stories

One of our AmeriCorps members, Kevin McGravey, mentioned he'd been hearing several reports of former SCI Youth Council members who have attributed their success in college in part to the leadership experience they gained on the Youth Council. Sounds like this is an avenue we should think about for future impact evaluation. Meanwhile, this anecdote he relayed from a parent is compelling:

"My child was one of the first group of youth council members and just finished her second year of college. Her youth council experience gave her the skills she needed to succeed.Read more

"One thing in particular our team is proud of is the story of Cornelia, a volunteer here at the Codman Square Tech Center. When we began, one huge need we recognized in our center was the lack of an organized Computer class that taught skills surrounding Word and Excel as well as the teaching how to construct a Resume. Cornelia, a woman with a Masters in Computer Programing, looking to serve the community while gaining experience, was matched up with this need, and has begun teaching a Computer class at a minimal cost to Dorchester residents. She has been teaching a class for the past 4 weeks [as of the start of November, 2009], twice a week, and has a committed group of 12 students. Cornelia is an ideal volunteer and great teacher, and has invested hours of her time to help the Dorchester community, while learning valuable skills and experience for herself." - Scotland Huber

"One of the most satisfying experiences of this year was having the opportunity to connect Carol, a community member, with resources that enrich her life. Carol is a vivacious woman who is active with her local neighborhood association, Greater Four Corners, and she also volunteers her time to give free piano lessons to community members in the building where I serve.

Because she does so much for the Dorchester community, I was happy to be able to give back to her in some way. Lauren Anderson and I began a Spanish class in the community center where we serve with SCI because the center director had received requests from community members who wanted to learn Spanish to compete in the job market or to converse with their Spanish speaking friends. Carol was the first person to join the class and even though she struggled at the beginning, she’s become our best student, attending every single class. Through the class, Carol has learned to converse with her good friend Raymond, a native Spanish speaker, and she tells us that the class is the highlight of her day.Read more