If our April Vacation Week festivities had a theme it would be community. All week long youth in our Learning Hubs participated in activities where they engaged with the West End House community near and far..
Our youth enjoyed plenty of physical activity, taking full advantage of our gym and pool – along with music and games – every day. Each hub also had a designated picnic day in Ringer Park with scrumptious sandwiches and fresh squeezed lemonade. On rainy days, we moved activities indoors into our New Balance Foundation Pavilion.
During the week, West End House launched our 2021 spring Artist in Residence Program, offering masterclasses in the following areas:
- Comic Illustrations with Kevin Lopez
- Photography through a Social Justice Lens with Thaddeus Miles
- Spoken Word with Unique Coren
- Mural Art as a Collective Expression with Alvin Acoma Colon
- Celebrating through Dance Choreography with Shaumba Yandje Dibinga of OrigiNation
- Afro Beat Dance Workshop with Radical Route
Career exploration was another major focus during the week of high-impact enrichment programming. Younger teens attended a virtual site tour with our friends and supporters at Turner Construction Company, including Q & A with members of their staff and an up-close look at the engineering, architecture, and construction work going on at a live construction site. Older teens participated in a career panel titled “In Our Community,” which featured Boston-area, Black and Brown professionals working in fields that include Public and Higher Education, Marketing and Consulting, Entertainment, Activism, and Law. Our curious and driven teens had the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with these inspiring guests.
Several field trips provided a chance to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. Younger youth members had a chance to do some hiking at Middlesex Fells Reservation, while our middle and high school age youth visited DeCordova Sculpture Park. All three groups enjoyed the outdoor experience and time away from their screens.
We can’t wait for this summer and all of the additional outdoor experiences our youth will be able to have, both in our own backyard of Ringer Park and beyond.
