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

Spring is off to a very cool start!

Four new Venture teams have launched this March with a fifth ready to go next week. Read more about what our area youth are achieving below. Check out our social media for photos, videos, and Venture team progress here.

Our scholarship application deadline has been extended!

We will be accepting applications until April 3rd. Please share with high school seniors and college students that exemplify leadership and changemaking, and are (or have been) involved in United Way Youth Venture.

In more exciting news, we are joyfully welcoming back Rachel Vargeletis-Peguero to the UWYV team! Rachel has rejoined our team as an Outreach Specialist this March. She previously worked as an Outreach Specialist for the program, and from 2018-2019 served the program from 10 months as a Commonwealth Corps Service Member. We are excited to have her back on the team!

As always, we are grateful for your continued support.  



~the United Way Youth Venture Team!



Reingold Elementary (Fitchburg) students shared an emotional morning with school, district, and community leaders during their Tuesday, March 7 Youth Venture panel presentation which resulted in their official launch and a seed funding award of $500.

Calling themselves the Roadrunner Helpers, after their school mascot, this group of fourth grade students fearlessly faced a daunting challenge that some of them had experienced personally—youth homelessness.

To support the currently 49 homeless elementary school students in Fitchburg, they led week-long toy and game drive. The grade with the most donations wins an extra recess and the chance to throw pies at their principal, teacher, and assistant superintendent.

UWYV will also be partnering with Fitchburg Public Schools on a video production to capture this Team’s story and highlight the issue of youth homelessness in the community.

pressure on student athletes who inadvertently strain family finances in order for them to participate in sports, which sometimes leads to kids withdrawing from sports altogether.

The team was officially launched as a Venture with a $500 seed funding award to get them started with a Red Sox ticket raffle fundraiser.

Be on the lookout for the team’s donation boxes around the community, including one in MWCC’s student center.

McKay Elementary (Fitchburg) made their Venture plans official on Thursday, March 23, after presenting their action plan to an auditorium of school and community leaders and third-grade future Venturers.

Nearly 30 fourth grade students, each highly invested in their mission to improve their local parks and outdoor play spaces, announced their adoption of Green Street “Mama Fitz” Memorial Park and make-over timeline.

Over the next month, students will visit the park twice to scrub graffiti, pick up litter, lay mulch, and paint benches.

All of this is done in partnership with the City of Fitchburg and a growing relationship with their Ally, James Bunnell, the director of Fitchburg Parks & Rec. He was so moved when they reached out to him in the fall, he invited them to become the first-ever Fitchburg Junior Park Rangers, a role they proudly embrace and hope will inspire the community to take better care of shared park spaces.

In addition, students were able to provide design input for the new playground equipment to be installed over the next year. UWYV will partner with Fitchburg Public Schools on a video production to capture this Team’s story and highlight the need for greater community care and responsibility for our public spaces and parks.

Last month, we hosted the United Way Youth Venture Stakeholders Breakfast.

The event was facilitated by Dr. Shelley Errington Nicholson, who led attendees through table discussions and action commitments.

Since meeting, how have your action commitments gone?

Please, share with us below!

Each year the UWYV staff are proud to support outstanding Venturers by awarding $1,000 and $2,000 scholarships to graduating seniors and current college students who exemplify leadership and changemaking.

Click here to learn about past scholarship recipients and to apply!



Application deadline has been extended to April 3rd!