Summer is Here, Come and Join the Fun
By Sonia Ramos, LAYC’s Communications Intern/ Writer
As summer begins many of us get excited because we can work to earn money, we can spend time with friends outside of school and we can also spend more time with family members. Summer is my favorite season because I am able to work and have fun with friends --- something that many of us love to do.
I am now working at the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). At LAYC’s communications department, I am working on exciting youth projects which include documenting student’s experiences at the SYEP program, attending events and writing for the youth section of the website. Isn’t that exciting? I enjoy speaking to other youth and being part of the programs they are involved in makes it even more fun.
For those who don’t know, SYEP is a city wide program that works with low income youth to prepare them for the real world – this includes job readiness, college preparatory information, and speaking skills classes that allows them to become young leaders – have you heard of the program before?
Whether you have heard about the SYEP or not here is a good example of one of the students that has had many accomplishments through the SYEP --- maybe you know him.
His name is Nelson Quintanilla, an open-minded student with a lot of energy and high level of motivation to accomplish his dreams and hopes. He is currently attending Columbia University, where he is looking forward on pursuing a degree on Business Management. Wow, I know a lot of people from my school Bell Multicultural who will be majoring on some kind of Business career.
As Nelson spends his days at LAYC, he is acquiring skills on business management by working in the finance office with professionals who share his same interest. I talked to Nelson last week; he mentioned that he feels grateful to be a participant of the SYEP because it opens many opportunities in one’s life. I agree with him. “SYEP takes you to the top,” he said.
Nelson also told me that without the SYEP he would have probably not made the same decisions and that he would not find himself doing something productive. Instead he would have spent his afternoons at his house --- isn’t that boring?
I do not like to stay home on a beautiful summer day. Do you? Fortunately, this is not Nelson’s situation because he is working with the SYEP and is a very busy young man. “The SYEP was a life changing experience,” he said. And it sure is, hey I am in the program too remember.
Nelson has been working in the SYEP for three years and sends YOU a message --- You should join the SYEP program next summer because it is fun and informative!
And with that informative goal in mind, LAYC participates in SYEP.
Nakia Lynch, the coordinator of the program at LAYC explains that “SYEP serves to expose youth between 14-21 to different careers and job experiences.”
Since I started working through the SYEP, I have become aware about different opportunities. I have maintained myself occupied and engaged. I mean, I love experiencing new things. I have gone on field trips, have met new people and in the process I am learning a whole bunch of new things.
For those who thought that the program is boring, I can now tell them that is absolutely not the case. Let me tell you why:
First, there are many different activities that you will enjoy.
Nakia says that participants in the program seem to find it fun. “It is definite that no one wants to spend their summer at some boring program,” Nakia told me and she added that the coordinators of the program “want them to have fun. Yes you can learn but we will make it fun.”
So, there it is. It is a learning environment mixed with laughs and enjoyment.
The SYEP is undoubtly a program that needs to remain available for years to come. Nelson and some other students I have spoken to see staff members and fellow participants as a second family. I am sure many more students to come will feel the same way.
This program has attracted the attention of youth like you today, something that can be difficult at times. Spread the word and maybe next year you and your friends can join.
Alright, so what do you think? Nice program isn’t it? Visit LAYC’s youth page each week because I will bring you the latest on the SYEP program, vibrant stories about other students like Nelson who are benefiting from the program and reports on everything I see and learn. Besides reporting on SYEP, I’ll also write about other topics.
Tell me, what are you doing this summer? Give a holler through LAYC facebook page. Talk to you soon!
Sonia Ramos is a communications intern through the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). Sonia graduated from Bell Multicultural High School, DC in June and will attend George Mason University beginning the fall to pursue communications/journalism studies.
Learning to Lead: My experience at the Summer Leadership Institute
By Edgar Martinez, LAYC’s Communications Intern/Events Correspondent
I recently became a part of a special group of young adults who are dedicated to making a difference.
Through the newly launched Summer Leadership Institute, 25 low-income and minority youth will receive advocacy and public speaking training over the summer. The group of young people will set forth youth issues they want to address and will receive the tools needed to construct proactive campaigns for change.
The Summer Leadership Institute is collaboration between the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), Columbia Height’s recently opened Best Buy; and the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (OLA).
Before I decided to join the program, I wasn’t really sure whether I really wanted to do. But I gave it a chance and honestly it’s a very interesting program. I really appreciate the opportunity they gave me to be a part of this youth movement.
During these past few weeks, I have attended several meetings where I have been introduced into the advocacy world. So far, this has been done through fun games and dialogue amongst ourselves. In the meetings, we have done several activities. In some of them we learn about other participants, in others we learn about ourselves.
I have learned that advocacy allows community members like you and I to make a difference in our communities and help fix problems that affects us all.
Most importantly, from what I have experienced thus far is that we have the unique opportunity to express ourselves and to elevate our voices on issues we care about.
One of the activities that we did was identifying problems that affects youth that we all thought needed to be addressed. Some of those issues were teen pregnancy, gang violence, drug prevention, youth employment, etc.
What I like about this group the most is that we are learning to work together as a team. Additionally, I and other participants are being introduced to media resources like blogs and learning how we can make a positive impact through them.
The staff is very dedicated to what they do. They motivate us to continue with the program so we could learn how to become great leaders within our communities.
My experience with the program has been astonishing. I have learned many skills that I could benefit from. Honestly, when I first started the program my expectations were low but after just a few weeks my mindset has changed.
I did not really think that I was going to dedicate myself to this but I really have taken a lot of interest into it.
After I complete the program, I will be more skillful and more open minded on the issues that the community is dealing with. Hopefully, that will enable I and the other youth to make a difference.
I’ll keep you up-to-date with what we do at the program through my weekly blogs.
Edgar Martinez participated at LAYC’s job readiness/GED preparation WISE program and a communications intern. He is currently pursuing his GED and hopes to attend college to study a communications career.
LAYC Youth Speak Up on Community Policing
Go Teresa for Taking a Stand on this Important Issue
Teresa Gomez, from LAYC’s Girls Leadership testified in May hearings led by Vincent C. Gray, Chair of the DC City Council. Each month, Mr. Grey holds hearings at which young people across the city have the opportunity to elevate issues affecting their community. Teresa, who also participated in February in the coordination of DC’s first Latino Youth Summit, spoke about the need for the police department to assign community police officers back in the Columbia Heights neighborhoods.
Good Morning My name is Teresa Gomez, and I am 17 years old. I live in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Ward 1. I have participated in the Girl’s Group at the Latin American Youth Center for the last two years.
I would like to speak about the issue of police officers in my neighborhood. For many years, there were a number of police officers assigned to the Columbia Heights area that worked out of an office on Park Road. Some of the officer’s names were Sergeant Aguilar and Officer Andres Marcucci. They were good officers who cared about the youth and the community. They made themselves available to us anytime we needed them, and they were always walking and driving around in the neighborhood.
For some reason the police department decided to send these officers downtown, and they are no longer working in the neighborhood. We don’t really see them around anymore, and it is harder to keep in touch. Also, there are more gang incidents in my neighborhood. MS-13 and other gangs have been more active because they don’t see officers they know on the streets as much, or see the officers who used to reach out to them and the community.
I’ve had the personal experience of having the help and support of Officer Marcucci. He has often talked to me over the phone telling me to do the right thing, for example, when other youth wanted to start a fight or making problems with who I hung out with. One time, he helped me get eyeglasses. I have seen him help other girls and boys at the Center, too.
I would like you to please consider getting the police department to put the community police officers back in my neighborhood. Community police help individuals like me and the community as a whole.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Students at Charter School take the Next Step in their Lives
By Edgar Martinez
LAYC Communications Intern/Events Correspondent
As we reached the end of the school year we ended with proud memories and great successes.
These past two weeks, I have attended two graduation ceremonies in which students have been celebrated for their hard work and determination to become productive adults.
One of the graduations I attended was the Next Step Public Charter School graduation.
Parents and staff members at the event were proud to be there supporting the students.
During his speech Juan Carlos Martinez, principal of Next Step, acknowledged the student’s hard work.
He expressed how proud he was to see his students succeed and surpass life’s obstacles.
“If you have the will and determination you could achieve anything in life”, said Martinez.
According to some of the school’s students at the graduation ceremony, Next Step staff’s dedication contributed it to their accomplishments.
Ulyses Avila, one of the graduating students, is thankful to all the staff for motivating him and given him a second opportunity to overcome his problems.
Hector Lopez, considered himself to be a troubled youth in the past who did not know what to do with his life. Before entering Next Step, he was dealing with drug problems and other personal issues. “Next Step has made a big impact in my life because they directed me in a positive direction,” said Hector who aspires to become one of the city’s best poets.
LAYC’s Next Step/El Próximo Paso Public Charter School founded in 1996 offers teen parents and other young people who have dropped out or have never been to school in this country a flexible, individualized education that can include instruction in English, high school equivalency courses (GED), and work experience.
Next Step Public Charter School has a diverse immigrant population which is combined of recent immigrants or young people who were born or grew up in the United States, but have found it difficult to achieve success in traditional public schools.
YouthBuild Public Charter School Students Graduate: Students Transformed Their Lives and Communities
By Edgar Martinez
LAYC’s Communications Intern/Events Correspondent
YouthBuild Public Charter School held a graduation ceremony that honored its students who pushed themselves to succeed and surpass obstacles preventing them from moving forward.
Five students completed the entire course of the program, and thirty-four were promoted to the next level.
I found that the students moving to the next level were filled with joy and pride.
According to what some students at the ceremony said, they are very thankful to YouthBuild because the program and staff gave them a second chance when everybody else said no. “YouthBuild opened great doors of opportunities for troubled youth,” said Olu Osun, a participant at YouthBuild.
Parents, student’s friends, Youtbuild representatives and other YouthBuild supporters including honorable council member Jim Graham, who expressed feeling honored to participate in the ceremony, attended the event.
Lori Kaplan, executive director at the Latin American Youth Center, gave a very motivational speech. “I am proud to see the YouthBuild family reach their goals of success,” Kaplan said.
Dr. Ivan Walks, former Chief Medical Officer for Washington D.C spoke a little bit about YouthBuild and how proud he was about this program and its contribution to the community. Dr. Walks stated that he was delighted about the opportunities YouthBuild provided young troubled teens.
At the ceremony, there were a lot of other proud supporter who were happy to support students on such special day.
Wilfredo Ramos, one of the graduating students, said he felt proud he was completing the program and added he was thankful to the staff that motivated him to strive for the best.
“Before YouthBuild, I was a troubled teen who was involved with drugs and other problems in life but my experience in YouthBuild changed my life dramatically,” said Wilfredo.
Nelson Sanchez, another YouthBuild student, stated that he will always remember the YouthBuild staff who he refers to as his YouthBuild family because they gave him another opportunity to do better . “They always gave me the right motivation to strive for the best and always keep on moving forward,” he concluded.
Edgar Martinez participated at LAYC’s job readiness/GED preparation WISE program and a communications intern. He is currently pursuing his GED and hopes to attend college to study a communications career.
