WPY UPDATES
Spring Program Updates, Fundraising Events, & More!
| | Save the Date: Partner Celebration | | |
Join us for our Annual Partner Celebration on Wednesday, May 28th from 5:00-7:00pm at Bentley University. This event brings together over 200 guests from the city's educational, municipal, and business sectors to showcase WPY’s partnerships that powerfully impact Waltham youth. We will feature a short, inspiring program, including a student speaker and keynote speaker. Funds raised from the event are an important part of our annual budget, enabling WPY to run programs for over 600 local students per year.
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Career Exploration & Training (CET)
Connecting students to life-altering career development opportunities through meaningful paid internship experiences.
| | Pictured above: Three of Waltham Partnership for Youth's Teen Mental Health Alliance school-year interns. | | |
This month, the Career Exploration & Training team was busy reaching out to employer partners and preparing for the launch of Summer Internship Program applications. If you are a Waltham-based organization/company interested in hosting high school interns, please contact Medjine@walthampartnershipforyouth.org. Students, see below for more details about applying to our Summer Internship Program!
The Roses in Concrete mentor/mentee group recently welcomed Families for Depression Awareness (FFDA) for a #TurnTo workshop. During the workshop, participants learned valuable information about depression, including its symptoms, effective treatment options, strategies for staying well, and trusted adults they can #TurnTo in times of need. Thank you to Families for Depression Awareness for your continued partnership with WPY, support of Waltham youth, and dedication to raising awareness about mental health challenges.
This week, the Teen Mental Health Alliance spring cohort completed their teen Mental Health First Aid training; congratulations to the fifteen interns on their certifications! The interns also spent the month discussing neuroplasticity and the effects of social media on mental health. Next month, the interns will begin work on their community projects!
| | Summer Internship Program 2025 | | |
The 2025 WPY Summer Internship Program application is now open for high school students in Waltham! Please read below for more information.
The Application Process
- Attend a Career Success Institute (CSI) session to update resumes and cover letters.
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Submit the WPY online application, resume, cover letter, and top 5 areas of interest. Learn more about the application process here.
Summer internship applications are due by Sunday, April 6, at 11:59 pm.
Where are the internship job descriptions?
This year, we've changed the application process. Instead of submitting their top 5 placement preferences based on the job descriptions, applicants will submit the top 3 to 5 areas of interest (such as education, medicine, the arts, finance, etc.) As a result, cover letters will also be a bit different. Applicants should submit a more general cover letter to WPY that addresses the following:
- Why are you interested in the WPY Summer Internship Program?
- Why are you drawn to your chosen career area of interest?
- What are the skills, coursework, or experience that you have that connect to your career area of interest?
Resume or Cover Letter Sessions
Our Bentley University Career Success Institute (CSI) mentors offer virtual and in-person resume and cover letter support. CSI Sessions are mandatory for all Summer Internship Program applicants.
Sign up for a CSI session here: https://bit.ly/CSIspring25
CSI Session Details:
February 27- April 3
- Tuesdays 2:15-3:45 WHS Library
- Wednesdays 4-5:30 on Zoom
- Thursdays 2:15-3:45 WHS Library
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Wraparound Waltham
Collaborating to create a community of belonging and opportunity for newcomer immigrant students and their families.
| | Pictured above: WPY Welcome Center Coordinator, Marlen Godinez, with WPY Career Exploration & Training Manager, Medjine Lucien, at the Waltham Public Schools Parent Awareness Conference. | | |
This month, the WPY team officially started leading teen Mental Health First Aid trainings at Waltham Valor High School (WVHS)! WPY Wraparound Senior Program Coordinator, Alexa Cuellar, and CET Mental Health and Healthcare Professionals of Tomorrow Coordinator, Monica Manna, have been visiting WVHS twice a week to facilitate the training for two separate cohorts, one in Spanish (for the first time ever!) and one in English. With this training, students at WVHS will learn strategies for supporting a friend or classmate who may be experiencing a mental health challenge. The WPY team is thrilled to work with WVHS students to ensure that ALL students are trained in teen Mental Health First Aid.
The Right to Immigration Institute (TRII) joined the Welcome Center on March 19th to host office hours for families who needed immigration and legal support. WPY continues to work with TRII and other partners to connect newcomer families to vital resources as needed. If you know someone who may benefit from the Welcome Center's support, please reach out to Marlen Godinez at marlen@walthampartnershipforyouth.org.
| | Recap - 2025 Trivia for a Cause | | |
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our tenth annual Trivia for a Cause fundraiser! Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and 25 trivia teams, we raised more than $31,000 for Waltham’s youth–our most successful trivia fundraiser ever!
Congratulations to the following teams for their wins:
- Question Mark and the Mysterians - First Place, Trivia
- The Village People - Second Place, Trivia
- Quizzard of Oz - Team Spirit Award
- Question Mark and the Mysterians - Taste of Waltham Prize
See below for photos! Thanks to volunteer photographers Anna Dos Santos-Becker and WPY's own Marlen Godinez for capturing the energy of the evening.
| | | | Thank you to Jeremy Lewis of Think About It Trivia and his assistant, Jacob Mitchell, for hosting trivia. If you'd like to attend more trivia events with Jeremy, you can find him at Shopper's Cafe on Moody Street every Wednesday at 8pm! | | |
Thank you to ALL of our sponsors, many of whom also attended trivia. We'd like to shine a spotlight on our two top sponsors for the event: Boston Children's Hospital and Watertown Savings Bank.
Boston Children's Hospital
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Boston Children's Hospital has partnered with WPY for more than 30 years. Not only do they sponsor our fundraising events, but they also fund the administration of the Waltham Youth Risk Behavior Survey, so that we can gather critical mental health information about Waltham's youth. BCH continues to be a popular employer partner in our Summer Internship Program, as well. Thank you, BCH!
"Both tables from Boston Children’s Waltham had an absolute blast at the WPY trivia event, as always! The event is always so much fun, and we look forward to it every year. We’re incredibly proud to sponsor and partner with such an amazing organization like WPY, and we can’t wait to continue supporting their efforts in the future." - Rachel Dickey, Administrative Associate, Boston Children's Hospital
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Watertown Savings Bank has been an enthusiastic sponsor of WPY programs for many years. In addition to sponsoring our events, WSB has also generously funded WPY via their Customer Choice Awards competition. Thank you, WSB, for supporting our youth!
"WSB is proud to support WPY and their mission. We believe strongly in all of the amazing and important work they do. The WPY Trivia Night is not only always a fun time but it is wonderful to see how many people attend to support the cause. For the WSB team, it is a don’t-miss event year after year!" - Kelly Cronin, Vice President, Community Relations Officer & Club 50 Travel Program Director
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Opportunities for Youth and
Community Members:
| | Helping Teens Manage Depression: Practical Skills That Work | | |
Families for Depression Awareness is presenting their free webinar — Helping Teens Manage Depression: Practical Skills That Work — on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM ET. In this webinar, you’ll learn concrete tools and techniques to help your teen manage depression effectively. The presenter, Amy Mezuliz, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and author of, “Reversing the Spiral of Depression for Teens: Simple Actions to Improve Mood, Boost Motivation, and Build the Life You Want.” Dr. Mezulis will focus on powerful approaches grounded in evidence-based practices. These aren’t just theoretical concepts, they’re hands-on skills you can implement immediately to support your teen’s mental health.
| | Storytelling Workshop by We Are Waltham | | Rock Bank Camp Music Trivia Night | | |
Waltham Public School's Rock Band Camp is hosting their annual Rock Band Camp Music Trivia Night on Wednesday, April 30th! You can now register for tickets using the button above. High school students will be performing in between rounds. Email Kevin Burke at kevinburke@walthampublicschools.org with questions.
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