Fall 2017
A BUSY BEGINNING...
We have started off the programming year with a bang! Beginning with our orientation retreat in August we welcomed 30 new eleventh grade fellows into the Fellowship and 31 twelfth grade Bridgers into their second year. Fellows and Bridgers have been busy attending skill-building sessions, committee meetings, hearing from our alumni, and joining together for team building and bonding activities. Read more below and check out some photo highlights of the year so far!
A busy beginning...
We have started off the programming year with a bang! Beginning with our orientation retreat in August we welcomed 30 new eleventh grade fellows into the Fellowship and 31 twelfth grade Bridgers into their second year. Fellows and Bridgers have been busy attending skill-building sessions, committee meetings, hearing from our alumni, and joining together for team building and bonding activities. Read more below and check out some photo highlights of the year so far!
Spotlight on....
Shared Resources for a Shared Future
By Nicole Nieto
Nicole is a Junior at Northside Charter High School in Brooklyn
Grant-making: this was all I thought about when I saw the words Shared Resources for a Shared Future. Going into this committee I didn’t really have any expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised after the first committee meeting. Three committee meetings later, the Tuesday of the month on which the SRSF meeting is held has become one of the highlights of my month.
The first committee meeting was a bit nerve-wracking, but throughout the meeting it became more comfortable and less scary. The ice-breaker exercise that we used to learn names really helped us ease into the meeting. We were given a series of questions which related to how we got our names and what we like to be called. It made me realize I do not know that much about my name. The icebreaker was also our first task in active listening. We partnered up when answering the questions and when we regrouped we had to tell everyone our partners answers. After the icebreaker we came up with our goals and expectations for the committee year, and a group agreement. Following that, we discussed the basics of grant-making and answered the question, What would you do with 10 million dollars? It was really difficult to answer. I didn’t really want any money for myself, I wanted it all to go to different charitable organizations. The difficult part was not being able to give money to everyone. We shared what we would do with the money and then listed different causes we cared about. We started to decide what causes we were going to discuss in our next meeting.
Our second committee meeting was really interesting. We started the meeting with a communication icebreaker. Someone from our group read instructions aloud and we had to draw the image he was describing. We folded a paper and made a design with our eyes while someone gave us instructions on what to do. I personally liked the paper folding activity because it turned out more like the description than the drawing exercise. After that we paired up with someone we hadn’t partnered with before. We discussed our feelings on school this year and what we find difficult about this school year, this was another active listening activity. Consensus building is very important in our grant-making process. The committee split into groups of three and determined our grant priorities. I felt it was a very productive meeting.
But overall, my favorite meeting was the third committee meeting. In our third meeting we individually chose which issues we were most passionate about. We broke into small groups which slowly got bigger as we completed the task of eventually deciding on the three causes we would be focusing on while making our grant. This committee is really special and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year will bring!
Bridgers confront Bias
By Brittany Mendoza
Brittany is a senior at Midwood High School in Brooklyn
Throughout our past meetings I have learned and expanded on many skills. One that stands out the most is looking at things in a new perspective. On October 26 we looked at homophobia and heterosexism.
Whenever we stepped into Project Reach and saw Mr. Don Kao and Ms. Katherine Chambers we never left with the same ideas on the topics presented during the trainings.
Bridgers take some time for one-on-one discussions during their session at Project Reach
During this training in particular we began by discussing our first memories of when homosexuality was not a problem. We also discussed why heterosexism is so prevalent. However, we found ourselves presented with a challenge to not use certain words in our discussions. As always, it was refreshing and surprising to see how easily we say certain things that can alienate someone else without a second or ill intended thought. Furthermore, looking at a ratio of how many heterosexuals are in America vs otherwise (in the closet or not) was different from what I expected based off of what I see in society today.
My favorite part was when we created a safe space circle. By this point we had learned more about each other from memories and discussed why we thought certain stigmas existed. We were able to describe how people are treated differently due to heterosexism but also how it changes depending on gender. It also gave anyone in the room the ability to disclose something about themselves without the usual fear of judgement, sexism, or other confrontations.
Overall, by exploring the root causes of homophobia and heterosexism and their links to sexism and misogyny we were challenged to see things in a new light.
Alumni reflections
By Khadija (Molly) Bhuiyan YBNY Alumna '13
Below YouthBridge-NY alumna Molly Bhuiyan reflects on her participation in our alumni college round table. The round table is an annual event where our 12th grade bridgers hear from YouthBridge-NY alumni about how YouthBridge-NY has impacted their college experience and their view of the world.
Molly and YouthBridge-NY Managing Director Karen Lander pose for a photo after the event.
On Tuesday, September 12th I was given the opportunity to come back as an Alumni panelist to an organization that has given me so much. I wasn't born to be a leader, I was trained. I truly believe that. If you met me when I was younger, you would have never guessed. I was shy, lost, and confused. Fellowships like YouthBridge, changed me and turned my life around. I didn't realize back then, but I see it now.
An accomplished panel of alumni gave advice to our 12th grade Bridgers
YouthBridge New York taught me that diversity is an asset in every organization. Look at me, I am a Bangladeshi immigrant, first generation college student in business school, studying to become an Actuary. I am a Bangladeshi GIRL in business school. My culture tells me that women are meant to be home cooking, cleaning and taking care of kids. I strive for more. I can and will be a leader in my respective field. YouthBridge gave me the confidence to defy gravity. YouthBridge drilled in me the very leadership skills I use every day now as a campus leader at Baruch College.
I can say hands down, that anything I've accomplished since is because of the skills I gained at YouthBridge. So I wanted to take the time out and say that I was incredibly humbled and honored to have been given the chance to talk to the next generation of bridgers and tell them what I know now.
Thank you Karen Lander, YouthBridge New York and everyone at the Jewish Community Relations Council!
winter retreat at Chelsea piers
On Sunday, December 10, YouthBridge-NY teens enjoyed a day of team-building, sports, and games at Chelsea Piers! We worked on communication, strategy development, and even conquered our fears on the rock-wall! Our teens had an amazing time and we are so grateful to Ian Lane for organizing and John Swist for his incredible facilitation of the day's activities. Check out some photos below!
Spring 2017
Special feature
graduation
Below are some reflections from our graduated Bridgers about their time in the Fellowship. We want to wish a hearty congratulations to all of our graduated Seniors, it has been a pleasure knowing each and every one of you, and we cannot wait to see all that you accomplish!
Special feature
graduation
Below are some reflections from our graduated Bridgers about their time in the Fellowship. We want to wish a hearty congratulations to all of our graduated Seniors, it has been a pleasure knowing each and every one of you, and we cannot wait to see all that you accomplish!
from retreat to a world of opened doors
By Hawa Drame
Hawa Drame is a graduating Senior at the Beacon School in Manhattan.
YouthBridge-NY is a nonprofit leadership development organization that convenes, trains, and prepares young people to meet the challenges of an extremely diverse New York City" and it did just that!
I remember the first day of the retreat. I came in upset because my bagel wasn't toasted and I was starving. Once we got on the bus I automatically placed my headphones in my ear and the bus drove off. We started with ice breakers but I wasn't in the mood to participate. I remember Jelani asking me, "what's your favorite movie?" "I don't have any." I said annoyed. "What's your favorite song?" He asked. "I don't have one," I said, annoyed again. What a bus ride.
Once we arrived at this unfamiliar area I knew I had to put the bagel aside. My first friends were Chaaya and Justin and we complained about the lack of service. But if it wasn't for no service I would have never met Amya, Baldino, Eric, Tahany, Matt, Jordan, Samantha, Roland, Arifa, Gabi, Hannah, Emily, Zarif, and Molly, and soon after, Kristina, Ethan, Celine, and Michelle.
Build bridges and not walls, that's what YouthBridge is all about, where diverse teens become tomorrow's leaders. I live in Harlem, a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, when I came to YouthBridge, it was like these doors opened up to a world with endless opportunities. I came from a middle school where people like me were the majority, then transitioned to a high school where I was the minority of the population; it wasn't an easy transition. For freshman and sophomore year without YouthBridge I realized the school was very cliquey, but the moment I joined YouthBridge, attended the group workshops, and filled my body with the sugary snacks, I knew there had to be change. I helped organize student councils, town halls, forums, a place where everyone can share their grievances and trust each other. Implemented cultural day into spirit week so everyone can appreciate and observe other cultures. Last summer I visited the major buildings of Washington D.C and without these workshops I would've never seen myself sitting in the White House, the House of Representatives, meeting senators from around the country, asking questions to the dept of education. Youth bridge gave me skills, inspiration and hope.
From that first retreat until this very day and into the future, I learned that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that every door has endless opportunities. I just want to give a special thanks to Karen, the founders and everyone that helped built youth bridge for allowing me to fulfill my body with sugar but most importantly for the help of shaping me into this young black young lady that I am today.
Its not goodbye...
By Amya Stewart
Amya is a graduating Senior at Summit Academy Charter High School in Brooklyn.
There was this feeling, one that I would get twice a month. This feeling of solace and content. Every conversation, every question. We all brought something to the table. We fellows built a bond. One that led to plenty of laughs and inside jokes, snap streaks, and commencements of standing in front of buildings.
YouthBridge sparked a change in my life. The start of an affinity. That feeling that I got as a beginning fellow, has followed me the last two years. I thank YouthBridge for the friendships I've made that I hope will last my lifetime, for introducing me to other non-profits that stand and advocate for the same things I do, and for expressing the importance of networking and character building. But what I thank YouthBridge most for, is making me realize the importance of connection. I have connected with individuals here I never would've met. All from different backgrounds, boroughs, religions and ethnicities. We've come together. Now we're Bridgers and the time has come for us to say not goodbye, but until next time.
Three words, countless memories:
By Baldino Baldeo
Baldino Baldeo is a graduating Senior at Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School in the Bronx.
I want to express my enjoyment as a YouthBridge Member by using 3 words. I know we’ve been in the program for two years and you may think that I can do better than three words, but trust me on this. Those words are Growth, Family, and Future.
Before being apart of YouthBridge I struggled with myself, I simply knew I was different, which at the time equaled bad, weird, or whatever word a high schooler could come up with to belittle me. Shortly after being apart of YouthBridge I came to know that I was different, and that’s just the way I wanted to be. I was strong leader, and YouthBridge allowed to see that.
Family came naturally, we helped one another grow and even saw a little of ourselves in each other. Although we are a big family, we work on ourselves. We understand there is no “I” in team, but that the chain is only as strong as the weakest link.” I love my whole YouthBridge family, but I found my sister, best friend, soul-mate, someone who makes me feel whole, happy and complete, and I would even do this journey all over again just because of the awesome times we’ve had -- Amya C. Stewart, you’ve played the most important part in my growth so lets see what our future holds.
Talking about future, every single moment in YouthBridge has paved the path towards my future. I’ve been introduced to and equipped with the skills of public speaking, human rights, self-exploration, and networking, just to name a few. I am no longer afraid of the future because of the amazing valuable skills and trainings that I’ve received from YouthBridge-NY and once again I would like to say thank you, thank you, thank you to you all.
YouthBridge Taught me to choose love
By Celine Agard
Celine Agard is a graduating senior at Midwood High School in Brooklyn.
There is so much YouthBridge has done for me in terms of networking with inspiring leaders, making the most lit friends I’ve ever met, exploring different parts of NYC and supplying me with food from all those meetings. But becoming a member of this diverse family has taught me that accepting others and choosing love over contempt is a vital characteristic that many people in this world don’t have. It’s unfortunate that every time we listen to the news, acts of terrorism, violence, and prejudice, whether international or domestic, engulf our lives. People fail to open their eyes and accept a changing world, they stick to their own perceptions instead of observing all aspects of a situation, and that ignorance develops into hate, which ultimately leads to destruction.
Before YouthBridge there were many things I wasn’t open to and simply didn’t know. However from the first meeting I was eager to let YouthBridge make a change in me and open my eyes. But, as I became friends with my many peers I learned that yes, people may be different than me through culture, race, religion, sexuality, but by listening to them, the struggles they go through, the circumstances they’ve overcome, dreams they have, their talents, the way they want to drive our generation in a better direction, it made me realize that at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what you were taught at home, because we are all the same.
Our monthly sessions at YouthBridge with Karen, Rebecca, and Don Kao, just to name a few, gave me opportunities to take part in engaging activities, speak about my personal insecurities, learn how to look at every perspective before judging others, and converse about different issues that engulf our communities. YouthBridge has made me realize that we have to give back to our communities by loving one another, lending a helping hand, standing up for what’s right, accepting people who are different and combating hatred through understanding and peace.
Soon I’ll be entering college and I don’t know where life will take me, hopefully you’ll see my name on TV and I’ll be making 6 figures. I know entering the real world will bring about many challenges, but with the great skills that YouthBridge has taught me I hope to strive to be an influencer of peace and tranquility, always remembering that no matter how different people are, we must choose to love if we want to combat the social challenges of this world.
our graduates:
Arifa Abid Jordan Chan Matt Indar
Celine Agard Lydia Diebel Eric Krebs
Kristina Bajic Hawa Drame Emily Ma
Baldino Baldeo Roland Fang Zarif Mahmud
Ethan Benedek Samantha Gendler Tahany Moosa
Molly Blaustein Chaaya Grazette Michelle Padilla
Gabriella Cantor Jelani Green Justin Spears Hannah Hoff Amya Stewart
To see more of these photos and pictures of our graduation, click here.
Winter 2017
spotlight on...
the bridger roundtable: a night of networking
By Justin Spears
Interview tips, professionalism, advice to help me be successful in the work force, and more: these are all the things I gained from the Bridger round-table...
spotlight on...
the bridger roundtable: a night of networking
By Justin Spears
Justin is a Senior at Francis Lewis High School in Queens
Interview tips, professionalism, advice to help me be successful in the work force, and more: these are all the things I gained from the Bridger round-table on January 12th. At this meeting we were given the opportunity to network one-on-one with professionals from different fields, where they gave us tips on how we can succeed in the workforce and find a job we really love. It was such a great learning experience for me as well as my fellow Bridgers. Through our one-on-one sessions with the professionals, we were able to build on our skills and grow from that point forward, no matter our skill level before coming to the meeting. Given that we are seniors in high school, preparing for college and the work force can be a stressful and daunting task. However with the help and resources that Youthbridge has given us, we are actively obtaining the skills we need to succeed.
One of my favorite moments from this meeting was being able to meet professional people who had been in the same situation as I am now. Even though they were unsure of what they wanted to do with their future, they still went on to become successful in their fields. We got the opportunity to get up close and personal with these individuals and it was awesome. We asked questions like "how did you know what you wanted to do?" "Was this your first planned job or is it the back up?" Questions like these were asked by all the Bridgers, and everyone mentor in the room had their own unique response. Overall this meeting showed us that it is possible to be successful in whichever field that you desire, and it has given us skills to make us better equipped to enter the world.
Check out some photos of our amazing roundtable below: Full album can be found here.
On Friday March 17 over 120 students from 15 high schools across New York City came together for a day of community organizing, learning, and strategizing about issues in their communities at the annual YouthBridge-NY Leaders to Leaders Youth Summit! The day was an overwhelming success and we look forward to seeing the impact these students will have on their communities.
Below, current YouthBridge-NY fellow Brittany Mendoza reflects on the day in an article for her school newspaper The Argus:
coming together: Leaders to Leaders Youth Summit 2017
By Brittany Mendoza
Brittany is a Junior at Midwood High School
Student leaders learned some new skills on March 17 at the annual YouthBridge-NY Leaders to Leaders Youth Summit. The conference brought up some serious topics including cyberbullying, women's rights, and gun violence which left them with new perspectives.
The conference which is held in Manhattan gathers high schoolers and community-based organizations from all five boroughs. Through workshops the staff trains them to find problems in their communities and make changes through the lenses of diversity.
According to the YouthBridge-NY website, “The goal of this year’s conference is to inspire young leaders to take charge by empowering them with knowledge of the possibilities, skills, and the training they need to turn ideas into action.”
Taskin Khan ’20 said, “They taught me that there are many platforms I can peacefully protest for a cause to attract attention to it.”
During the day the leaders had case study sessions with company owners who made changes of their owns. They then had to ask their own questions about their communities and how they could make changes. After these there were skill building sessions where teamwork, advocacy, marketing, and campaigning were taught by the case study professionals.
One workshop was led by Art and Resistance Through Education. This company described the importance of fighting problems such as sexual trafficking, child slavery, and immigrant discrimination. The case study was to create an art project such as a mural, advocacy project, or public event for common neighborhood problems. One group created a idea for an annual walk to raise awareness for domestic abuse.
Alexis Buckner ’18 said, “It was cool to see theses companies because they stand for some of the things I stand for as well.”
Another workshop was about identifying cyber bullying. This facilitator taught everyone how to identify problems, goals, deliverables, allies, opponents, and tactics. The students walked away with plans for assemblies, mandatory lessons, consequences and other calls for action to take to their schools.
After the training sessions, there was keynote speaker Katherine Chambers, a transgender activist and educator. She taught the students to not give up and not to discriminate.
The conference was then opened up to a question and answer, a raffle won by a Midwood student, and a planning session. It was announced that there was a community project competition for those at the conference.
Khan plans to use the lessons from her workshops to create a documentary style video about Midwood for her community project.
Shared Resources for a shared future: grant making from a new perspective
By Victor Podvalny
Victor is a Junior at Xavier High School in Manhattan
While being fully informed that we, the YouthBridge community, as well as the rest of the world, are well into 2017, leaving behind that rather atrocious year of 2016, it has also occurred to me that we look at the past in an overwhelmingly negative fashion. When asked to recall major events in the 20th century, one’s mind instantly springs to the World Wars and other major conflicts, while early American history is stained by the prominence of slavery. However, 2016 was the year when our current YouthBridge fellows assembled, with varying methods to achieve the ultimate goal of poised, informed, and directional leadership.
For the Shared Resources for a Shared Future committee, our past three meetings took us from December of 2016 to February of a more optimistic 2017, yielding great personal and communal growth across all areas. The December meeting was, personally, one of my favorite, for we were able to see the direct impact of the grant for which we are currently responsible. Wendy Kaplan, a social worker at the Trinity Place Shelter, the recipient of the grant last year, held an open forum where she discussed the mission of the shelter, her role in the operation, and the various successes that the shelter enjoyed. It was heartwarming, to say the least, to hear about people who came into the shelter hopeless and rejected, and left confident, independent, and with a stable-income job. To understand that our grant directly translated to the consolidation of such a beautiful community gave heightened gravity and importance to our mission in the SRSF committee, bolstering the already-known fact that our actions and decisions have the real ability to change lives.
Crossing into the unknown territory of 2017 on an inspiring note, our meeting in January focused on amending and updating the application for our grant, as to make it more user-friendly, accessible, and telling. Personally, this experience was wholly foreign, in a very satisfying way. Often, we YouthBridge fellows find ourselves on the exact opposite side of the application process, putting ourselves out there and overzealously expressing interest through a plethora of essays, so taking a seat on the proverbial high chair was, at first, different. However, I soon became used to the authority and welcomed it; applicants would be answering our questions and giving us the proper information necessary to make an executive decision. Nothing tyrannical occurred, despite the wealth of power we all had at our hands, and the experience offered us all crucial insight into the other side of applications.
To our most recent meeting in February of 2017, I grant the superlative “most satisfying”, for one mundane reason: interviews. These are those feared events that begin in a misleadingly confident handshake and culminate in, more often than not, tears and reconciliation (not in YouthBridge’s case of course, my interview was rather lovely). As the second stage for applicants of our grant is a mandatory phone interview, this exercise was simultaneously necessary and revealing, for questions, answers, and reactions, to me, all seemed rather authentic. Three characters presented themselves in a mock interview: the interviewer, interviewee, and the disruptor. I, of course, took on the role of disruptor without much hesitation. I then proceeded to, as my formal title suggests, annoy the interviewee without much remorse, as to replicate a real-life situation in which Murphy’s Law was continuously applied. All jokes aside, this committee session was crucial to the progression of our grant, as we learned how to effectively conduct a phone interview and respond to any hindrances that may present themselves therein.
The current state of global affairs notwithstanding, 2017 looks to be a prosperous and productive year for the SRSF committee, where we’re able to positively and profoundly impact the lives of many, while also developing our understanding of the beauty of diversity in NYC and the world. 2017 sure is looking good.
communications, advocacy, and organizing oh my!
By Abisola Akinfenwa
Abisola is a Junior at the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics
Fellows Abisola, Maggie, Brittany, and Caden discuss advocacy during a breakout session at CCC-NY
YouthBridge-NY brings a diverse group of teenagers together to engage in multiple workshops with influential people. Throughout the past three skill-building meetings in December, January, and February, I have grown and learned new ways of communicating with the public on different levels.
In December, we were able to meet with Ivy Cohen, a YouthBridge-NY board member, who owns her own marketing and communications firm. She taught us all about communications and marketing to different audiences. I especially liked learning about how businesses catch their audience's attention in places like stores or movies. She taught me that even simple things like placement are important in marketing. The knowledge that a store cares about everything you feel from the moment you walk in, made me as an everyday shopper wonder what catches my eye so easily and the strategy behind it.
In January our topic of discussion was community organizing -- how we can bring together our community around an issue we care about. This topic gave us a lot to discuss as it had to do with politics as well and the groups that we place them in. We discussed strategy in community organizing, for example, thinking about our audience who we would reach out to based on a specific idea or project we have. However, this discussion made me feel kind of like I was categorizing people as good or bad based on whether or not they agreed with me.
In February we learned about advocacy and the tools that we can use around us to make a problem known and then to solve it. In our brainstorm on methods of advocacy I noticed that we all came up with the ideas of using social media, conversations, and posters to advocate for people who cannot let their voice be heard. After our brainstorm we split up into groups and used improvisation exercises to touch on different situations where advocacy could be used. This was really helpful. I also learned that every day we are advocating for people in our community.
Fellows get a crash course in the world of marketing and communications with YouthBridge-NY Board Member Ivy Cohen.
On Sunday, January 29th our Fellows and Bridgers enjoyed an afternoon of games, prizes, pizza and fun together at Dave and Busters. Below, current fellow Nickala Stephens talks about the day...
A day of fun at Dave and Buster's
By Nickala Stephens
The Dave and Buster's event was a wonderful experience! It was great seeing everyone again, especially the Bridger's who we don't see as often. Everyone who came to the event was given a playing card with unlimited games and credits to play each game in Dave and Buster's. It was so fun playing against each other and earning tickets together. Seeing everyone having fun and enjoying themselves was an awesome sight. I spent most of my time playing games with everyone and hanging out with people. I was also with a group of Bridgers, and we were trying to earn a lot of tickets so we could get a really good prize from the prize store. This experience was so fun because of all the laughs we shared and the memories we made together. It was so nice to see all of YouthBridge come together as one!
Photos from the Dave and Buster's event can be found below.
Fall 2016
Cultural Eye: A Creative Lens for New York's Diversity
To me, culture is defined as what makes humans uniquely different from one another. I say this because the YouthBridge Cultural Eye Committee, which I am a part of, has helped all of the participants explore what diversity means to us through the culture and art of photography...
Spotlight on...
Matthew Roberts is a Junior at Williamsburg Preparatory High School.
Cultural Eye: A Creative Lens for New York's Diversity
By Matthew Roberts
To me, culture is defined as what makes humans uniquely different from one another. I say this because the YouthBridge Cultural Eye Committee, which I am a part of, has helped all of the participants explore what diversity means to us through the culture and art of photography. In the first Cultural Eye meeting we got to know one another and saw a video on the components of photography and how to use Flickr. Flickr is a photo sharing site online, and it is a key component of the cultural eye program, as in every session we are given an assignment with different types of pictures we have to take, which we then upload and put on Flickr so that everyone in the committee can see! For the first Cultural Eye homework we had to take 5 pictures that we felt best described us. It was really interesting to see the types of pictures that people took.
The second committee meeting was about identity and the idea of what makes us different from everybody else. We were first presented with the question “what is identity?” One of the committee members said that “identity is knowing one’s self and characteristics.” During the meeting, we all had index cards and had to put down what we think describes us, and what we like vs what we don’t like. Then we had to say how would this be shown if put into a picture. Everybody's answers were different, and we learned that although we are all teenagers, we are all different from one another. Identity is the key to knowing yourself and what makes you stand out from everybody else, and although you might share some connections with other people you also have so much inside you that makes you different.
After that meeting we were given a homework assignment for the third committee meeting to photograph what we feel represents the word ‘family.’ That third committee meeting was about diversity and community. We began that meeting like the previous one where we were given a focus question that we had to answer with our own opinion. After that, we presented our pictures on family to the group. All the pictures were amazing because of how different they were; we really got to see the different viewpoints on the assignment. We then watched a TEDtalk video about different perspectives, and how we see things vs how other see it. We were then given our monthly homework, this time the assignment of the month was to take 3 pictures on what we think community is. The beauty of Cultural Eye is that even though we have to take pictures on the same topics, no photographs ever repeat. We all view the assignments and lessons so differently from one another, and that is what culture is all about.
Check out some of the Cultural Eye Committee members photographs on identity and family thanks to:
Abisola Akinfenwa Ishika Kasliwal Aisha Khan
Jared Lopez Charlize Marinez Matthew Roberts
Dell Wednesdae Tangente Jaclyn Wildes Davida Krauss
Alyssa Garraway Ayelet Kalfus
Ashley Bisram is a Junior at Queens High School for the Sciences at York College.
Fellows Find Their Way
By Ashley Bisram
The YouthBridge-NY Fellowship has had three Skill-Building meetings thus far focusing on communication and tolerance.
The September meeting began with an interactive game in which each of us was given a slip of colored paper that made us abide by certain interactions with people of different colors. The activity strengthened the sentiment that effective communication with new people is a necessity, as their beliefs and way of life may differ radically from ours based on their culture. Without effective communication, either party may end up unintentionally doing something offensive.
The importance of communication was reinforced in the October meeting, where we were given an enlightening talk by YouthBridge-NY Board Member Marsha Haygood of StepWise Associates. She taught us about how first impressions are shaped through the way we present ourselves, including body language and public speaking, which can be applied to professional settings. Something I found particularly interesting from the materials Marsha provided was that touching your neck while speaking, something I had previously done subconsciously in casual settings, is a sign of deceit. When asking Marsha after her talk about how much our first impressions matter in casual settings, she discussed how we shouldn’t always be dependent on what others think of us, but we should want to be in control of how we come off to them.
Fellows get acquainted with each other at their first meeting of the year
Although we learned in our October meeting that we can control the first impressions we give to people, at our November meeting we talked a bit more about how we shouldn’t judge others based on those impressions with Don Kao at Project Reach, our first meeting outside of the YouthBridge office. Don had us participate in a game called the Boat Activity, which caused a mixture of frustration and excitement. Don told us a short story on how 14 people were on a roof during a storm with a rising flood and there was a boat that could only hold 10 people, whose descriptions were given. Using our listening skills in small groups, we had to use consensus building techniques to figure out who to save and how to save them. After sharing our solutions, Don told us that there was no right answer, and we had a discussion on labels versus descriptions of people. We, as participants in the activity, saw the descriptions and made them into labels in our own minds. Together, we discussed the topics of discrimination and prejudices against different groups, as well as how we should avoiding judgment of someone entirely based on what little we may know about them.
We learned a lot about each other and about the topics aforementioned through these past three meetings, and I’m sure we all are looking forward to learning more throughout the rest of the year!
Emily Ma is a Senior at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan.
Bridgers Discuss identity
By Emily Ma
In our meeting in October, we met at Project Reach to discuss homosexuality and homophobia with Don Kao. Don began by asking us the question, "When did you first realize homosexuality existed?" Most people said they didn't know homosexuality existed until age 10 or 11, when they were exposed to it through television or through conversations. I also found out about homosexuality at around that age, when my classmates would often use the word "gay" in a derogatory way. This negative connotation to the word made itself apparent when Don asked us the next question: "How would you react if someone thought you were gay?" In our discussion, we thankfully all agreed that we are not inherently against being gay, but it was revealed that a lot of us would feel defensive if someone were to think that, because the associations of being labeled as gay are almost always negative. We discussed how people typically make the assumption that you are gay if you act in a way that the opposite sex stereotypically would - like a feminine male or a masculine female - which we realized implicitly reinforces gender roles and behaviors. This helped me understand how sexism toward both genders contributes to homophobia, and that in order to help combat it, we must be able to transcend prevalent and constricting gender norms. We ended this meeting with an activity where we each said we were gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender around in a circle in order to stand in solidarity with those of us who were out of, and potentially in, the closet, and to show that Youthbridge is a safe space for all.
Bridgers enjoying a skill-building session at Project Reach, where they discussed the topics of Homophobia and Hetero-Sexism.
In our most recent meeting in November, we again met with Don Kao at Project Reach the day after the election results came out. Emotions were high and politics had been in the forefront of the nation's psyche that week, so we felt that it was important to start by talking about the election. Firstly, we acknowledged that though we are diverse, we do not represent all of the different American demographics and political beliefs, but we would be as understanding and respectful of those differences as possible. Then we dove in and shared how we felt about the outcome and the election season as a whole, as well as our fears and hopes for the upcoming presidency. It was relieving to be in a space where I felt comfortable in expressing my feelings about the election, and it was also eye opening to discuss the larger social factors that influenced the outcome, such as sexism, nationalism, and elitism.
Afterwards, we shifted gears to talk about the correlation between identification and social control, and it made me realize how institutions can use identification systems to target a certain demographic and establish a tense environment. It reminded us of how some schools require ID scans in and out of the building and even metal detectors, while others do not. Don asserted that although physical ID's represent you to the government, your identity ultimately represents who you are. To show the importance of self-identity, we did an activity where we displayed what made us who we are on a chart, based on categories including race, gender, wealth, health, and age. This made me realize not only which categories largely make me who I am, but also which categories make me feel most unsafe and in which I have the most privilege. It was also so interesting to see all of the factors that shape my fellow Bridgers, and it helped me know them even better. It made me feel that by understanding other people's identity better, we can become more tolerant and respectful of others' differences.
Wendy Lau is a Junior at Bronx High School of Science.
YouthBridge Gives Back: Teensgiving with 92Y
By Wendy Lau
On Sunday, November 13, YouthBridge Fellows and Bridgers participated in the 92nd Street Y's Teensgiving event along with other schools and youth groups, helping to contribute to the city by cleaning up NYC parks: raking leaves and adding mulch to soil for the trees. The weather was beautiful and sunny as we traveled to Crotona Park, located in the Bronx. In total, about 108 large bags of leaves were collected, which was a massive amount considering the leaves we raked were part of a very small section of the park. This contribution depicts how it is essential to give back to the community, and how a small difference like raking leaves and adding mulch can help to clean and enrich local parks for people to enjoy. It was an awesome day with YouthBridge, and it felt great to give back to the community!
Alumni Updates
YouthBridge-NY loves our alumni! This year we are working with our alumni on new strategies to ensure that YouthBridge-NY is a continuing community. Recently our alumni participated in a college information panel for our Bridgers, where they discussed how the lessons they learned in YouthBridge-NY impacted their college experience. A big thank you to alumni Lara Barak (Class of 2007), Seth Wittman (Class of 2005), Carolyn Collado (Class of 2012), Michelle Lee (Class of 2011), Ravi Seujattan (Class of 2009), and Taylor Rochester (Class of 2013) for taking the time time to speak to our Bridgers! Our alumni committee has also been busy planning different programs and activities to connect alumni with each other and with current fellowship participants.
Check out some photos of our alumni college information panel below.
If you are a YouthBridge-NY alum interested in being more involved in alumni activities and engagement contact Rebecca Abrams at abramsr@jcrcny.org