YES is pleased to announced that the organization was recently awarded two grants from The Summer Fund. A $10,000 program grant will help underwrite YES’s Outdoor Adventure and Track and Field programs. Over 300 Boston young people will benefit from these programs during Summer 2022. The Summer Fund awarded YES a special additional grant ($2,250) to support mental health training for YES’s summer staff to better support youth in a post-pandemic world.
The Outdoor Adventure Program at YES gives young people the opportunity to explore the environment while having fun. Youth gain opportunities to gain new experiences in the outdoors and be challenged through activities including kayaking, rock climbing, stand-up paddle boarding, biking, and hiking. The program also includes a week-long overnight trip to YES’s Swann Lodge in Monterey, MA.
The Track and Field Program at YES offers young people opportunities to get active and run, jump, and throw. Youth learn about the benefits of physical activity and helps them build healthier habits. The program is offered four nights per week (Monday-Thursday) during the summer season at Moakley Park in South Boston (M, Th) and English High School in Jamaica Plain (Tues, Wed). The summer program is supported by 25 volunteer coaches and 10 teen assistant coaches.
YES is intentional about reaching diverse youth from low-to-moderate income households. Currently, 70% of young people served in YES programs are youth of color; 79% of youth live in low and moderate income households; and 58% live in YES’s target neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamacia Plain, and Mattapan.
About the Summer Fund- Founded in 1971, the Summer Fund provides direct support to summer camps and programs. They are a donor collaborative composed of over 15 funders and were established by Associated Grant Makers (now Philanthropy Massachusetts) to address issues of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities by acknowledging the need for summer opportunities among underserved youth from low-income families. The Summer Fund serves as an agent between philanthropic communities and nonprofit organizations by providing summer programming to underserved youth.