Our teens at a November Culture for Change gathering with members of other participating youth programs.

As a first year social work intern with the B-READY after-school program assigned Youth Leadership Corps (our middle school program, also known as the YLC) and teens, I’ve learned a lot since September!  Meeting students and staff members, helping with homework, participating in groups, and going on field trips are just a few of the many wonderful activities I’ve participated in. 

However, one of the best experiences I’ve had is being part of the Culture for Change project, an intensive, social justice-based art program (read more information about the project below).  Every Monday night, a group of teens has been meeting to brainstorm various issues that teens face on a daily basis.  After weeks of hard work the group decided to focus on the issue of bullying and to use the medium of photography to portray their thoughts and feelings.  The students photographed various objects to represent different feelings associated with bullying. Their final work will be displayed in a gallery showing to be announced.  One of our teens also wrote a blog about her CFC project here.

Posted by Jillian Degnan, MSW Intern from Wheelock College

About Culture for Change (from their website):  “The Culture for Change Project (CfC) is an initiative of the Barr Foundation in partnership with Health Resources in Action (formerly The Medical Foundation) that aims to support an ongoing collaboration between artists, youth workers, and young people.  At its core, it values self-empowerment for young people and enhanced creative skills for all.  CfC endorses authentic inquiry and youth voice as critical components of youth programs working for social change.  It uses the arts to explore social issues, and hopes to encourage leadership, self-expression, and self-discovery for children and teens of all races and ethnicities in Boston neighborhoods.”   You can learn more on the CfC website: http://cfc.barrexternal.org/about/.