Nature and Purpose
The Bird Street Community Center (BSCC) is a private, non-profit youth center, which serves the Uphams Corner and Dudley Street areas of North Dorchester and Roxbury. We serve a diverse population consisting primarily of Cape Verdeans, African Americans, Latinos, and Haitians. The Center serves 500 youth annually through two main programs, which are divided into various components. These two programs are the School Age Child Care Program, which is a licensed child care program for children ages 5 to 13, and the Youth Development Program, which is a drop-in program for youth ages 10 to 19. Our facilities include the Teen Center, a gym, a dance and art room, a computer lab, five classrooms, and staff offices. BSCC is strongly connected to the other social service organizations in the community, enabling us to view things from the larger perspective of the Uphams Corner community, as well as the internal community within the Center.
Tasks
Students placed at BSCC may work with the School Age Child Care Program and/or the Youth Development Program. Within Youth Development Program, they may also work with one or more of the programs including the Educational Support Program, the Athletic Program, Boys Programs, Girls Programs, the Arts program, or Connections 2 College.
In the School Age Child Care Program, students would supervise and organize activities for children ages 5 - 13 and function as a Literacy Tutor for the older children in this program from 2 - 6 pm, Monday through Friday.
Students primarily interested in academic work can tutor in the Educational Support Program on Monday through Thursday. They could assist youth in grades 4 through 9 with their homework after school from 3:30 - 6 pm. Then, in the evenings from 6:30 - 8 :30pm, each student would be paired with a young person who wants individualized attention when learning about a certain subject.
The Youth Development Program offers a great opportunity to get to know young people in this community. When working in this program, students may have an opportunity to work with the Girls' Program or with the Boys' Program by assisting in discussion groups or book clubs, among other things. They could also lead recreational activities including sports, games, dance, art, drama, and music. Students also have the ability to help facilitate the Newsletter Club, the Youth Council, and Money Management and Investment Clubs.
Time Requirement
The Center is open Monday through Friday from 2 - 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 - 4. Students will be asked to come to the Center two days a week for approximately 4 hours each day. This will enable students to work in different programs, get to know the young people in different settings, and see how the Center functions as a whole. Prime programming times during weekdays are from 3:30 - 8:00 p.m. Students are encouraged to be at the program during these times.
Supervision
PULSE students will have a supervisor within the programs in which they work and will meet with these supervisors for one half-hour each week. The students will also come together for group supervision with the overall PULSE supervisor, once every two weeks as a way to reflect and learn more about what other students are doing and what other opportunities exist. At the beginning and end of the academic year, the group of PULSE students will come together with Bird Street Community Center staff for orientation and evaluation of the program.
Supervisor
Shamekia Franklin, Education/Leadership Manager
sfranklin@birdstreet.org
Kathy Thomas, Director of School Age Child Care
Address
500 Columbia Road
Dorchester, MA 02125
(617) 282-6110
Fax: (617) 282-2507
www.birdstreet.org
Council Member
James Huerta