WPY UPDATES:

Wraparound Waltham

Collaborating to create a community of belonging and opportunity for newcomer immigrant students and their families.

Pictured above: WPY Wraparound High School Coordinator, Alexa Cuellar, performed a traditional Salvadorean dance at the Waltham Family School's (WFS) Annual Fiesta, where she is also a member of their Board of Directors. WPY staff members were able to attend to cheer on Alexa and celebrate with WFS.

This past month, our Wraparound staff had several opportunities to connect with other professionals who also offer programming and services geared towards creating more welcoming communities for immigrants in Massachusetts. This month alone, our staff had meetings with community partners from Africano Waltham, the Codman Square Health Center, and the International Institute of New England. We also participated in an immigration services networking event led by KIND (Kids In Need of Defense), as well as the Waltham Public Schools' annual Parent Awareness Conference on March 9th, and McDevitt Middle School's Multicultural Night on March 22nd. Our staff also had a chance to attend the Waltham Family School's Annual Fiesta, where WPY Wraparound High School Coordinator, Alexa Cuellar, performed a beautiful Salvadorean dance with Jackie Herrera, Program Coordinator of the Waltham Family School.

Additionally, Alexa and Magali Garcia-Pletsch, our Director of Programs & Operations, led a presentation for the Massachusetts School Counselors Association (MASCA), where they talked about WPY's partnership with the school district, focusing on our collaborative Wraparound programming.

Finally, Magali also presented at a Boston Children’s Hospital Webinar about their Metro South West Community Health Initiative, where she gave an overview of the Wraparound program model. The full webinar can be viewed below, with our presentation beginning at the 21:50 mark. We've loved having the opportunity to connect with colleagues and supporters from across the Greater Boston area, and are excited to continue working together to create a community of belonging for all Waltham youth!

Career Exploration & Training (CET)

Connecting students to life-altering career development opportunities through meaningful paid internship experiences.

Pictured above: CET Interns, Sofia and Yasmin, with WPY staff members, Monica Manna and Marlen Godinez, at Waltham's Parent Awareness Conference.

The Career Exploration & Training (CET) team had a busy month of programming, conducting student outreach, and sharing information with the community. This month's Roses in Concrete mentorship meeting between Waltham High School and Brandeis University students of color featured a "Stress Survival Guide" presentation from Families for Depression Awareness. This was a timely presentation, as our high school mentees were finishing their third academic quarter, and the college mentors were in the midst of midterms.

March included some fun events for our student interns; the CET high school interns organized and hosted an Intern Social for School-Year Interns. Interns from different employers were able to build relationships, play pictionary, and enjoy Crumbl cookies! Additionally, our Teen Mental Health Alliance (TMHA) interns had the opportunity to present in a "Shark Tank'' by presenting their community projects to a team of WPY "Sharks" who offered constructive feedback. The TMHA community projects aim to raise awareness about the mental health challenges facing Waltham students and to decrease the stigma surrounding accessing mental health resources.

Lastly, Career Exploration & Training Manager, Medjine Lucien, attended the Waltham Parent Awareness Conference, where she and her high school interns presented on WPY's career opportunities for youth and upcoming Summer Internship Program. Our Summer Internship Program applications are open until April 7th; read below in the newsletter to learn more about the required cover letter/resume session for all applicants.

You're Invited to our 2024 Partner Celebration!

Tickets now on sale

Join us for our Annual Partner Celebration on Wednesday, May 22 from 5:00-7:00pm at Bentley University! The event brings together over 200 leaders 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 impactful, helping WPY to run programs for over 800 local students per year. Tickets are $85, and sponsorships are still available!

Opportunities for Youth and

Community Members:

Bentley Career Success Institute for High School Students!

Don't miss the Bentley Career Success Institute (CSI) sessions! Our Bentley University CSI mentors offer virtual and in-person resume and cover letter support. CSI sessions are open to all students, but mandatory for all Summer Internship Program applicants.

Program Details: Now-April 25

• Tuesdays 2:15-3:45 pm @ WHS E-Learning Lab (virtual during vacation weeks and snow days)
• Wednesdays 4:00-5:30 pm Virtual
• Thursdays 2:15-3:45 pm @ WHS E-Learning Lab (virtual during vacation weeks  and snow days )



Don't Miss this Youth Mental Wellness Event!

Don't miss this upcoming event, The Power of an Affirming Adult: How You Can Support Trans and LGBQ+ Youth Mental Wellness, the second in JF&CS's No One Alone series. This workshop will include resource-sharing before the featured panel presentation and an extended (optional) Q&A session afterwards.

Free Webinar from Families for Depression Awareness: Strategies for Talking with Teens About Mental Health

Families for Depression Awareness is offering a free webinar, "Strategies for Talking with Teens About Mental Health," on May 22nd at 7pm. This program is intended for parents, caregivers, family members, youth workers and caring adults interested in learning about teen mental health and supporting a loved one. Watch the webinar live to submit questions to the presenters. 

Getting teens to talk about what’s going on in their lives can be a difficult task. You may be met with slamming doors, one-word answers, or even silence.

Instead of chalking this up to normal teen moodiness and walking away, parents and caring adults need to keep lines of communication open.

In Part Two of Families for Depression Awareness' series on effective communication, Rebekah Gibbons, LICSW, will take participants through four common scenarios. In each scenario, she will teach parents and caring adults how to use communication strategies that work. You will learn how to validate your teen’s feelings and discuss sensitive topics. By improving communication skills, parents and caring adults can better connect with teenagers and support their mental health needs.

Support Music Programming in Waltham - Attend Music Trivia Night!

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