As February begins, the inaugural cycle of the Opportunity Youth is almost complete! The Opportunity Youth program (OY) is a new initiative of the Brownsville Leadership Project. Opportunity Youth is a 14 week program that aims to provide valuable work readiness experience for youth ages 16-24 who are not in school or employed. Each participant is assigned an internship placement based on their interests, talents, and desired career path. Currently, we have participants working with various community based organizations including Neighbors Together, Made in Brownsville, and Brownsville’s very own State Assemblywoman Latrice Walker’s office.
Participants have been gaining skills and exposure to various fields and professions. Participants are also working with our Hines Documentary Fellow on various documentary and media projects. At Neighbors Together, participants are gaining experience in the culinary field, while working with an organization that aims to tackle hunger in the community. But mostly importantly, all of our participants are gaining opportunities to earn an income and begin to build their professional experience.
In addition to the internship component, the Opportunity Youth participants have come together as a group they named Redefining Brownsville to learn about community organizing and put that knowledge to work to create positive change in Brownsville. Interns have decided to take on the issue of violence and it's impact on the community of Brownsville. Participants have been learning about the roots of violence and have participated in community organizing classes over the course of the program. The group is planning a community wide event to engage youth around this issue. Look for more details to come on this project soon!
Redefining Brownsville Interns get inspired at the Brooklyn Museum!
Redefining Brownsville Interns deep in discussion during class
Interns present their work during BLP Family Night!
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