Youth Enrichment Services (YES) recently received a $50,000 grant from Life Science Cares Boston. YES is one of 28 organizations selected to receive a grant aimed at decreasing economic and opportunity gaps across Greater Boston. Life Science Cares Boston awarded a total of $1.5 million in grants to organizations working to implement solutions to current issues involving basic needs, education, and economic opportunity.
These funds will help support YES’s repeat engagement outdoor enrichment and high-impact leadership development programming. Repeat engagement helps youth focus on one sport over a season with coaching in small groups. This allows youth to develop lifelong healthy activities and self-confidence. They can build relationships with peers and coaches, while improving their skills at their sport. These programs include Track and Field, Youth Excel Through Tailored Instruction (YETTI) Ski and Snowboard, Cross-Country Ski, Outdoor Adventure Week-Long Experiences, and Strategic Partnerships with Outdoor Adventure and SnowSports.
YES’s High-Impact Programming provides college preparation, career readiness, and leadership programs for teens. Teens can also participate in outdoor activities and volunteer services. The teens meet weekly throughout the school year and participate in workshops, group trainings, and one-on-one sessions with YES staff. They can participate and serve as assistant instructors in activities like Downhill Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, and Outdoor Adventure. Teens serve as positive role models to younger youth involved in YES’s sports-based programs.
“All of us at YES are thrilled to have received funding from Life Science Cares. It will be critically impactful to underwriting our outdoor enrichment programs for Boston youth this year,” says Bryan Van Dorpe, Executive Director. “The Life Science Cares model of giving back to the community goes much deeper than writing a check. We look forward to partnering with their leadership and connecting with members through volunteerism and other initiatives throughout the partnership.”
About Life Science Cares Boston: Life Science Cares Boston is an anti-poverty organization that works to dismantle systemic and institutional racism that adversely impacts communities of color. They target nonprofits with programs intended to decrease food insecurity, provide resources to those experiencing homelessness, promote science education, and offer job training to those recovering from substance use disorder – among many other missions. Since 2016, Life Science Cares Boston has partnered with more than four dozen community organizations to provide financial resources, donated goods, and volunteer hours from life science employees. They aim to reduce the impacts of poverty, while helping companies form connections with the community.
