ESON & MSN Newsletter

July 2023

Thank you for celebrating with us at our end-of-year event!

Hello OST Program Providers & Community Partners,

On June 14th, the Agenda for Children OST hosted an event to commemorate the end of the school year. The event was filled with fun music, delicious BBQ (shout out to our Grillmaster Tyrique!), and the warm presence of friendly and familiar OST faces.

We had many brief and powerful conversations as part of our concentric circles activity, answering questions like: “Who was a young person who made your heart sing this year?”….”Who was someone on your team who stepped up this year?” and “What’s one way you challenged yourself this year?”

The highlight of the event was the inaugural Impact Awards, recognizing nominated colleagues who made significant contributions in their OST spaces.

If you want to feel the love all over again (or you missed it) check out this highlight reel on the Agenda for Children website. Our next MSN and ESON meeting will be in mid-September 2023. Until then, we are so excited to visit your sites this summer and hear about all the amazing things happening with young people all over the city!

-Annie and Shawn

Photos from left to right: Danielle Wright of Peabody K-2 Afterschool receiving her Impact Award, group photo by Norma Cumbee of Cambridge Community Center, group photo of end of year celebration attendees

What We Need From You

Time to Complete Your 2023-24 School Year Resource Guide Intake Form (Yeah!)

Although summer has just arrived, we are already preparing for after school programming in the Fall!

Please fill out this 2023-24 School Year Opportunities Guide Form with your initial school year program information. Here's why:

Parents and caregivers will have early access to when programs open and close their program registration.
Your program info will be included in the Agenda for Children's 2023-2024 JK-8th Graders Resource Guide.
Your program info will ALSO be updated or added to FindItCambridge.org.

Click here to fill out the School Year Opportunities Guide Form.

Action needed: Initial Deadline -- August 4th!

Opportunities For You

Program, Project and Activity Space, and Resources Available at The Foundry

Would you, your program, or any OST provider you know like to use The Foundry's amazing facilities to offer weekly classes for young people?

Any programs that meet their community guidelines and make positive use of the space are welcome at The Foundry!

For more information about how they will select which programs are accepted each season, you can review their Program Rubric.

The application should take around 10-20 minutes to fill out. You can view the full application here.

Questions? Contact Logan at logan@cambridgefoundry.org

Call for Camp Counselors for the "Keeping the Beat" Retreat 2023!

After a 3-year hiatus, the Keeping the Beat Retreat is back! This experience is for kids for whom neither traditional sleep-aways camps, nor high-needs specialty programs, are an option.

We’re looking for a handful of dedicated, warm, excited, and experienced youth workers to make the journey, sleep in a cabin, roast marshmallows, do some arts and crafts, take a child out on a boat on the lake, stay up late telling stories and help facilitate a safe, supportive and fun weekend!

Hired staff will receive a $300 stipend.

If you are interested, know someone that might be interested, or have any questions, please reach out to rachel@edgeworkconsulting.com

Camp Counselor Requirements:

Must be 18 years of age or older
Must submit an updated immunization record and a go through a criminal background check (conducted by Boston Children’s Hospital)
Must have your own transportation to the facility (car pool option is a possibility)

Camp Information

When: Friday, September 29th through Sunday, October 1st (Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon)

Where: Camp Burgess, Sandwich, MA (on the Cape!) (about 1.5-hour drive from Boston)

Who: Approximately 50 children and teens (ages 6-17) from New England who have pacemakers, internal cardiac defibrillators and other life-threatening heart conditions, all of whom are current or former patients at Boston Children’s Hospital

Opportunities for Youth and Families

RECESS is Back!

This summer, RECESS is a citywide collaboration aimed at creating a vibrant middle school activity hub, brought to you by the talented teens from the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program. This summer's version of RECESS is teaming up with various events across Cambridge to host community-based "pop-ups" tailored to young people entering grade 6, 7, or 8 for the upcoming school year.

For example, this Thursday, July 13, at Hoyt Field from 3:00pm to 8:00pm (before and during the 'Fast Break' basketball league)! We invite all middle grade youth and families to stop by the RECESS tents, conveniently located between the basketball and tennis courts at Hoyt Field, for an afternoon of free and fun activities designed by Cambridge youth, for Cambridge youth.

Test your skills at our sports and conditioning tent, explore the wonders of STEAM with our engaging activities and experiments, stay cool and have a blast at our water play station, or if you're in the mood for some relaxation, head over to the Chill Zone and unwind with friends. Plus, we've got you covered with complimentary teen-inspired food, drinks, and music throughout!

See the flyer to learn more about other upcoming Recess events, dates, and locations!

DHSP's Teen Night Live starts July 10th

Teen Night Live is a summer evening program for 14-19 year old Cambridge residents that takes place from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm Monday-Friday starting, July 10th at the following youth centers: Frisoli, Russell, Moses.

Teens will have the opportunity to attend a range of workshops and activities including self-care, skating, basketball leagues, and physical activities as well as field trips over the summer. If a young person attending Teen Night Live is also working in the Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program (MSYEP), they have the opportunity to get paid up to 3 hours per week.

Young people can register for weekly activities here: bit.ly/teen-night-live-23

Cambridge Basketball Lab

The Cambridge Basketball Lab is a new, free co-ed basketball and mentorship program for Cambridge youth launching in July. The Lab is a safe place for middle and high school youth (grades 6-12) of Cambridge to go in the evenings, develop their basketball skills, build long-term mentoring relationships with caring adults, and be exposed to basketball technology while working on their game.

The Lab will take place at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School main gym during their Summer Launch Pilot and will be open from 4-7pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from July 5th to August 18th.

The Lab is free of charge to all Cambridge Public School students.

Click here to register online.

Cambridge Summer Food Program

The Department of Human Service Programs is providing free meals and hosting a variety of fun activities this summer!

Open to Cambridge youth ages 18 and under
No identification is required
Vegetarian options at every location

See the flyer for more information.

Questions? Call 617-349-6247 or email summerfood@cambridgema.gov

The Middle School Network (MSN) and Elementary Out-of-School Time Network (ESON) are programs of the Agenda for Children Out-of-School Time that aim to ensure equitable access and engagement of elementary and middle school youth in out-of-school time experiences in Cambridge. Agenda for Children Out-of School Time is a citywide intermediary situated in both the City’s Human Services and School Departments.

Shawn Proctor

ESON Coordinator

Cambridge Public Schools & Agenda for Children OST

857-235-2946, sproctor@cpsd.us

Annie Leavitt

MSN Coordinator

Cambridge Public Schools & Agenda for Children OST

617-349-6018, aleavitt@cpsd.us

View the MSN/ESON Meeting Dates and Schedule for this Year

Check our Events Calendar for all other professional development opportunities and links to virtual meetings.