News
10th Annual Youth Work Intensive Held
YWI 2011
Mar 19, 2011 --- "It doesn't belong to me. It doesn't belong to you. It belongs to those who use it," said Saroeum Phoung, a former gang member, in teaching fellow youth workers about the ancient tradition of the peacemaking circle.
Phoung's workshop was one of nearly 50 at the Youth Work Intensive held this year in Cambridge. The two-day training event brought together more than 275 participants from a variety of organizations across New England. Phuong's words seemed to echo a reality about the conference itself, which is made valuable by the extremely committed and diverse group of participating youth workers from Massachusetts and beyond.
The Youth Work Intensive (YWI), celebrating its 10th anniversary, was hosted by the Building Exemplary Systems for Training (BEST) initiative, a project of Health Resources in Action. The conference, held at Harvard University, is unique, one of the few youth worker gatherings to address the broad spectrum of youth work. The lineup of workshops changes every year to reflect the growing diversity of participants and new trends in youth work.
This year, conference-goers chose from "Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence" to "Talk about TV: MTV, Reality TV and You Tube" to "The Other End of the Rainbow: LGBT 101" to "Transform Difficult Children: Ignite the Greatness in Each Child" among many other workshops.
Regina Walker, a participant from the King Open Extended Day Program in Cambridge, attended "Self-Care for Youth Workers," a workshop designed to help participants learn strategies for caring for themselves while helping others. Walker, who has been a youth worker for the past 13 years and a YWI participant for the last five, had nothing but great things to say about her experience.
"This is an opportunity we wouldn't otherwise have," said Walker. "And I love the fact that we can network with others in the field."
The networking aspect of the conference was popular among other participants as well. Rosa Rosado, a street worker with the Institute for the Study of Practice of Nonviolence in Central Falls, Rhode Island, was at the conference for the first time. She immediately felt the benefit of meeting others engaged in the same work.
"I think its awesome interacting with a lot of organizations. More connections means more resources for me and the kids I work with," said Rosado.
Laurie Jo Wallace, the director of training and capacity building at HRiA, said the organization has approached the conference in different ways throughout the years, but that solid workshops and the opportunity to network are two key ingredients to making the conference successful. "If you have good training and good connections," said Wallace, "there will be better outcomes for the youth being served."
Mo Barbosa likes what he sees as the two-birds-with-one-stone phenomenon at work in the conference. According to Barbosa, the assistant director of training and capacity building at HRiA, youth benefit when youth work professionals sharpen their skills and are guided, nurtured and encouraged to think about their futures in the field.
"We're all committed to the development of young people," said Barbosa.
Phoung's workshop was one of nearly 50 at the Youth Work Intensive held this year in Cambridge. The two-day training event brought together more than 275 participants from a variety of organizations across New England. Phuong's words seemed to echo a reality about the conference itself, which is made valuable by the extremely committed and diverse group of participating youth workers from Massachusetts and beyond.
The Youth Work Intensive (YWI), celebrating its 10th anniversary, was hosted by the Building Exemplary Systems for Training (BEST) initiative, a project of Health Resources in Action. The conference, held at Harvard University, is unique, one of the few youth worker gatherings to address the broad spectrum of youth work. The lineup of workshops changes every year to reflect the growing diversity of participants and new trends in youth work.
This year, conference-goers chose from "Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence" to "Talk about TV: MTV, Reality TV and You Tube" to "The Other End of the Rainbow: LGBT 101" to "Transform Difficult Children: Ignite the Greatness in Each Child" among many other workshops.
Regina Walker, a participant from the King Open Extended Day Program in Cambridge, attended "Self-Care for Youth Workers," a workshop designed to help participants learn strategies for caring for themselves while helping others. Walker, who has been a youth worker for the past 13 years and a YWI participant for the last five, had nothing but great things to say about her experience.
"This is an opportunity we wouldn't otherwise have," said Walker. "And I love the fact that we can network with others in the field."
The networking aspect of the conference was popular among other participants as well. Rosa Rosado, a street worker with the Institute for the Study of Practice of Nonviolence in Central Falls, Rhode Island, was at the conference for the first time. She immediately felt the benefit of meeting others engaged in the same work.
"I think its awesome interacting with a lot of organizations. More connections means more resources for me and the kids I work with," said Rosado.
Laurie Jo Wallace, the director of training and capacity building at HRiA, said the organization has approached the conference in different ways throughout the years, but that solid workshops and the opportunity to network are two key ingredients to making the conference successful. "If you have good training and good connections," said Wallace, "there will be better outcomes for the youth being served."
Mo Barbosa likes what he sees as the two-birds-with-one-stone phenomenon at work in the conference. According to Barbosa, the assistant director of training and capacity building at HRiA, youth benefit when youth work professionals sharpen their skills and are guided, nurtured and encouraged to think about their futures in the field.
"We're all committed to the development of young people," said Barbosa.
Upcoming Events
March 13, 2012 to March 14, 2012
The 11th Annual Youth Work Intensive will be Tuesday, March 13th and Wednesday, March 14th, 2012...
April 24, 2012
This eight-session, 32-hour training is based on the nationally recognized Advancing Youth...
May 2, 2012
This four-session, 16-hour training focuses on supervision and program management in youth...
News
Dec 21, 2011 --- Dates announced for the 11th Annual Youth Work Intensive: March 13th and 14th.
Jun 14, 2011 --- At their second annual meeting, youth at the Massachusetts Peer Leadership Institute focused on what lies at the heart of so many issues teens face: managing relationships.
Mar 19, 2011 --- "It doesn't belong to me. It doesn't belong to you. It belongs to those who use it," said Saroeum Phoung, a former gang member, in teaching fellow youth workers about the ancient tradition of the peacemaking circle.
Mar 17, 2011 --- The 2011 Youthies were awarded at the 10th Annual Youth Work Intensive on March 16th. Check here for a complete list of the winners!
Poll
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