By Allison McDonald

While the creation of a Youth Empowerment Center sits amidst a long list of significant capital and operating budget needs, the team at Amherst Recreation continues to develop and lead innovative programming that aims to help Amherst’s youth develop their skills for school and life.

Youth-driven community programming will be the topic of the Amherst League of Women Voters next Judy Brooks Conversation on Thursday, November 13, featuring a presentation from Amherst Recreation’s Director, Rey Harp, and Outreach Director, Becky Demling.

Building a strong community for all residents is the goal, according to Demling. “Inclusive youth-driven programs are the best way to help young people build essential skills, make real connections with peers and adults, and feel empowered to actually solve problems in their community. It’s how we cultivate the next generation of truly engaged, active citizens.”

Much of the programming was started with the support of the town’s ARPA funding. ARPA funds enabled Amherst Recreation to develop curriculum and purchase equipment for adaptive swim lessons and to complete sensory inclusion training, enabling Recreation programs to meet the diverse needs of young people in the community.

Morning Movement & Mentoring

Amherst Recreation also used ARPA funds to support and expand the innovative Morning Movement & Mentoring (MMM) program with the Regional schools. Now in its fifth year, the MMM program has expanded to serve nearly 90 students in grades 7-9. The program serves a diverse group of teens: 61% of this year’s participants are eligible for free or reduced-fee lunch, 47% have IEP or Section 504 accommodations in school, and more than 75% are students of color. Read more about the MMM program and its impact.

RISE Youth Leadership

ARPA funds also helped jump-start the RISE youth leadership program in Amherst. RISE is a national nonprofit organization that uses the power of sports to educate and empower people to improve race relations and advance social justice. Through the 6-10 weeks of each session, program participants engage in multiple topics, including understanding identities, bias, privilege and power, building trust, conflict resolution, community building, and racism and anti-racism.

Similar to the MMM program, RISE is supported through Amherst Recreation partnerships with the school district, Amherst Police Department, the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Department, the UMass Police Department, and the town’s Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

Program volunteer Rafael Santos, Jr. of the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Department said the program is meeting a need in the community, and it’s “helping these individuals grow in a positive manner and bridging the gap between law enforcement and our youth.” Adult volunteers like Santos also gain from the program. Of one of the program activities, Santos said “I think that gave us a lot of insight as to where other individuals around us come from, and what they have access to and don’t have access to, and just being able to see things from a different perspective.”

BizCamp 

This year, Amherst Recreation partnered with Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) to present the innovative summer program, BizCamp, for area middle- and high-school students. Led by Junoon Giridhar and Irv Rhodes, Amherst’s BizCamp used NFTE’s experiential, project-based curriculum to “empower local students with the tools and mindsets necessary to navigate and succeed in today’s dynamic economy.”

“We want to help [youth] recognize the ability they have to steer their way through important life transitions.”

Rey Harp, Amherst Recreation Director

Youth-Driven Community Programming

Harp says that, through its youth-driven programming, Amherst Recreation helps young people make this community their own. “Inside these community programs, we have aimed to let kids grow inside a world we want them to own. In familiar spaces, we invite them to think and to play. We invite them to challenge themselves. And we invite them to get to know the so-called ‘people in their neighborhood.’ We want to help them recognize the ability they have to steer their way through important life transitions.”

Harp and Demling will discuss these programs and share highlights from teen participants and adult volunteers at their presentation for the Judy Brooks Conversation on Thursday, November 13. The Racial Justice Committee of the Amherst League of Women Voters hosts this online conversation series named for Judy Brooks, long-time member of LWV Amherst and active citizen of the Town of Amherst. Head to the LWV website to learn more about the event and to register.