Training young people to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing, increasingly diverse New York City
N E W S L E T T E R
Article in the Jewish Week
about the March 8 Youth Summit
Click here to read the article
Skill-Building Workshop
Thursday, May 23 on Immigration Trends
@ City Hall w/Commissioner Fatima Shama
Bridger Meeting
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Bridgers Nayo and Taylor Escort Hurricane Sandy Victims to Brooklyn Nets Game
This fall, the catastrophic Hurricane Sandy claimed over 200 lives and left many struck the East Coast more homeless. From food drives to donation funds, many relief efforts sprung up in Sandy’s wake to ensure that families caught in the chaos were given the help they needed. Red Hook, which is located in Northwest Brooklyn, was just one of the neighborhoods affected tremendously by the hurricane. Sandy’s wrath left the neighborhood with heavy flooding and frequent power outages. Almost immediately, relief efforts were sent to the community in order to help these families get back on their feet. The giving didn’t end there; the newly built Barclay’s Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, offered young Red Hook residents and their families the chance to attend a basketball game for free. I was fortunate enough to chaperone a group of young boys from Red Hook, who ranged from ages three to ten, at this game. Though we may have had different experiences during Sandy, we shared an immense passion for basketball as well as for those who’ve mastered the game.
I watched the kids enter the stadium, marveling the size and cheering exuberantly once their hero Brooklyn Nets’ player Deron Williams appeared on the LED screen. After the boys put on their basketball attire - a pair of wristbands, a headband and a black Brooklyn Nets tee - we headed to the main court where we played a game of our own. The boys were excited to play on very court that their favorite basketball players had played on, and their excitement skyrocketed once they saw CJ Watson, another Brooklyn Nets’ player appeared on court. He was gracious enough to take pictures with some of the kids (and even a few with us) and stayed afterwards to chat with some of the parents.
Soon after that, it was time for lunch. We were given about half a dozen kids each and we headed to the main floor to immerse ourselves in some good old Brooklyn cuisine: hot dogs, hoagies, Philly Cheesesteaks, pastrami sandwiches and other local delicacies. Like most arena foods, it cost an arm and a leg, but it was worth it! Once we got back, the boys were greeted with another surprise the team was on the court practicing for their upcoming game against the Orlando Magic. Tornike Shengelia, Reggie Evans and Kris Humphries were just a few of the players that were present, but when the kids spotted Deron Williams, in the flesh, waiting at the rim of the seats, everyone went wild. The enthusiastic boys rushed to the NBA superstar in swarms with hopes of getting their basketball attire, basketballs, or bare wrists autographed by their hero. Deron, who is a father himself, was incredibly gracious and nice to both the kids and their parents. By the end, Reggie even offered to give out a few more autographs before they left. While we waited, the Brooklynettes practiced their dance and the stilt-walkers showed off their skills, impressing the continuously amazed kids.
Before the game began, the kids had a chance to high-five the Brooklyn Nets roster as they made their appearance on the court and cheered them on as they finished the game with a victorious 74-82 win. Being able to watch these kids meet their idols and do what they love was such an honor. As 2012 comes to a close, their optimism through such a rough time continues to amaze, even inspire me, to better myself as a person and to keep my head up when life seems to hit an all-time-low. Without Youth Bridge NY, I would’ve never had an opportunity to meet such inspiring young men and for that―I thank them.
~Taylor Rochester, Brooklyn Technical High School
Getting a Cultural Eye
CLICK! SNAP! Cultural Eye keeps capturing images of the world around us! We are having such a creative and stimulating year. The current focus for our homework assignment is our community. Guided by our mentor, Shulie, we have photographed our family, our values, and more. The cameras are constantly snapping images of the world around us in preparation for our End-of-the-Year projects, which concentrate on themes ranging from nature to the process of creating art. The fellows are blossoming into photographers and friends, supporting one-another throughout the entire process. We are constantly developing our process and learning more about our identities as photographers. Some fellows plan their photos by setting a scene, and others carry their cameras everywhere in hope of finding inspiration. The committee is exploring different stylistic choices, including black and white photography, perspective, and lighting in a photo. Although our photos aren't "perfect", our groups’ skills grow stronger each meeting. Like the epigram goes, "Life is like photography, we develop from the negatives."
~ Erin Krebs, The Mary Louise Academy
Skill Building Workshop Report
The second Skill-Building Workshop was held in October and led by led by a two special guests from Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. The topic of discussion was the various ways in which people deal with conflicts, some of which include accommodation, compromise, and collaboration. We tried exercises on how to approach a problem without turning the situation into a heated argument. The hope is that we will learn how to prevent and minimize conflicts, as we take on the leadership roles in our multifaceted community.
In our November meeting, we welcomed another special guest, Marsha Haygood of StepWise Associates, who came to help us brush up on our public speaking skills. We were invited to give a brief impromptu speech in front of the other fellows. Afterwards, she critiqued our presentations and offered us ways in which to improve our skills so as to make us more effective speakers. Because one thing is for sure, a good leader has to be an impactful speaker if he or she wishes to move an audience.
Following these workshops was our most current Skill-Building workshop at the Museum of Tolerance in New York City. During our visit here, we sought a better understanding of tolerance. An important part to knowing this is also learning what is tolerance. We were shown video clips on the power held in words; how words can sway people to build up society or tear it down. We were also shown historical images of the intolerance that became part of the society. We even discussed how we see intolerance in our world today. From this we learned that it is essential for good leaders to work for the betterment of all in every situation, especially in the diverse society that we live in today.
~Sophia Ebanks, Preston High School
Annual Fundraiser
June 13, 2013 @ Kramer Levin
Click here for more info.
Fellowship Newsletter
Click here to read what has been going on in in our programs
Shared Resources Chooses a Cause
The Shared Resources Committee looks to shine a brighter light on topics regarding education, teen health, and promoting cultural understanding. This week the committee had to choose three areas of interest to which we would give our grants. The first hour of our meeting was spent on making a list of topics that we felt need improvement in today’s society. This list had included everything from environmental pollution to issues facing teen suicide and bullying. After listing these ideas we had to create a general topic that would include smaller areas of interest. This was the hardest part of our meeting since we had to get everyone to agree on three general areas of interest, which they wanted the grant to create an impact. It took about twenty minutes and a vote to decide that Teen Health, Education, and Promoting Cultural Understanding will be the areas of interest for this year’s Shared Resources for a Shared Future Grant. Under Teen Health will be topics like preventing teen suicide, bullying, and illegal use of substances. For Education topics such as funding, scholarships, motivating teens, and encouraging them in going onto higher education will be included. By Promoting Cultural Understanding we hope to stop racial discrimination and stereotypes as well as promote diversity among teenagers in New York City. Organizations that work within the parameters of the 3 general areas will be encouraged to apply for the grant. For our next meeting the committee hopes to put together an RFP and application form through which organizations can apply for the grant.
~ Kiran Kaul, Midwood High School
Fellow Spotlight: Rachel Kastner
Hi! I’m Rachel Kastner, and I’m not exactly your average high school student. Then again, there is no average considering how different we all are. So I’ll just go on from here explaining what makes me unique. Starting my day at 5:45 AM and never arriving at home before 8 PM, one might say that I have a lot on my plate (Although I’m not talking about food, I do love eating!).
I commute from Long Island to Ramaz, a high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In addition to a dual curriculum at school, I like to keep busy. I’m a part of two choirs, one of which an accapella chamber choir, and our performances range from one to four times a week. I’m also a member of my school theater society, and I’m a part of two shows a year there. (Come see me in RUMORS! in March!) I run the Israel Affairs committee, the Ramaz Ambassadors club, and I’m an attendee of the Human Rights Committee, the Book club, and I write for the school newspaper. I help run my school’s Community Service Committee, which run’s food, toy and clothing drives, and we do a lot of volunteer work all over the tri-state area. I’m a very passionate actress, and hope to pursue a career in the film/theater industry. This year I’m competing in the English Speaking Union’s Shakespeare reciting contest. I love Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreau, and I’m a crazy Harry Potter Fan. I collect rings and love old coin necklaces. I listen to the Beatles and love painting, and one day I’m going to film a documentary about airports. If you haven’t had enough yet, I can tell you that my favorite color is purple, I dislike food with cheese, and this summer I was in Barnard, Israel, Hungary and on set of a feature film. If you have had enough of me, you’re in luck. Check out the next issue of the newsletter for the spotlight of another wonderful YouthBridger!
~Rachel Kastner, Ramaz Upper School
Milagros Helps Clean Up After Hurricane Sandy
A couple of weeks ago, Karen Lander, YouthBridge-NY’s Program Director, and I went to Staten Island to volunteer and help victims of Hurricane Sandy. This was a wonderful opportunity for me since I've been searching for ways to help Sandy victims. While I was traveling to Staten Island I saw a lot of devastation. I witnessed houses that were destroyed and I saw huge spaces of land where houses were bulldozed. The first house I went to was stripped to the bone. All of the plaster from the walls was on the ground. I had to clean up all of the plaster, dry wall, and dust that was on the floor. Even though a terrible thing happened to the people of Staten Island, I saw things that proved they were rebuilding. People were cooking breakfast for locals and giving away clothes to individuals who needed it. I was happy to be a part of these people's lives. After all, even a little help counts.
~ Milagros Montavlo, Brooklyn Preparatory High School
Alumni Spotlight: Jesse Voremberg, YB-NY Class of 2011
The summer after my freshman year at Hamilton College I participated in two internships. I had originally wanted to work in the wealth management division of Berkshire Bank in Massachusetts. Though they could not take on a full-time summer intern, they did offer me a part-time internship which I readily accepted. I continued searching for internship prospects for the summer and I decided to contact Adirondack Funds, a mutual fund with whom I had previously spoken on the phone regarding an investment competition. Following a conversation with their main investors, they agreed to host me as intern three days a week. I spent the summer going into Berkshire Bank once a week and Adirondack Funds three times a week. Both internships were very successful and I was invited back the next summer. I used skills I learned from YouthBridge-NY during my internship in two ways. Firstly, acquiring the internship is probably the most difficult part of the process. It can be very competitive to get a position at an investment firm as a summer intern and thus you must make yourself stand out in some way. The networking and interviewing skills I learned at YouthBridge-NY helped me to shine and impress my potential employers during my interviews and thus helped me develop relationships with them. Additionally, I was able to carry over some basic professional skills I learned from YouthBridge-NY while at the internships. I plan on acquiring another internship during the upcoming summer, and will surely implement these skills again.
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