MissionSAFE Teens Stay Active During February

There are many different ways for teens to spend February vacation. Some travel, others enjoy relaxing at home or with friends. Teens from MissionSAFE’s Charlestown location decided to spend their break participating in activities that increased their cultural awareness and social activism. The week was highlighted by trips to the Danforth Museum of Art and Faneuil Hall to participate in the Youth Jobs Coalition Rally. 

On Wednesday, Feb. 20, 28 MissionSAFE teens travelled to the Danforth Museum in Framingham to view a variety of exhibits. The teens came away from the trip with a new appreciation of art.

“I didn’t really know much about painting until I went there, but now I feel like I do, and want to learn more,” said E.J. Slater, who was visiting a museum for the first time.

The tour offered a great opportunity to celebrate Black History Month, as the teens viewed a collection from Boston native John Wilson, titled "Eternal Presence," which included drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures. Wilson’s career has spanned nearly seven decades and his work includes commemorative portraits of the late Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King.

On Thursday, Feb. 21, 41 MissionSAFE teen leaders attended the annual Youth Jobs Coalition Rally, and marched from Faneuil Hall to the State House alongside over 1200 of their peers from across the Commonwealth. The rally was organized by the Youth Jobs Coalition to help raise awareness for three key issues that pertain to teen employment in Massachusetts.

First, the rally was aimed at raising awareness of increasing state funding for youth jobs.Secondly, the rally participants were calling for new state taxes to be used toenable more funding for education and stopping public transportation fareincreases. Finally, the rally was organized to urge medium and large companiesto hire youth—in Boston alone an estimated 357 companies with over 100 employees do not currently hire youth.

The event started in Faneuil Hall with dance performances from several area youth groups and a speech from Mayor Menino. The experience was a great one for MissionSAFE teens who braved the cold weather and enthusiastically chanted “Yes Youth Can” with their peers as they marched to the state house. 

While marching, Dayvone James, a junior at Charlestown High School was asked why he was marching. He replied: “Jobs give teens something positive to do and keep us off the streets.” He continued by saying, “I like to work because I like to learn new things, meet new people and explore new interests.”

Attending the Youth Jobs Rally supports MissionSAFE’s commitment to helpingyoung people experience successes, set positive goals for their future, and build a lifelong vision of opportunity.

MissionSAFE works with highly and proven at-risk youth and young adults from challenged situations and communities, working with them to gain the skills and confidence they need to succeed and thrive, not merely survive, and to be agents for positive change in their communities and the larger world.

For more information about MissionSAFE, contact Alex Danesco at 781-510-9040, or alex.danesco@missionsafe.org.