YOUTH COMMISSION
STAFF
Devorah A. Bunton, LCSW, Director
Mission Statement
The Mission of the Belmont Youth Commission is to provide leadership and a community focus on youth and family issues, and to promote community wellness by:
· Identifying and addressing youth and family needs;
· Advocating for youth and family interests;
· Partnering with other youth and family service agencies;
· Developing and implementing quality programs and services; and
· Educating and communicating with the public regarding youth and family issues.
2002 Summary
Over the past year, the Youth Commission has consistently met the challenge of moving from being a volunteer appointed board to a full-functioning department within the Town. Much progress has been made and the Youth Commission is optimistic about building on its resources to achieve its vision for the future. Despite the ongoing pressures of a modest budget, a sole staff person and insufficient space, the Youth Commission accomplished most of its goals for the past year.
In determining where to use its resources for the most impact, the Youth Commission has been guided by its Mission Statement and has focused on:
· Partnering with complementary organizations;
· Conducting outreach and communicating with the public;
· Identifying needs and exploring opportunities for expanding programs and services; and
· Supporting and empowering the youth of Belmont and their families.
The Youth Commission was creative with programming and collaborated with other Town Department’s, local organizations, and businesses to stretch dollars farther. During 2002 the Youth Commission collaborated with: the Council on Aging, the Board of Health, Belmont Tobacco Control Program, DARE/Belmont Police Department, Belmont Fire Department, Belmont Public Library, Belmont Housing Authority, Chenery Middle School PTO, Belmont S.P.O.R.T., Belmont Special Education Advisory Council, Belmont High School and Baystate Learning Center, Inc. We thank them all for their willingness to collaborate and for their commitment to the youth of Belmont.
In addition, the Youth Commission was successful in recruiting a total of four graduate student interns: Mali Ionascu, Rachel Happel and Jen Unruh from the Heller School for Social Policy at Brandeis University and Chrissy Horan from Tufts University School of Public Health. We thank them for their professional contributions.
Youth Commission activities in 2002 included:
§ Girls Learning Opportunities for Wellness (G.L.O.W.): A group for middle school aged girls that focused on topics such as self-esteem, body image, nutrition and stress management.
§ Belmont World Film Series: A very well attended international film series.
§ Belmont Band Blast: This outdoor event featured local bands comprised of Belmont teens.
§ Employment Program and Job Resource Directory: A resource directory of employment listings and potential employers from the Belmont-Watertown area. Also, an information exchange for matching local teens with local residents looking for help with odd jobs, childcare, and other appropriate services.
§ Sponsoring Speakers, Events & Activities: One of the more popular events was “Bullying & Teasing: What Every Parent Needs to Know,” held at the Chenery Middle School.
§ Intergenerational Projects including the Ice Cream Social, Watercolor Magic and A Mid-Winter’s Sing-A-Long held at the Belmont Senior Center.
§ Community Service: Students of all ages earned community service hours by participating in the Community Gardening Project, Bulb Planting Project and attending health education workshops at Belmont High School.
§ Childcare and Babysitting Safety Training/Certification: These classes are so successful we regularly have a waiting list of participants.
§ Introduction to Study Skills: Four session workshop for seventh, eighth, and ninth graders
§ Arts and Crafts Courses: Photography, cartooning, painting, baking, bookbinding and more.
§ Water Polo: Held in conjunction with the Belmont S.P.O.R.T. program.
§ A Night at the Movies: The first in a series of films offered to youth in grades 4 and up.
To provide assistance to the Board and the Director in the area of planning for a youth center, the Youth Commission recruited three graduate students from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management to work with the Board and the Director on a consulting project. At the conclusion of the project a “road map” was created for the Youth Commission, which outlined the direction to take in order to prepare for and take leadership of the establishment and operation of a Youth Center in Belmont. ~
In the Years Ahead
The Youth Commission is dedicated to achieving continued visibility in the Town over the coming year and to increase its services in support of youth and their families. Goals include:
§ Working with the Building Committee, Selectmen, Warrant Committee and all others involved in order to advocate and plan for a Youth Center.
§ Collaborating more closely with the public schools.
§ Providing clinical services to youth and families (information, referrals, counseling, groups).
§ Creating and coordinating additional programs to provide more positive opportunities for local youth, including offering evening/weekend activities for teens.
Transitions
The Board of the Youth Commission is currently comprised of 16 members appointed by the Board of Selectmen. In June 2001, four Board members resigned: Frank Connors, Matthew Diozzi, Jared Brenner Goldstein, and Will Norton. We thank them for their positive contributions. David Alper, Catherine Caruso, Terese Chipman, Brenna Feeley, Donna Griswold, Joseph Harvey, Margit Liander, Susan O'Regan and Anna Winston were appointed to the committee.
Respectfully submitted,
Devorah A. Bunton, LCSW, Director Youth Commission Board
John Deignan, Chair
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