MORE ABOUT TE SOMERVILLE
Stella Downie Honored as Somerville's "Unsung Heroine"
On March 19, 2008, the Somerville Commission for Women honored TE's Special Projects Consultant, Stella Downie, as Somerville's Unsung Heroine, citing her commitment to community involvement and youth leadership. Stella has been involved with Teen Empowerment as a staff member or board member since 1993. Read about it.
Danny McLaughlin Honored by Somerville Human Rights Commission
Teen Empowerment program coordinator Danny McLaughlin is the 2008 individual recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. award from the city's Human Rights Commission. The Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) received the agency award. Commission cochair Ify Mora says, "Both Danny and CAAS inspire us to continue striving towards equality and justice in Somerville." Read about it.Be a Villen Youth Art in Somerville
In January 2008, Teen Empowerment cosponsored an exhibit by young Somerville artists, dedicated to Brian Liberatore, Somerville High School class of 2002. Young people in Somerville have suffered recent tremendous loss due to drugs, violence, and accidents. If anything, tragedy seems to have brought these "villens" closer together as a group. The exhibit "Be A Villen" was a vehicle for allowing artists to express some of the many complex emotions evoked by their experiences of tragedy. Read the press coverage.
2008-2009 HIGHLIGHTS
Police-Youth Dialogues
TE's Somerville site held dialogue sessions between youth and police officers on February 3 and 5. Read about it in the Somerville Journal.Teen Cafe
Somerville teens enjoyed this free event on December 18 at TE's Somerville site, featuring food, performances, and, interactive skits.Somerville "ROCK DA MiC"
Over 70 Somerville teens came to each of these events on November 13 and July 15 at TE on Pearl Street. These evenings featured performances by TE youth organizers, food and drinks, interactive activities, and an open mike portion.ArtBeat Festival
Save Our Somerville and Teen Empowerment worked together to display the work of talented young urban artists at the ArtBeat festival, July 18-19. "We love the city's working class roots and its diverse cultural heritage," said Matthew McLaughlin, president of SOS. "We believe that art isn't just for museums and the elite. Art is for the people and should be alive in the streets."Police and Youth Community Barbecue
Bringing the community together for an afternoon of food and fun! This event, held on August 1, was a collaboration between Teen Empowerment and the City of Somerville - Police Department, Recreation, Public Works, and the Summer Food Program. It provided an opportunity to take the relationships between youth and police to a new level in a fun non-threatening environment. with a FREE barbecue with wiffle ball, volleyball, pie-eating contest, relays and games, and DJ Gibbza spinning!Teen Open Mic Night
Teen performances, chances to meet other youth, open mic time, fun, and food! This event, held August 14 at the Elizabeth Peabody House, was a collaboration with Books of Hope, Centro Presente, and the Elizabeth Peabody House.Police and Youth in Dialogue
In May, TE held a series of three interactive dialogue sessions designed to break down stereotypes and build relationships between youth and police. As one participant stated in a simple but powerful evaluation, "What I got out of this is, it's not us against them." Read a news report.SOMERVILLE YOUTH PEACE CONFERENCE 2008
Uniting the Ville: Real Stories, Real Change
The conference, held on April 12 at Somerville High School, was a great success! Read about it in The Somerville News, The Boston Globe, and the The Somerville Journal.
Hosted by Teen Empowerment, the City of Somerville, and Mayor Joseph Curtatone. Sponsored by The Somerville News, Somerville Public Schools, and the Somerville Police Department. Full list of partners (1-page download)