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Here are the opportunities published about Spectrum:

Tutoring (Multicultural and New American youth)

Description: Provide academic support for New American and multicultural youth in Spectrum’s Resource Space.

Time commitment: Several hours each week

Organization: Spectrum Youth and Family Services

Location: Available upon sign-up

Contact: myp@spectrumvt.org

Mentoring (Teens and young adults)

Description: Become a positive adult role model for youth between 12 and 22. Each volunteer with be matched with a child, participate in their hobbies and help them set goals. Male mentors of color and LGBTQ+ identified mentors are especially needed. Volunteers must be at least 21 years old, pass a background check and able to provide reliable transportation.

Time commitment:

• Four hours per month over two to four sessions; minimum commitment of one year
• Required eight hours of training in one to two-hour increments

Organization: Spectrum Youth and Family Services

Location: Available upon sign-up

Contact: mentoring@spectrumvt.org

Meal donation

Description: Donate a meal large enough for 20-30 youths at Spectrum’s Drop-In Center, which provides basic needs services, warms meals, housing and case management referrals and supportive engagement to young adults between 14 and 25.

Time commitment: Varies

• Meals should arrive between 4-4:30 p.m.

Organization: Spectrum Youth and Family Services

Location: 177 Pearl St., Burlington, VT 05401

Contact:

• Main contact: cbrown@spectrumvt.org
• Contact to enter the building: (802) 777-5714

Organizing drop-in donations

Description: Help organize Spectrum’s clothing donations for youth.

Time commitment: Varies

Organization: Spectrum Youth and Family Services

Location: Available upon sign-up

Contact: dropin@spectrumvt.org

Miscellaneous volunteering

Description: Help with various Spectrum events and special projects, such as large mailings.

Time commitment: A few hours at a time

Organization: Spectrum Youth and Family Services

Location: Available upon sign-up

Contact: events@spectrumvt.org

The post Here are local volunteer opportunities to get on Santa’s Nice List next year appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

The purpose of the grant program is to increase access to summer enrichment opportunities for youth statewide during Summer 2021. At Spectrum, this grant will support the Multicultural Youth Program’s summer workshops and activities, including:

• Weekly life skills workshops, for 30 to 50 youth, to help them build learn about things like money management, self-care and mental health, as well as strategies for planning for life after high school and overcoming common obstacles among immigrant youth. a
• The Old Spokes Home bike repair apprenticeship program for 6 individuals ages 12 to 16. These youth will learn the basics of bike repair through hands-on practice.
• The Girls’ Group program that provides girls ages 12 to 24 who self-identify as multicultural a safe space to connect with peers and explore their realities and challenges through discussions and activities on mindfulness, self-care, dance, reading, and creative writing.
• Community outreach events, which provide low-barrier activities to engage youth in learning about local resources and connect with peers

“After such a difficult year for our community and particularly multicultural communities, these funds will allow us to provide a much-needed support and relief for the youth,” said Remy-Brice Uwilingiyimana, the Multicultural Youth Program Manager. “Being able to increase our staff capacity, allows us to increase the number of young people we can impact within our programs.”

The grants were funded by federal dollars secured by Senator Sanders and administered by Vermont Afterschool. They were awarded to a variety of programs, including summer camps, libraries, municipalities, teen centers, non-profit social services organizations and more, to expand the number of weeks and slots, as well as to increase affordability and accessibility of summer programs.

“Summer is the perfect opportunity to help kids reconnect and recharge. We are incredibly grateful to our state leaders and policymakers for their commitment to the development of the Summer Matters for All Grant Program,” said Holly Morehouse, Executive Director of Vermont Afterschool. “With this funding, communities and youth-serving organizations across the state will be able to create a great summer for Vermont children and youth that will help them make new memories and emerge from the pandemic strong, resilient, and hopeful.”

All Spectrum Multicultural Youth programs are free, thanks to this incredible support. Supportive services such as transportation, snacks, and other basic needs will be provided within each program. Youth and families can register by emailing the MYP team at myp@spectrumvt.org, calling (802) 864-7423 x428 or find more information here.

Located in Burlington, Vermont, Spectrum Youth & Family Services helps teens and young adults ages 14-24 meet their basic needs, access mental health counseling and substance use coaching, and get help with employment, education, and living independently to thrive as young adults. Learn more at www.spectrumvt.org.

Contact Erin Barnaby, Communications Officer at ebarnaby@spectrumvt.org or 802-363-0750 for more information.

The post The Multicultural Youth Program was Selected to Receive a 2021 “Summer Matters for All” Grant appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

“In early March, Vermont began to shut down due to the spread of the Coronavirus. The end of the school year was traumatic for our youth,” says Marelyn Segura of Spectrum’s Multicultural Youth Program. “Their families were stressed out and afraid…. and it was up to the children who speak some English to explain to their parents what was going on.”

“Many New Americans are coming from war zones and other dangerous situations and when they arrived here, they were hit with a pandemic in a language that they don’t know.” Marelyn says, “It has been very complicated and difficult for them—they had to stay inside all the time and they have no idea why.”

As Vermont began to shut down, Alison Segar, a social worker in Spectrum/Howard Center’s JOBS program, quickly realized many people in non-English speaking communities would need access to COVID-19 information in their native language. She partnered with Mohamed Jafar, who speaks Somali, to create the first in a series of over 400 videos about the pandemic.

Since that initial video, Alison and Mohamed have collaborated with 7 local organizations to create and disperse informational videos of trusted community leaders speaking about the pandemic in different languages: Spectrum’s Multicultural Youth Program staff, Howard Center, Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV), U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Vermont (USCRI), the University of Vermont Medical Center, the Vermont Health Department and the Community Economic Development Office (CEDO) in Burlington.

The group is now known as the Vermont Multilingual Coronavirus Communication Task Force and the videos have covered many topics including specifics about the virus, staying safe, face mask protocols, testing and now vaccination information. Initially each video was released in more than a dozen language and now the ten core languages spoken in Chittenden County including Spanish, Swahili, Somali, Nepali and Vietnamese are produced. The videos have been released on YouTube with over 22,500 views and 166 channel subscribers, and the videos are shared via the member organizations and case managers. Sound files of the videos made are sent out to the Burlington and Winooski schools as well as BHA and are shared through their robo-call system.

Marelyn says that one youth told her that “her mother does not speak English and was completely confused why everyone was using masks. This young person was able to explain what the pandemic was through the videos—including the procedural videos about how and why to wear a mask when going outside.”

Not only have the videos been helpful to our youth and their families, but the Task Force learned how to communicate quickly with non-English speaking communities during crisis. As Alison points out, “Before this pandemic, there was an ongoing communication gap when it came to community or statewide issues between English-speaking and non-English speaking communities in Vermont. It is an issue of equity and now we’ve learned a lot about how to reach out effectively—I hope the work that we have done and the connections that were made will continue.”

The post Translating in a Crisis appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

The Winooski Restorative Justice for Multicultural Youth Project, launched in 2020, is a collaboration between the Winooski School District, Spectrum Youth and Family Services, UP for Learning, and the City of Winooski with funding from the Vermont Department of Children and Families and an anonymous donor. Tis monthly column will highlight the Restorative Justice work happening across the district among different groups. For more information please visit our website by clicking here.

A fundamental part of professional learning for restorative justice is providing staff members opportunities to experience and become comfortable with restorative justice circles. We’ve been offering voluntary district-wide weekly restorative justice circles for staff. Trough this approach, staff are able to become more familiar with how circles operate before they’re faced with facilitating one for students. Staff are given the option of being a participant or circle keeper. A circle keeper facilitates and poses questions for everyone in the circle to respond to. They’re responsible for maintaining the space and ensuring the mutually agreed upon circle agreements are adhered to. A circle keeper plays multiple roles, not only do they hold the role of facilitator, but they’re also a participant too. Circle keepers meet with the Restorative Justice Coordinator to review the circle script and discuss their experiences.

The WSD Wellness Coordinator Jaycie Puttlitz, described her experience as a circle keeper: “Our circle topics often tackle issues that can be hard for people to discuss. Sometimes the topic is deeply thought-provoking, sometimes it evokes an emotional response. What I have found, is that the structure and respect at the foundation of the circle gives everyone in it an equal voice. Participants can safely voice their thoughts without the fear of a negative response from others. I wanted to lead circles for our staff because I was curious if restorative practices could have a positive impact on staff wellness. These restorative practices have been particularly helpful for staff this year as they bear the stress and anxiety of working in a pandemic. Having a time and space to open up and connect with colleagues has been incredibly important to staff wellbeing. And, I believe that the more we practice these circles as a staff the better we will be able to support our students in becoming circle keepers in our classrooms and community.”

Behavior Interventionist Mohamed Diop said: “Circle keeping has been a great experience holding space for our WSD staff and administrators to come together, listen to each other, share their authentic perspectives and learn from one another in trusted bubbles through prompts, or topics of discussion that are designed to connect us as employees, foster Restorative Justice, or practice approaches to treat and serve our students better in our school district.”

ELL Teacher Jean Plasse said: “I’m really glad my coworkers encouraged me to be a circle keeper. It’s really been a powerful way for me to connect with other people. I enjoy helping and this makes me feel like I’m helping in a powerful way. It’s not just something else that I do; it’s an important part of my Wednesdays. It makes me feel empowered, heard and helpful. I like making space for others and listening to what they have to say. It feels right. I also really appreciate the structure.”

High School Math Teacher Luke Dorfman said: “Participating in the staff circles this year as a circle keeper has been a source of joy for me, especially in the midst of so much turbulence and stress that comes with teaching during a pandemic. Having a consistent time and space to connect with my colleagues — to hear about their experiences and emotions and to share my own — has helped me remain balanced and centered. I have valued the opportunity to facilitate these spaces as well, giving others a chance to find
connection and community too. My skills as a facilitator have strengthened over time, and I have a growing understanding of and appreciation for the indigenous practices at the heart of circles. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow moving forward.”

The post Restorative Justice in the Winooski School District appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

In September, Sango’s teacher referred her to the Help Desk in the school library. Since then, Marelyn, our Multicultural Youth Program (MYP) AmeriCorps staff member, has given Sango support with both her math and English classes as well as encouraged her to ask for more help when she needs it.

“The Help Desk was launched at the request of the Burlington School District,” says Marelyn, “when they found that several students from refugee families were dropping out of high school due to the challenges they faced at school and at home.”

MYP has Help Desks in Burlington, Winooski, and now Essex High Schools, staffed with help from the Association of Africans Living in Vermont, Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, and the Community and Economic Development Office. We also provide support out of school through organized community activities, an after-school space for extra assistance, and an annual Youth Leadership Conference.

“For students new to the US, understanding what is going on at school can be difficult, to say the least,” says Daimeyon Williams, the MYP Manager at Spectrum. “The Help Desks are really there so our staff can provide on-site assistance with any challenge that a student who identifies as multicultural might be facing, whether that’s academic, at home or work, or out in the community.”

“My teachers were the ones who told me about the Help Desk and then I met some of the help desk guys. I’ve now come at least ten times to get help with my work,” Sango says.

Since Sango began getting help, her grades have improved and she is able to understand more in her classes. Most importantly, she now has the confidence to ask for help when she needs it.

We now have Help Desks in three local high schools to support youth from
multicultural families and provide extra help to their teachers and administrators.

The post Expanded Support for Multicultural Youth appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

“I can honestly say that I don’t know where I would be now if it weren’t for Spectrum welcoming me with open arms when no one else would.”

Spectrum youth are some of the most resilient people we’ve ever met. Whether they’re transitioning to adulthood after living in foster care, or pushing to get through school in a foreign language, or trying to overcome a childhood of trauma, they are determined to build a life for themselves.

What they need is someone to help them figure out what their goals are, to offer a friendly ear no matter what, and to let them dream big. And all of that was made possible this year because of our incredible community of donors, volunteers, and mentors. Below is an overview of what was accomplished because of your support. Thank you from all of our hearts, to yours. You can find a PDF version of the annual report here.

Basic Needs & Stable Homes

The Drop-In Center and Supported Housing programs were open for teenagers and young adults who needed a hot meal, clean clothes, a shower, or a place to sleep.

What’s new: A steady stream of federal and state funding cuts in recent years means that more and more, we rely on the generosity of people like you to keep our doors open. In 2018, 33% of the funding for our housing programs came from you, our donors. This year, that percentage rose to 48%, and in 2020, we expect it to be 59%. Thanks to you, we know we’ll be here for the next youth who needs help.

From the left: The Winter Warming Shelter. A group meeting at the Landing (short-term housing). A youth room at the Landing.

260 youth served at the Drop-In Center

33 youth served at the Winter Warming Shelter

50 youth served at the Landing (short-term transitional housing)

37 youth served through the Transitional Housing Program

Life & Survival Skills

This year, teenagers and young adults learned how to find and keep a job, get into and pay for school, budget for an apartment, and other critical life skills.

What’s new: Spectrum’s Multicultural Youth Program set up a Help Desk in the libraries of Burlington and Winooski High Schools to help multicultural youth with anything from tutoring, to driver’s ed, to preparing for life after high school. The Help Desks were staffed with assistance from our partners: the U.S. Committee on Refugees and Immigrants and Burlington’s Community Economic Development Office.

From the left: Youth staff at Detail Works, working with head detailer, Jasmine Wood. Yuol Herjok Yuol, Multicultural Youth Program outreach coordinator, speaking with senior Halima Said at Winooski High School’s Help Desk.

160 youth served through the Youth Development Program

112 youth served through Jump on Board for Success

283 youth served through the Multicultural Youth Program

14 youth served through Detail Works

Prevention & Intervention

Every day, teenagers and young adults are working through substance use and mental
health challenges with our therapists, befriending positive adult role models in our mentoring program, and practicing self-care through the health clinic housed in our building.

Spectrum mentors and mentees at ECHO Lake & Aquarium Center’s Community Science Night.

What’s new: In January 2019, the Vermont Department of Children and Families asked us to launch a new program called Compass, which works with youth who are at risk of going into foster care, becoming involved with the justice system, or otherwise facing a crisis. We offer intensive support to both the youth and the family to help them get their lives back on track.

319 youth served through Riverstone Counseling

106 youth served through Mentoring

794 youth served through the Pearl Street Youth Clinic

Thanks to all of the donors, volunteers and mentors that have supported Spectrum youth. It is because of you that they thrive. As one youth recently said,

“I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful for your donation. Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to have a good life, a better life that I want.”

The post A year of “you-are-not-alone” appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

“It’s meaningful beyond belief when youth get to see people showing up for them. Someone to say ‘you matter, your next steps matter, your future matters,’” says Katie Upton, our conference organizer.

On May 5^th, a group of 65 young people came together on the Champlain College campus with a goal: to build leadership skills, learn about leadership opportunities in the community, and create bonds with their peers.

The occasion was the Multicultural Youth Leadership Conference, organized by Spectrum’s Multicultural Youth Program and made possible by community members like you.

The agenda for the conference, now it its third year, is set by a Youth Advisory Council, who decides what types of workshops, activities, and resources their peers would benefit from the most.

Youth started off the day with a lively team-building exercise led by Mellisa Cain of Learning Through Laughter.

A community collaboration

The workshops at this year’s conference were led by some amazing local organizations, including the Young Writers Project, Burlington Free Press, the Community College of Vermont, King Street Center, Learning through Laughter, Bright Blue Media, Burlington High School, the University of Vermont, and the Peace & Justice Center.

Afternoon workshop were led by The Vermont Center for Independent Living, South Burlington High School, the Speak Up Roosevelt Forum (SURF), and the Community College of Vermont.

Planned Parenthood was just one of the many community organizations, job programs and volunteer-led projects that presented at the Multicultural Youth Leadership Conference resource fair in the afternoon.

Thinking back on the most memorable parts of the day, conference organizer Katie Upton mentions a student who approached her after “First Hand: Life After High School”, a workshop led by youth from King Street Center and the Community College of Vermont.

“I had a young person come up to me after ‘First Hand’ and tell me ‘This is the first time I’ve really learned what options I have when I graduate,’” says Katie.

To all of our supporters—thank you for caring about the future of youth in our community. It’s because of your compassion and generosity that this year’s Multicultural Youth Leadership Conference was possible!

The post By Youth, for Youth: The 2018 Multicultural Youth Leadership Conference appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

What follows is a guest blog post written by CeCe Horbat, the Diversity, Equity, & Multiculturalism Coordinator at Spectrum.

On May 6th, 2017, we hosted the Youth Leadership Conference at Champlain College. Created by our Multicultural Youth Program, the conference is designed for youth to have fun and learn, while also providing the support they need to build successful leadership skills.

To make it happen, we collaborated with many amazing community partners, including Northwest Counseling Support Services; Vermont Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health; Burlington Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront; Burlington Community and Economic Development Office; and Champlain College.

Our Youth Advisory Committee designed the whole conference, choosing everything from the t-shirt design to the workshops, from our amazing keynote speaker, Rebecca Eun Mi Haslam (Vermont’s Teacher of the Year), to our Snapchat geotag for the day! In order for the event to be a success, it had to be by youth and for youth.

Catherine, left, of the Burlington Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront; and Rebecca Eun Mi Haslam

Almost 100 youth, ages 14-24, participated in the day, learning about themselves and each other. Haslam kicked off the day by sending us the important message: “Know your why, and remember that you are the only one in control of where you’re headed.”

Some of the day’s most popular workshops were led by youth: “LGBTQ Intersectionality,” “Conversations about Racism,” “Breaking Down Cultural Barriers,” and “Spoken Book.” And many other community partners, like the Fletcher Free Library, The Peace and Justice Center, Opportunities Credit Union, and Parents and Youth for Change led fun, engaging workshops.

After lunch, youth explored over 30 organizations, service providers and post-secondary opportunities in a resource fair. Special thanks to ACLU, Vermont Tech, Vermont Works for Women, “I am Vermont, Too,” and Vermont Adult Learning, just to name a few.

In order for the event to be a success, it had to be by youth and for youth.

We finished the jam-packed day by reading a Letter of Support from Senator Bernie Sanders (though he wasn’t able to make it!) and holding a raffle drawing for prizes to local businesses. To our amazing community raffle prize partners like Old Spokes Home, City Market, YMCA, Burlington Electric, the staff at TJMaxx and many, many more, we thank you for your amazing support.

The conference was successful and empowering because of the support of people like you. We’re looking forward to an even bigger and better conference in 2018. In the meantime, you can find us on Facebook to see photos and stay up-to-date on how you are helping. Huge thanks to all who believe in our youth!

CeCe Horbat, left, and Emmajane Hoffman, of the Multicultural Youth Program.

CeCe Horbat is the Diversity, Equity and Multiculturalism Coordinator at Spectrum, as well as the AmeriCorps member serving in our Multicultural Youth Program.

The post Know Your “Why”: Youth Build Leadership Skills at Spring Conference appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

About a year ago, with support from community members like you, our Multicultural Youth Program launched “Girls Group,” which takes place every Friday from 4-6 pm.

Girls Group is open to all self-identifying young women. Each Friday, anywhere from six to 15 young women come together at Spectrum. We invite youth of all ages to join the group, though the group generally attracts 14–24 year olds, and we’ve also welcomed aunts, mothers, and grandmothers.

It is thanks to you that this program is available for young women who are building a space that is theirs—a powerful opportunity to take up space, explore future options, and connect with peers to build confidence and find their voices.

A focus on the future.

Everything we do in Girls Group is looking toward the future, but that doesn’t mean we only focus on education and job searches.

From October into January, youth focus on “Self and Community,” and from February to May, they focus on “Culture, Society and the World.” Within these broad themes, girls get to know each other and themselves, and to build trust and a positive group dynamic across many diverse cultures.

From this foundation, and with your support, girls think critically and reflectively about how they can bring their unique voices and talents to the world.

“Girls Group makes me feel like I can try new things. I feel like I have a good group of friends now too, and I’m finally not afraid to be myself.”

In the past few months, girls made collages about self-image, made calming mindfulness jars, and celebrated holidays and explored their meanings.

A whole community opens up, thanks to you.

A huge part of our youths’ success includes our community partners. We led a “Burlington Bingo” scavenger hunt, where girls walked to community resources like the Fletcher Free Library, the Community Health Centers of Burlington clinic, the Peace & Justice Center, and our own Drop-In Center. They took pictures, met staff, and learned about how these organizations can be a resource for them, their friends, and their family members. For the new year, girls reflected on the highlights of 2016, discussed plans and set goals for 2017.

In the second half of the year, we’ll get out into the community even more, with field trips to ECHO, a sailing trip with the Community Sailing Center, Green Up Day volunteering, and a Peace & Justice Center workshop to learn about women who are changemakers around the world.

How you can get involved:

If you or someone you know would like to join Girls Group, email us at myp@spectrumvt.org, or call (802) 864-7423.

You can make a gift to support our Multicultural Youth Program by clicking here.

The post A Space for All Girls appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.