WPY UPDATES
Ready? Set? Job!, Trivia for a Cause, & More
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A Note from our Executive Director | |
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Dear WPY Friends,
As we mark the end of January, we at WPY are remembering that January is a month of resolutions. The start of a new year offers us the opportunity to reflect on what drives us, recommitting ourselves to live out our values each and every day.
This month has also brought a new presidential administration, and with it, a slew of Executive Orders that are dividing our community, stoking fear amongst immigrant students and families, and threatening the very identities of many of the young people that WPY is lucky to work with each and every day.
At WPY, in 2025 (and beyond!) we resolve to continue approaching all of our work with Waltham youth by centering our five core values of Belonging, Collaboration, Compassion, Courageous Honesty, and Youth-Centeredness. You can read more about how we define each of these values by visiting our website here.
We are committed to continuing to offer our life-changing programming for all Waltham youth, including our City’s immigrant students and our LGBTQ+ youth. We will also be offering new resources and creating new opportunities to support Waltham’s young people so that they have the skills, resources, and opportunities to participate fully in their communities and create their own paths to success and well-being.
All of us at WPY look forward to working with you over the coming months and years to make this vision a reality.
With gratitude,
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Magali Garcia-Pletsch
Executive Director
Waltham Partnership for Youth
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Career Exploration & Training (CET)
Connecting students to life-altering career development opportunities through meaningful paid internship experiences.
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Pictured above: WPY Teen Mental Health Alliance interns pictured with guest speaker, Tracy Das, a WHS '22 alumna who now attends Harvard. | |
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We kicked off the new year with our CET Alumni Winter Gathering! Twenty alumni joined us for a fun-filled evening of games, snacks, and reconnecting with their peers and WPY staff. The alumni were also treated to an exclusive tour of the new high school led by our Teen Mental Health Alliance Peer Leaders. It's always a pleasure catching up with our alumni, whether they've been away for just a few months or for years.
The Teen Mental Health Alliance (TMHA) also had a busy month with amazing guest speakers. They were joined by students from William James College, who shared about their journeys through their undergraduate and graduate studies in mental healthcare. Students walked away with a deeper understanding of the challenges and rewards of working in the mental health field.
The TMHA was also joined by WPY alumna Tracy Das, who shared her inspiring journey from Waltham High School to Harvard. Tracy spoke about the power of self-advocacy, emphasizing how through her WPY internships she learned to advocate for herself at Waltham High School and now at Harvard. She also shared tips on applying to college and the different programs and opportunities she has taken advantage of while in college. We loved hearing her reflect on the valuable skills, like networking and mentorship, that have supported her throughout her academic and professional journey!
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High school students joined us for our annual Ready? Set? Job! career readiness conference on Saturday, January 25th.
Throughout the day, students attended multiple workshops: Learning LinkedIn, Event Planning Crash Course, New Year, New Goals: Teen Money Moves, and Goal Setting and Career Mapping. Students then concluded the day with a resumé writing session, where they met one-on-one and in small groups with community members and event sponsors who generously volunteered their time to help students create or update their resumés.
Students had the following to say about their experiences at Ready? Set? Job!:
"I really enjoyed having time to build my resume with people who have been in the industry and know what a resume should look like!"
"I had very enlightening conversations with several peers and tutors. The papers they handed out and resources provided were also very informative. It was great!"
"Probably my favorite event with WPY."
Check out the photo gallery below to see more photos from the event!
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Wraparound Waltham
Collaborating to create a community of belonging and opportunity for newcomer immigrant students and their families.
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Pictured above: WPY Welcome Center Coordinator, Marlen Godinez, at the Family Resilience Network of Waltham's annual speed networking event. | |
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The Wraparound Waltham team has had a busy start to 2025! The Welcome Center hosted National Grid for their first community advocate outreach event of the school year. Advocates visited McDevitt Middle School during Welcome Center hours to meet with community members who are current clients, to discuss how National Grid can better support them. National Grid's next visit is scheduled for Tuesday, February 4th, from 3:30-5:30pm.
In addition to running the Welcome Center, WPY's Marlen Godinez serves as a member of the steering committee of the Family Resilience Network of Waltham (FRNOW). Earlier this month, she represented WPY at FRNOW's annual speed networking event. Many community partners gathered at Charles River Community Health Center to share information regarding programming as well as updates for the new year.
Wraparound Senior Program Coordinator, Alexa Cuellar, led a training about Safety Planning and Know Your Rights for Immigrant Youth and Families for Waltham Public Schools administration. The training shared important information that will support our immigrant youth and families to safely engage in their new communities, including some recommendations and necessary precautions. WPY will continue to lead these trainings with school and community members to keep our community safe and well-informed.
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Still Time - Register Now for Trivia for a Cause on February 6th! | |
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There is still time to join us on February 6th from 6-9pm for WPY's Trivia for a Cause! Enjoy an exciting night out with your friends and colleagues, while supporting life-changing youth programming in Waltham.
Register your team of 8 players at the link above or below. Not sure who will fill your team? No worries! Claim your spot now, and our staff will be in touch with you later to confirm all team members.
Limited spots are available, so register as soon as possible!
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Opportunities for Youth and
Community Members:
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WPY is Hiring Interns! Teaching Assistant to Language Learners Internship | |
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As Teaching Assistants to Language Learners, WPY interns work alongside Lasell University student-teachers, who are teaching Waltham Public Schools staff Spanish. Interns assist with session planning and serve as conversation partners to help the educators improve their Spanish skills. We're looking for bilingual heritage Spanish speakers to support this initiative and empower our local educators.
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Waltham Community Response Collaborative Survey | |
Meet with National Grid Customer Advocates | |
Are you a National Grid customer? Customer Advocates from National Grid will be available on Tuesday, February 4th, from 3:30-5:30pm at McDevitt Middle School, to meet one-on-one with Waltham community members in English and Spanish. During their visit, you will be able to discuss and manage your energy bill and also find assistance with discounted rates, payment plans, budget plans, and the Arrears Management Program (AMP). Please refer to the flyer for documents that you should bring. No appointment is required. |
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Opportunities for LGBTQ+ Youth with OUTMetroWest | |
Mount Auburn Hospital - Community Listening Sessions | |
Waltham Police Department - Community Engagement Workshops | |
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The Waltham Police Department is partnering with Dedication To Community (D2C) to host community engagement workshops in early 2025. These workshops are no cost to the public and aim to foster trust, transparency, and understanding between the police and the community.
Residents will have a platform to voice their concerns, share their experiences, and work collaboratively with officers to create a safer environment for everyone. For more information about the workshops or how to register, please contact Captain Jeff Rodley at jmrodley@police.waltnam.ma.us.
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Family Step Up Night - Waltham Public Schools Class of 2029 | |
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