has been to empower young people to realize their full potential through a curriculum that emphasized career exploration and leadership workshops, paired with regular case management to address any ongoing individual or family needs. The ultimate goal of the program is to instill confidence and hope for the future in our participants.”
Each annual cohort of 50 EPIC participants was recruited through referrals and recommendations from a selected group of Boston Public Schools. Since the program launched in 2015, participants have been selected from six schools – Joseph Lee School (Dorchester), Mary E. Curley K-8 School (Jamaica Plain), Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School (Dorchester), Martin Luther King Jr. K-8 School (Dorchester), John W. McCormack Middle School (Dorchester), and the Mildred Avenue K-8 School (Mattapan).
During the school year, bi-weekly workshops were held on-site at these locations focusing on: leadership, decision-making, financial awareness, community and workplace safety, health & wellness, communication skills, and career exploration. On top of these workshops, participants attended their local BGCB site for afterschool programming on a weekly basis through a free membership. In the summer months, participation included four weeks at Camp Harbor View for summer camp and four weeks at BGCB location for daily programming. In addition, all participants received a monetary stipend throughout the course of the year for positive participation and attendance.
“I’m proud of what that we’ve accomplished through EPIC since it started back in 2015,” continued Perry. “This five-year journey displays the power of a unique partnership between the business, government, and non-profit sectors by pairing resources with quality case management support and effective year-round programming. While this may be the conclusion of EPIC, YouthConnect is looking forward to continuing to leverage strategic partnerships in creative ways to continue helping our city’s most vulnerable youth thrive in the future.”
