By William Tauro

This past Friday evening officers including Police Chief David Fallon of the Somerville Police Department and members of Somerville’s Teen Empowerment joined forces and played a game of hoop at their annual basketball game tournament.

The event took place at the East Somerville Community School gymnasium that’s located on Cross Street featuring the “Black Shirts Team” vs the “Gold Shirts Team.”

Both teams were made up of a mixed blend of police officers and Somerville youth of Teen Empowerment.

At the end of a very competitive game, the black shirts team beat the gold shirts team with a victory score of 44-36.

TEEN EMPOWERMENT SOMERVILLE
165 Broadway

Somerville, MA 02145

617-625-6600 ext. 2255

In 2003, responding to increasing drug use, the rise of gangs, and an alarming rate of suicide among adolescents, Somerville’s newly-elected mayor, Joseph Curtatone, commissioned Teen Empowerment to assess the situation and then asked TE to bring our programs to help address the needs. TE’s site opened in the city in the fall of 2004.

Now, Teen Empowerment operates a youth organizing site in Somerville, MA that employs youth ages 14-20 to work in year-round youth leadership jobs. The focus of their work is to involve a large number of their peers in positive community involvement and to bring youth voice into City policies.

In addition, TE works with the City of Somerville to bring youth leadership into City departments. These initiatives employ Somerville teens to plan and implement workshops, events, dialogue sessions, and other projects. Currently they include:

Youth Mental Wellness Amassadors

The Youth Mental Wellness Ambassadors Program offers teen-led workshops and events that teach coping skills and destigmatize mental health. Ambassadors also produced three powerful short videos. Watch, and share widely!

#SomervilleSpeaks PSA Series: ‘Wristband’

#SomervilleSpeaks PSA Series: ‘Happiness’

#SomervilleSpeaks PSA Series: ‘Jumper’

Youth-Police Work

Somerville youth and police work together to plan and implement a series of Walking Dialogue Sessions each summer and to work to measure and improve perceptions of public safety among Somerville residents.

Library Leaders

Peer leaders plan and implement game nights, maker space and teen events at the Somerville Public Library

Teen TV

Youth run their own weekly television show on Somerville City Cable

Aspirations

Students at East Somerville Community School meet twice per week to plan and implement various school climate initiatives.

Next Wave Youth Leaders

Students are Somerville’s alternative middle school plan and implement enrichment activities and school climate initiatives that involve the whole school.

Somerville Youth Workers Network

TE staff facilitate this group of youth workers from across the city that meets monthly to do joint needs assessment, planning, and collaborate on various initiatives.
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 25 YEARS OF IMPACT HONORING STANLEY POLLACK
http://teenempowerment.org/2017/02/17/anniversary-celebration-25-years-of-impact-honoring-stanley-pollack/

Please join us in honoring Teen Empowerment Founder and Executive Director Stanley Pollack and celebrating 25 Years of Impact! Thursday, March 30, 2017 6:00