Nature and Purpose
For over thirty years, in partnership with Latino youth, the mission of Sociedad Latina has been to enhance the overall health and wellbeing of the Latino community by delivering programs that encourage community leadership through educational attainment, cultural identity and continuation of traditions.
Sociedad Latina is now dedicated to serving both Latino youth, the fastest growing youth population in Massachusetts, and youth from the surrounding communities of the Greater Boston Area. Our non-profit agency directly serves 3,500 young people each year through programs that are predominately led by Youth Leaders. Sociedad Latina fulfills its critical mission by combining direct services, advocacy and information/referral assistance -- literally providing a human resource center for Boston's youth, particularly those of Mission Hill/Roxbury.
Today our vital out-of-school time programs offer substance abuse prevention trainings, bilingual computer literacy classes, tutoring, youth employment training, mentoring and safe social/recreational activities and services with the overall goal of helping even the most at-risk youth make healthy choices, complete high school and develop higher-education goals.
Current programs include:
- Mission Enrichment Program that offers after-school and summer activities reinforcing appropriate values, literacy and whole-brain learning for middle-school students of the Tobin Middle School
- Technology Peer Institute that offers bilingual computer classes to all members of the community.
- Parent Support Group and Leadership Initiative
- Mentoring and Literacy Program for Latino Youth
- Job Readiness and Medical Career Exploration
- Evening Tutorial Program which provides high school youth leaders with academic support
- College Access Program which works with high school seniors helping to support them through the college application, financial aid and scholarship process.
Tasks
PULSE students can be involved in the Mission Enrichment After-School Program at the Tobin Middle School, the Evening Tutorial, and College Access Program. The PULSE students will have the unique opportunity to work with both high school and middle school youth. The PULSE students will develop meaningful relationships with children, serving as mentors, program leaders and supervisors of the middle school students. PULSE students will also have the opportunity to design field trips including taking students to their own campus. The program also offers enrichment clubs, including Lyrics & Music Production and Graphic Design & Yearbook Publication. These clubs use Sociedad Latina's resources such as its computer lab and state-of-the-art digital recording studio to motivate and reward children by allowing them to take part in these enrichment clubs. The clubs are run by consultants, but also rely on the PULSE students to excite and teach the children.
In addition, PULSE students will provide tutoring and academic support for students in grades 6-8. They will also be responsible for participating in the development of Sociedad Latina's unique hands-on learning activities and for creating awareness of higher education goals in the program. PULSE students will also be responsible for monitoring behavior, modeling appropriate values and appropriately disciplining students when necessary.
The last two programs that PULSE students can get involved with are the Evening Tutorial and College Access Program. These programs meet in the evening hours and support our high school youth leaders with their academics and the college application process. In these programs, PULSE students have the opportunity to truly act as a mentor for our high school youth.
PULSE students will be offered trainings in the subject matter of the enrichment club with which they choose to participate. Other trainings offered will include conflict resolution, mentoring, public speaking and other pertinent skills to help develop their successful performance in the programs. Additionally, PULSE students will work side-by-side with Sociedad Latina's Youth Leaders in order to complete the goals of each program.
Time Requirement
Sociedad Latina asks that PULSE students work two days per week for a total of 8 hours per week. These hours could be scheduled any time Monday-Thursday from 2:00-7:30 pm depending on the requirements of the program and the preference of the PULSE student. Finally, PULSE students are asked to attend two community events organized by Sociedad Latina during the year.
Supervision
The Education and Technology Program Coordinators will directly supervise the PULSE students. The PULSE students will receive orientation, support and supervision from these coordinators.
Supervisors
Nicole d'Avis
Jimmy Wyman
Dinanyili Paulino
Alexandra Oliver-Dávila
Address
1530 Tremont Street
Roxbury, MA 02120
(617) 442-4299
www.sociedadlatina.org
Council Member
Esthephania Gomez