C2C Highlights
Stupski Foundation Awards $25,000 Grant to Oakland C2C Summer Youth Employment Program
The C2C Summer Youth Jobs Program has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Stupski Foundation. This support will enhance the program’s ability to expand its offerings and allow it to serve more youth across the East Bay and Oakland region. C2C is grateful for this contribution and looks forward to showcasing the positive impact it will have on the community.
Alicia Modestino wins $350K William T. Grant Foundation’s Institutional Challenge Grant (see SVP pic in folder)
“Through this work, Dr. Modestino and her team from Northeastern and the City of Boston have demonstrated the broad impact of the Summer Youth Employment program on both young people and the wider community…they have created a model for research-practice partnerships that can transform the relationship between universities and the communities in which they reside. C2C is a conduit not just for doing research but also for advancing equitable practices and policies to address the most urgent challenges in each of the places that our university calls home.”
~David Madigan, Provost, Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Modestino’s multi-year research-practice partnership with the City of Boston to advance summer youth employment for Boston’s youth has been recognized and awarded further support to continue to expand pathways to high quality jobs, especially for youth who face economic barriers. This project’s success has included noteworthy benefits for Northeastern, the greater Boston community, and most of all, for the youth and their families. C2C offers our appreciation to the William T. Grant Institutional Challenge Grant which allows past recipients to apply for continuation funding “to further their success in strengthening partners’ capacities to use research in their practice, enhancing institutional infrastructure to reward community-engaged research, and conducting rigorous research on reducing inequalities in youth outcomes.”
C2C New Cohort of Funded Scholars
C2C launched a new cohort of funded scholars, including six new policy fellows and ten seed grant winners from Boston, Oakland, CA, Portland, ME, and Toronto, Canada! Projects range from evaluating a food pantry referral program, to creating awareness of life sciences careers, to assessing the implementation of paid leave, to mapping spatial stories about Black memory, history, and future visions. These projects are as unique as our scholars, but they are all united by a commitment to research that makes a difference in the lives of others. We look forward to their impactful contributions as they advance changes in climate, public health, workforce, racial and gender justice in the communities that our university lives and works in.
Transformation and Opportunity are at the Center of C2C’s 2nd Successful Summer Youth Employment Program in Boston and Oakland
The success of the C2C Summer Youth Employment Program underscores the profound impact that enriching job opportunities can have on young people, owing largely to the support of dedicated partners across the University. Staff from more than 30 departments across both the Boston and Oakland campuses supervised and mentored youth with meaningful projects and dedicated time and resources toward exploring potential career paths.
In Boston, students were supported by Human Resources, Payroll, ITS, the Center for Study of Sport in Society, Undergraduate Admissions, Husky Card Services, Student Financial Services, the O’Bryant African American Institute, Career Design, and Foundation Year the City of Boston Center for Working Families to name a few. In Oakland, Rising high school juniors and seniors from 14 local schools participated at a range of work sites, including The Sustainability Department, The Mills College Children’s School, The Office of Partnerships, The Housing and Residential Life Department, Financial Services, the Mills Institute, Upward Bound, industry professionals, and many other mentors.
Throughout the program, on each campus, participants took part in robust orientations and weekly professional development encouraging youth employees to plan for their future. Workshops included college essay writing, scholarships and financial aid, resumes and interviewing for success, financial education, creating professional profiles, and other leadership skills. C2C also hosted panels about career paths in in healthcare, green entrepreneurship, and construction and engineering, as well as a panel of Northeastern Foundation Year students to speak about their first year in college and joining the Northeastern community. In Boston, Carl Barrows of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society developed and facilitated a workshop series and youth employee handbook, supplemented by workshops created and led by SuccessLink Leaders.
Bridge to Calculus (BtC) is a longstanding partnership with Boston Public Schools at Northeastern, offering a rigorous seven-week curriculum aimed at strengthening students’ math skills. By partnering with C2C, BtC students are paid for their time in the classroom to supplement family income. This year, expansion under the Bridge to Science program added courses in physics, chemistry, and biology. BtC students partnered with SuccessLink Leaders on an innovative Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project to helpus gain insights into what young people hope to see in summer job opportunities. Youth learned about research methods, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
Program closing ceremonies on both Oakland and Boston campuses celebrated participants’ success by awarding them certificates recognizing their hard work and achievements. Events featured impressive speeches and presentations from youth employees, who shared not only about the projects they worked on and skills they gained, but what they learned about themselves, their interests, and new aspirations to apply to college at Northeastern.
Brave Arimah, a senior and Dorchester, MA resident, presented his contributions to research for developing frameworks for federal government regulation of AI with the Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI). Maureen McGrail, a 16-year-old West End resident, shared about how her internship with Planning, Real Estate, and Facilities (PREF), solidified her interest in the field by giving her new insight into building plans and campus renovations. Sudeshana Sijapati, a senior at Mt. Eden High School from Hayward, CA, reflected on her experience saying, “This program has given us the tools and confidence to pursue our dreams and I’m grateful for the support of our mentors and the C2C staff. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us and I’m excited to continue building on the foundation me and my peers have created this summer.”
The C2C Summer Youth Employment Program exemplifies Northeastern’s commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders through experiential learning. By providing these young people with practical experience, academic enrichment, and professional mentorship, the program lays the foundation for long-term personal and professional growth.
“On behalf of the Oakland Workforce Development Board we thank Northeastern University or your commitment to providing these essential opportunities for young people through your C2C Summer Youth Employment Program…These programs play a crucial role in personal development, economic stability, educational success, and overall community well-being.” – Sofia Navarro, Executive Director, Oakland Workforce Development Board.
Read Alicia’s Media Publications on the C2C Program–
Commentary: Summer jobs are back this year, but for how long? – The Business Journal
Northeastern empowers Boston teens through summer internships and math program – Northeastern Global News
Northeastern’s Summer Youth Employment Program expands in Oakland, empowering more high school students – Northeastern Global News
“Summer Youth Employment Program connects high school students with jobs, academic advancement” – Northeastern Global News