Issue #46 | December 2021
Hello Changemakers - from all of us here at United Way Youth Venture (UWYV), Changemaking and Portrait of a Graduate (POG).

We were honored to receive two special 'gifts' this month. We were awarded a grant from Reliant Foundation to support our Healthy Minds Virtual Youth Conference, and we were given an unexpected holiday gift from Main Street Bank. Read more below.

We held the POG November Convening on November 29, 2021 at 2:30pm. The highlight was hearing the employee survey analysis from Nora Murphy Johnson of Inspire to Change.

Members of the POG team attended a few virtual and in-person school site visits. Watch for videos of the site visits to come.

If you're looking for an exciting and fulfilling position - - UWYV is hiring! Part-time Outreach Specialist positions are open and applications are being accepted now. See below! And please share with anyone you think would be interested and a great asset to our team.

As always, we are grateful for your continued support.

~the United Way Youth Venture Team!


Thank you, Main Street Bank!

Main Street Bank chose United Way Youth Venture as one of the community organizations as part of their holiday giving strategy and provided us with a $5,000 check. We are always grateful for their support, whether it is through sponsorships or participating in a Venture Team panel.
Reliant Foundation Grant

The United Way of North Central MA, on our behalf, was awarded a grant from the Reliant Foundation to support our annual regional Healthy Minds Virtual Youth Conference that will be happening again in April. We were one of 53 non-profits awarded in Reliant Foundation's 2021 grant cycle. We recently attended Reliant Foundation's Virtual Holiday Party to celebrate grantees, along with the donors and volunteers who make their work possible. The video below was presented at the Holiday Party and highlights each organization it has supported with grants this year. You can see some of our Youth Venture students at minute 3:38. Enjoy!
Early Insights: Asset Mapping & Gaps Analysis
- Nora Murphy Johnson

Attendees learned from Nora the early insights gathered from staff & faculty in our organizations:

  • Just how well are we doing in preparing students to thrive after graduation? 
  • What did we learn about what is most important based on what you and your colleagues did and did not share in your reflection? 
  • Where do they currently see connections in our work to our community Portrait of a Graduate? Assets and strengths? Gaps or areas of need? Who has (or does not have) access?
Click on the image above to view the entire portrait!


Click here to visit our website for more information about POG.
Virtual and In-Person School Site Visits


The Portrait of a Graduate (POG) program is actively seeking out education models and best practices that are aligned with, and supportive of, the POG mission & vision. Serving as the catalyst to this cutting-edge initiative are three areas of focus: 

   - Developing a community culture conducive to teaching & learning; 
   - Creating a curriculum aligned to student, societal, and workforce force needs; 
   - Assuring a diverse & equitable educational experience. 

In-Person and Virtual School Visits & Discussion Seminars play an important role in achieving the goals and objectives of our POG Action Plan because they enable us to learn about and see working solutions in action.

Member of the POG teams recently visited (in person or virtually) the following schools:

  • Massachusetts Innovation Pathways Worcester Showcase
  • University Park Campus School, Worcester, MA
  • Chelsea High School
  • Innovation Pathways Program of the Worcester Public Schools

We look forward to sharing out the videos, along with takeaways that resonated with each visitor. Stay tuned.
Join a fun and dynamic team in a rewarding and inspiring position as a part-time Outreach Specialist supporting and guiding K-12 youth in North Central Mass!

United Way Youth Venture (UWYV) is a program that engages K-12 youth in the creation and development of their own socially benefiting, entrepreneurial clubs, organizations and projects. Young people involved in UWYV combine their passions and skills to address a problem they see in their community through an entirely youth-led and youth-created process. The Outreach Specialist will implement in-person and virtual delivery of UWYV at partner sites and promote programing to key stakeholders.

Responsibilities: 
  • Provide outreach for the UWYV program in North Central Massachusetts, ensuring delivery of high quality programming;
  • Support the growth and expansion of UWYV at partnering organizations, including K-12 schools, and engage meaningfully with youth, families, and educators across the region;
  • Support new and existing groups of participating youth;
  • Support and maintain established relationships with partnering organizations, including K-12 schools, through communications and outreach;
  • Implement UWYV programming with on-site and virtual partners as well as independently lead and facilitate direct support to youth and adults;
  • If allowed, travel to several partner sites to conduct site visits and outreach;
  • Help the Assistant Director in determining and scheduling program training sessions and dates, as well as generating content for activities and facilitating workshops;
  • Proficiently use virtual collaboration tools (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams) to deliver the program remotely in a meaningful and engaging way;
  • Utilize database to record and track outreach to youth, program partners and adult volunteers;
  • Support evaluation of students and adults engaged in UWYV through targeted outreach and follow-up;
  • Participate in the planning and implementation of in-person/virtual events for UWYV, and other related initiatives including Changemaking and Portrait of a Graduate;
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
  • High School graduate or equivalent (GED);
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills;
  • Proficient in the use of technology;
  • Ability to set and achieve goals and take initiative within the workplace;
  • Spanish-English bi-lingual preferred;
  • Experience working with students, faculty members, businesses, and/or nonprofit agencies desirable;
  • Belief in the power of youth to create positive change;
  • Must have access to reliable transportation and high quality internet connection.