 Andre Dockery is a graduate who developed an impressive reputation while at YouthBuild Boston. It became so impressive that it earned him the opportunity to represent his program at the State House, at various MYBC events, and at countless community service projects throughout the city. Today you'll find him working hard in his new construction position with his sights set on a more prosperous future. Find out where he's been, and where he wants to be, in this issue of In Their Own Words. Okay Andre, what’s your full name and when did you graduate from the program? My name is Andre Dockery. I graduated September 1 of this year. Tell me a little bit about your background -- where you’re from and where you grew up. Well I’ve been a Boston native all my life. I was born in Orchard Park and now I’m living in Mattapan. So what were you up to before you joined YouthBuild and how did you hear about it? Well I was looking for jobs and I had gotten some interviews but they didn’t work out. So I got introduced to YouthBuild by a street worker who’s known me since I was a little kid. He’s the one that introduced me to the program and if it wasn’t for him I probably would’ve never known about YouthBuild. I’d never heard of it. Was there a specific moment you remember thinking “I have to make a change in my life”? It was at that moment, once he introduced it to me, that I knew it was what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be. It was going to be a new experience for me, and I’ve always wanted to do construction since I was little. Gotcha. So when you joined the program, I know they have mental toughness for a few weeks… Oh yeah…oh my lord. Haha... I was going to say, mental toughness is a pretty rigorous test designed to take you out of your comfort zone. Did it do that for you? Oh man yes it did. It was tough just like the name says. It was tough waking up in the morning every day, trying to be on time. It gets to the point where it makes you responsible. Did it weed a lot of the other kids out? It sure did, most of the kids quit. Most of them weren’t up to it. I was surprised that I was able to stick through it. How was adjusting to daily life in the program? Because I know YouthBuild is pretty strict about when you come in, and how you act, and how you dress…it must have been very different for you. It was, but I know how to adjust and adapt to different environments. I know how to act when and where, so it wasn’t too bad, but I still had a few problems in the beginning. I’ve cleaned it up since then though. Now did you go to public school before YouthBuild? Yes, I went to Boston Day and Evening School. And that didn’t work out for you? Oh, it did, I graduated. Oh, so you came into the program with your high school diploma? Yes I see, so how was the experience at Boston Day and Evening School different from your experience at YouthBuild? It was totally different. You can’t do the same things (in YouthBuild) you did while you were in school. When I first went to Boston Day and Evening, I wasn’t cutting it. My first couple of weeks I stopped going because a teacher made feel uncomfortable. You see, me and math are not on the same level, and this teacher used to put me on the spot and that made me uncomfortable. It was different because you can’t get away with the same things (at YouthBuild) that you could in school. It (YouthBuild) teaches you how to be mature. So, the staff at YouthBuild Boston… did you ever take advantage of the placement staff or the support staff during your time in the program? Oh yes that’s how I got to where I’m at now. One of the staff gave me an application to the company I’m at now and it actually worked out and I got the job, so I owe it all to YouthBuild. I know you’ve probably worked on a ton of service projects. Can you pinpoint a specific one that was the most rewarding to you, maybe because of your role in the project, or because of the project’s level of difficulty, or maybe because of who you were doing it for? Yeah I have a couple. The first one was at the Red Cross. We packaged food for people who can’t afford to go to Stop & Shop or Shaw’s. It feels good to do that because it feels good to give back, you know? And the second one was a service project where we went out into the community on Centre Street and cleaned up the neighborhood, planted some vegetables, and we made it look…I want to say “safe”, but that’s not the right word. It just felt good to give back, because I’ve never been part of something like that. Okay, so what is the difference between Andre before YouthBuild and Andre after YouthBuild. What’s changed about you since you graduated from the program? I will say that I have matured a lot. A lot. The old Andre would sit around and lollygag and play video games. Andre now wakes up and goes to work…I don’t even play video games as much. I’m just trying to live life and accomplish what I need to accomplish. You were saying you have a new job now, correct? What’s that all about? Well right now I’m starting from the bottom basically -- cleaning up shop, helping out the union guys that have been there, doing whatever they need me to do. Once I get my driver’s license I will be able to deliver the materials to job sites. Oh wow, when are you trying to get your license? Well I have my road test scheduled for November 6, but I have a lot of practicing to do before then. Well, I’m sure the test in Boston is more difficult than most, so I wish you luck. Haha, thank you. So I know that YouthBuild focuses a lot on goals -- short-term, long-term. What are some of your short-term and long-term goals now that you’re out of the program? Well my short-term goal is to get my driver’s license and to get a car. My long-term goal is to progress in the company that I’m at now. I want to grow and reach my peak at this job. I want to make my career as good as I possibly can. Awesome, do you have your sights set on any particular position? Yes, I want to be an operator. They just finally gave me a key to the Caterpillar machine…you know, the ones that are at the job sites. It’s the machine that digs into the ground with the claw in front of the truck. They finally gave me key to that. Congratulations, so that’s what you want to do? Yes, I want to operate the machines. Just that machine, or do you want operate all types of machines? And do you need a specific license? Oh yes, all of them, and there are a lot of licenses I’ll need to get. The license I’ll need for that one is called a hoister license, which is a hydraulics license. Well obviously you are going places and you’ve had a lot of success in the program. What advice would you give to kids thinking about enrolling at YouthBuild? My advice would be to go in with a positive attitude and just stick with it. In the beginning it can be tough, but just stick with it. That’s the best advice I can give. Just try to reach your goals and stay committed. Alright, so on a less serious note, tell me, when you’re not at YouthBuild or at work, what you do in your free time? Um, sleeping mostly, haha. That job entails a whole lot of work, so I barely do anything now outside of that. I like spending time with my family and just relaxing. If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d buy? Hmm, a house. Definitely a house. And where would the house be? If I wanted to stay near Boston I’d probably say Milton, or somewhere else quiet. But if I wanted to enjoy the sunshine and enjoy the people, I’d probably go to Miami. If I ever decide to go to college, I want to go to Miami University. Is that a goal of yours, to go to Miami University? No, it’s not a goal right now. But if I ever decide I want to go to college, that’s where I want to go. If you could have dinner with one person in history, dead or alive, who would it be and why? Martin Luther King I would say. He’s a man of words and he could just put upon wisdom and take your mind. To hear him talk would be inspirational. So that’s who I’d like to have dinner with. Actually, or Malcolm X. Oh yeah? They’re two very different people though… They are; they really are. But they’re both men of wisdom and the way they speak is powerful, so those would be the two I would like to have dinner with. Okay so I know YouthBuild Boston put up a “Before I Die” Wall in Roxbury on which people wrote what they want to accomplish before they die. If you were going to write on that wall, what would you write? Wow, that’s a good one. Well before I die I’d like to travel the world. That’s one of my goals. What do you want to see? Where do you want to go? Do you have any idea? My boss actually asked me that same question. It really doesn’t matter. I feel like traveling the world would help explain everything. I just want to see everything. Lastly, do you have any shout-outs you would like to give to anyone that helped you get to where you are now? You know, friends, family, students, teachers… Definitely, definitely. I want to give a shout-out to the whole YouthBuild program: Taia, Ms. Monica, my brother Greg, Mr. Ken Smith, my instructor John…just everybody…Ms. Marlena…everybody has been truly helpful to me. I can’t forget my man Joe Diaz, and Danny Ortiz…just everybody. I know I’m naming a whole lot, haha, but everybody has been so helpful. Without them I wouldn’t be where I’m at now. If you're a Mass. YouthBuild graduate interested in sharing your experience with the MYBC community, contact Ted Vrountas at [email protected]
More issues of ITOW: Phiroth Khourn, 2011 YouthBuild Fall River graduate Sthephany Garcia, 2012 YouthBuild Fall River graduate Nathanael Lopez, 2009 YouthBuild New Bedford graduate McKaila Coulter, 2011 YouthBuild New Bedford graduate
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 Photo Credit: Lawrence History Center When you visit the Lawrence History Center (LHC), you’ll find a collection of documents and records that paint a picture of the city’s past: business records, census data, immigration and family documents, ethnic group information, past newspaper editions, etc. Now, as a result of a summer program for local high school age students, you’ll find projects by members of YouthBuild Lawrence among them.
The summer program titled “What’s Your History?” invited students to explore their own personal, family, and community history, and express their feelings about it through a poster to be displayed at the center, and eventually added to the city archives. "The artwork and posters that the students create will go into our collection so that researchers can see how Lawrence residents view their history today, and it will also give these researchers insight into the lives of the participants. This will be very helpful for those who try to understand the history of non-famous residents, which is of unbelievable value. Indeed, it is the records of the activities of these residents that truly determine the history of our city," wrote archivist and summer program leader Jennifer Williams in a letter to YouthBuild Lawrence. Fifteen students from Lawrence, including four from YouthBuild, spent five weeks photographing important places from their childhood, interviewing friends and family, digging through city records, and attending lectures and discussions on the history of Lawrence at the LHC. “The project helped them place themselves in the historical context of the city,” said Lisa Coy, Coordinator of Career Counseling and Placement Services at YouthBuild Lawrence. “They reflected on how their lives are now, and what people’s lives were back then, and they found a lot of similarities. They saw that a lot of people went through similar struggles with housing, single parenting, joblessness, and it helped them realize that they’re not alone.” Five weeks later, they weren't alone at the program reception either. Families, peers, and community members gathered at the LHC to see the projects the youth had produced at the end of the program. They listened as students explained the photographs of children, interviews with immigrants, oral accounts, and newspaper clippings that covered their posters. “It was great because we learned about each other’s history and stories,” said YouthBuild Lawrence student Iris Santiago. “My family came to Lawrence in the 80’s, and a lot has changed since then.” Her classmate, Xiomara Millan, shared on her poster what exactly she believes has changed in her city over the years: “I pointed out how people think Lawrence is a bad city, but there are a lot of good things here. Through YouthBuild, I was able to get off the streets and give back to the community in a positive way. I really want them (future residents of Lawrence) to know who we are. We are out there collecting cans for the homeless and cleaning up parks. We’re part of history as well.” For more on the project, visit lawrencehistorycenter.org Show Me The Green: How The MAPC, YouthBuild Boston, And Vertex Are Getting Bostonians Outdoors9/24/2013  Highlighted in green are all parks in the Boston area (from Bostongreenmap.org) Wanna play cricket in Arlington? There’s a park for that. Or maybe an outdoor game of chess is more your style? Well, Boston’s got parks for that, too. In fact, according to a new website launched by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), there’s a Boston park able to accommodate just about any outdoor interest you may have. Now, on Bostongreenmap.org, you can choose a city neighborhood and an activity from a selection of over 300, and watch as the site generates a list of parks, along with their locations, according to your search parameters. Or, if you want, you can search a park by name, should you know the name of your destination but not its location, and get information about its history, where it is, and the activities you can do there. The site is part of an initiative that aims to get residents outdoors and familiarize them with green spaces in the city.  A San Francisco parklet constructed for pedestrians To spread the word about this new program, YouthBuild Boston students and staff, along with the MAPC and Volunteers from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, are building a “parklet” (mini park: a small, grassy extension of a sidewalk, usually the size of a few parking spaces - see photo) to be displayed at an outdoor street festival called “Circle The City”. The event, organized by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, will bring together residents from all over Boston for a night of “exciting, free, fun activities & entertainment for the whole family on safe, car-free streets”. On September 29th, Blue Hill Ave. will be closed off to traffic from Dudley Street to Warren Street from 1pm to 5pm for the celebration. Stop by to have a look at YouthBuild Boston’s work with Vertex and the MAPC.
More about YouthBuild Boston More info on "Circle The City" Try out Bostongreenmap.org  YouthBuild Just-A-Start is looking for qualified candidates willing to dedicate a year to national service. There are now two positions and four spots open as full-time AmeriCorps employees at the Cambridge site. Read on for details: FULL-TIME AMERICORPS MEMBER POSTING: AmeriCorps Alumni Coach ONLY 1 POSITION1 AVAILABLE! YouthBuild Just-A-Start AmeriCorps Program, 1175 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 RESPONSIBILITIES: A minimum of 80% of this full-time opportunity will be spent in service. The service will include tutoring to AmeriCorps alumni, who are enrolled in post-secondary education, providing job search support for alumni, collecting alumni data, supporting alumni outreach, and contributing to a team of teachers, case manager, transition specialists, and alumni support staff. Member will also plan and facilitate workshops for the program around transitioning into post-secondary education and a career. Member will also serve as a peer role model with half-time YouthBuild youth members. Service will also include recruiting non-AmeriCorps volunteers and setting up volunteer projects. The program will provide skills training in navigating the community college system, registering for classes, talking with professors, reaching out to alumni, maintaining professional boundaries, transitioning students into post-secondary education and career, and tutoring strategies. Up to 20% of the time will be spent in education and training which includes Civic Engagement component. Depending upon the interests and skills of the Full-Time Member, this can also include career exploration, further training and skills development in group facilitation, teaching, and more. QUALIFICATIONS: We are looking for Full-Time Members with experience navigating the post-secondary education world, whether it be through further job training, community college, or a 4-year college. We are looking for members with a desire to serve and support first-generation college students toward a successful future. We desire candidates who take initiative, relate well to others, and value the importance of forming relationships with and serving others. Additionally, we would like candidates who can relate to the obstacles and challenges one might face in transitioning into post-secondary education, but who also have the determination and stick-to-it-ness to overcome challenges and motivate others in the process. Professionalism in talking with post-secondary education and employer partners is a must. College degree (or further job training) or some college preferred; high school diploma or GED required. YouthBuild graduates (or graduates of similar alternative program) are especially encouraged to apply. TIME COMMITMENT: 1700 hours - full-time, up to 12 months to begin October 1, 2013 and end no later than September 30, 2014 PROGRAM BENEFITS/COMPENSATION:
APPLY TODAY TO BEGIN OCTOBER 1, 2013! Catherine Pautsch, [email protected], cc-ing [email protected] . Please put “FT AC Member-YB” in subject line and indicate interest, attaching a resume and cover letter in one MS Word document entitled “Your last name Your first name-AC” (e.g. JonesJerry-AC.doc or .docx – pdf and rtf formats also accepted). Applicants will be screened and processed on a rolling basis. Serious applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by or before 09/16/13. (Applications will be reviewed and process as they are received.) ABOUT LARGER YOUTHBUILD JUST-A-START AMERICORPS PROGRAM: Our YouthBuild Just-A-Start program is an AmeriCorps program and an affiliate member of YouthBuild USA. YouthBuild Just-A-Start is preparing to bring on its 20th class of 17-24 year-old youth members. These Half-Time AmeriCorps members both serve and are served. As out-of school youth, members spend approximately half of their time in training and education leading toward a high school diploma or GED and working on life skills, leadership development, and career development. They also spend half of their time in group service working on renovating affordable housing sites in Cambridge and Chelsea. It is our goal that all youth make and set personal and professional goals and exit the program with their high school credential and placement in a job, college, and/or training. FULL-TIME AMERICORPS MEMBER POSTING: HOUSING SERVICES
ONLY 3 POSITIONS AVAILABLE! YouthBuild Just-A-Start AmeriCorps Program, 1175 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 RESPONSIBILITIES: A minimum of 80% of this full-time opportunity will be spent in service. The service will include renovating affordable housing sites working under guidance and supervision of skilled Service Supervisors (tradesmen/teachers) doing direct construction work and serving as a peer role model with half-time YouthBuild youth members. It will also include recruiting non-AmeriCorps volunteers and setting up volunteer projects. The program will provide skills training in painting, basic construction, volunteer outreach training, and more as preparation for service. Additionally, up to 20% of the time will be spent in education and training which includes Civic Engagement component. Depending upon the interests and skills of the Full-Time Member, this can also include career exploration, further training and skills development in group facilitation, teaching, and more. QUALIFICATIONS: We are looking for Full-Time Members with an aptitude and interest in construction and/or affordable housing development. While carpentry and construction experience is preferred and interest/experience in green construction is highly valued, it is not required. College degree or some college preferred; high school diploma required. YouthBuild graduates (or graduates of similar alternative program) are especially encouraged to apply. TIME COMMITMENT: 1700 hours - full-time, up to 12 months to begin October 1, 2013 and end no later than September 30, 2014 PROGRAM BENEFITS/COMPENSATION:
Sal Mancini, Field Coordinator, at [email protected] , cc-ing [email protected] . Please put “FT AC Member-YB” in subject line and indicate interest, attaching a resume and cover letter in one MS Word document entitled “Your last name Your first name-AC” (e.g. JonesJerry-AC.doc or .docx – pdf and rtf formats also accepted). Applicants will be screened and processed on a rolling basis. Serious applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by or before 09/16/13. (Applications will be reviewed and processed as they are received.) ABOUT LARGER YOUTHBUILD JUST-A-START AMERICORPS PROGRAM: Our YouthBuild Just-A-Start program is an AmeriCorps program and an affiliate member of YouthBuild USA. YouthBuild Just-A-Start is preparing to bring on its 20th class of 17-24 year-old youth members. These Half-Time AmeriCorps members both serve and are served. As out-of school youth, members spend approximately half of their time in training and education leading toward a high school diploma or GED and working on life skills, leadership development, and career development. They also spend half of their time in group service working on renovating affordable housing sites in Cambridge and Chelsea. It is our goal that all youth make and set personal and professional goals and exit the program with their high school credential and placement in a job, college, and/or training. More about YouthBuild Just-A-Start More about AmeriCorps  Thirteen students proudly received their GED diplomas at the YouthBuild Quincy graduation ceremony yesterday, the Patriot Ledger recently reported. Before they joined the program in October of last year, they were high school drop-outs who lacked opportunity. Today they're graduates with a promising future. State Senator John F. Keenan and Representative Tackey Chan joined program director Diane Campbell and Training Resources of America CEO Kim Harmon as the students and staff shared stories of their growth in the past year, and their goals for the future. Learn more about the day by reading the original article on patriotledger.com, where you'll find quotes and pictures of our graduates.
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