Affiliated Organizations

The following organizations help foster the growing movement for student voice in Massachusetts by supporting young people to participate in advocacy and activities organized by the Students Speak Youth Leadership Team. The YLT is grateful for their partnership and commitment to advancing student voice so that that young people have meaningful opportunities to shape the policies that impact their education.

Join Us!

If you are a young person or an adult that is part of a youth-serving organization in Massachusetts, and you would like to participate in Students Speak and/or join the Youth Leadership Team’s growing statewide coalition to advocate for student voice in educational decision making, please contact Marissa del Rosario at mdelrosario@law.harvard.edu.

Teen Empowerment Boston

A dedicated partner to numerous community and municipal organizations, Teen Empowerment Boston collaborates on impactful violence prevention and positive youth development initiatives within the community. https://teenempowerment.org/boston

The Chica Project

A movement of women helping shape chicas’ lives, communities, country, and world around them. The Chica Project works towards a world where women, girls, and all people experiencing oppression at the intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender have the opportunity to rise to their full potential. https://www.chicaproject.org/

ARCK Boston

Equips young people with the tools to become creative, confident, and purposeful changemakers. ARCK Boston achieves this through programs that ignite creative exploration and open doors to success in college, career, and beyond. https://www.arckboston.org/

Springfield Youth Mental Health Coalition

The Springfield Youth Mental Health Coalition (YMHC) is convened by the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts and funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Problem Gambling Services. One of YMHC’s main initiatives is the Beat the Odds Program. The Beat the Odds program was developed in response to a need for mental health awareness among the Black and Brown, Indigenous, People of Color in the Greater Springfield area. https://www.publichealthwm.org/youth-mental-health

Massachusetts Association of Student Representatives (MASR)

The Massachusetts Association of Student Representatives (MASR) helps Student Representatives on Massachusetts school committees become leaders who change the course of their school communities for the better. https://www.mastudentreps.org/

Past Affiliated Organizations

The following organizations have participated in the work of Students Speak in the past. We wish to recognize and honor them for the important contributions they have supported young people to make to the evolving work and vision of Students Speak.

Youth Build North Shore

Youth Build North Shore is a workforce development program for young adults ages 16 to 24, who receive hands-on, individualized support, education, training, career readiness, and life coaching. Through YouthBuild, young people work towards their High School Equivalency Diploma, learn job skills, and become certified pre-apprentice level construction workers, certified nursing assistants, or ServSafe certified culinary professionals. https://northshorecdc.org/programs/youthbuild/

La Colaborativa

The Riot Squad program of La Colaborativa in Chelsea develops youth into community organizers and civic leaders through training in government systems, grassroots advocacy, and strategic action. Participants engage in real-world policymaking and have helped pass critical legislation supporting equity and justice. https://la-colaborativa.org/what-we-do/youth/

The RISE Program

The RISE Program at Haverhill High School, founded by educator Eridania Nieves, focused on supporting and guiding multilingual learners to integrate into American society successfully.

Mothers for Justice & Equality

The youth engagement and education programs at Mothers for Justice & Equality (MJE) address the root causes of violence by empowering youth to lead, heal from trauma, and enter the workforce. Through relationship building, civic engagement, and leadership training, we equip youth with the skills and experiences to create positive change. https://mothersforjusticeandequality.org/youth-development/

Boston Asian Youth Essential Service’s

Boston Asian Youth Essential Service’s (Boston Asian YES) mission is to inspire Asian youth to discover and actualize their greatest potential. For over 43 years the organization has provided youth services and programming to support, enrich and prepare youth for success, challenges, personal development, and leadership. https://bostonasianyes.org/

Brookview House

Brookview House’s Youth Development Programs offer customized academic, behavioral and social-emotional supports to help school-age children in Boston recover from the trauma of homelessness and succeed in school and life. https://www.brookviewhouse.org/youth-development

Project Coach

Project Coach is a partnership between Smith College and Springfield Public Schools that provides a sports-based life skills program that teaches teens to coach and mentor youth within their community. Our teen coaches work side by side with Smith staff, Smith graduate and undergraduate students, and Springfield Public School educators to run a free out-of-school time program for elementary students in Springfield, closing the play gap for children as they build their own life and leadership skills. By applying the high-impact skills they use on the playing field in school and community, our coaches create powerful change in their own lives and communities https://sites.smith.edu/project-coach/