Entrepreneurial Youth Launch Ventures with the Help of United Way

BOSTON – United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley announced today that the organization will be investing $10,500 to give seven teams of entrepreneurial youth the start-up capital they need to inspire their peers, bridge the gap between elders and youth, help the environment and otherwise change the future of their communities. The youth were part of United Way’s Youth Venture Program which inspires and invests in teams of young people, ages 12-18, to start social projects that create positive, lasting change in their communities.

The youth have been working with a group of young professional volunteers who have helped them to hone their business strategies, develop marketing plans and improve their presentation skills for the projects. On Saturday, the young professional volunteers stood in attendance as each of the youth venture groups presented their social entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of judges.

“The youth involved in this program have bright futures ahead of them. The quality of their presentations and the creativity behind their ideas was energizing,” said Michael K. Durkin, president and CEO of United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley.

“To be able to present my venture in front of volunteers and staff members from United Way and get funding for it makes me feel proud. I am proud that I can come up with a great business idea and work my best to execute it,” said Yorling Valdez a youth participant from Sociedad Latina.

The winning groups will each receive a United Way Youth Venture grant of up to $1,000 for their civic venture, and an additional $500 to help cover supervision. In addition, young professionals within United Way’s Young Leaders program will serve as Venture Advisors, volunteers who provide ongoing support, guidance, and mentorship to the teens throughout the course of the projects.

"The youth venture grant means a lot to me. It means that not only can we get youth voices heard but we can do it in a positive way. The youth venture grant will help us to change the community through a radio show," said Martin Oliver, a senior at the Engineering School in Hyde Park and a participant in the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.

Grant winners include:

• Youth from the Asian American Civic Association who aim to make the Chinatown neighborhood a "more green community" by selling lucky bamboo plants to friends, family, and the larger community, to raise money to purchase potted plants and trees.

• Youth from Bird Street Community Center who will create and provide an after-school program for middle schools that teaches them about making the right choices to succeed in school and in life.

• Youth from the Boys and Girls Club of Middlesex County who will spread the word about young people who are trying to make Somerville a better place through "Caught In the Act" photography project that will capture acts of kindness on film and prints them on postcards to circulate throughout the larger community.

• Youth from the Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative who will launch a youth-led radio station enabling Dudley Square youth to share their perspective on current events and local issues.

• Youth from the Episcopal Boston Chinese Ministry aim to bridge the gap between elders and youth in Quincy by starting a venture in which the team will visit elderly homes every month, bring gifts and food to share, shovel snow and do yard work. The service will be free to senior citizens and charge a small fee for other Quincy residents.

• Youth from Episcopal Boston Chinese Ministry will launch a Chinese-language newspaper to help new immigrant youth learn English while getting familiar with school and the city of Quincy.

• Youth from Sociedad Latina will raise awareness about youth issues in their community through the production of music videos featuring youth musicians at Sociedad Latina.

About United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley:
A non-profit charitable organization, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley through more than 200 health and human service agencies helps serve the needs or more than 2 million people in 87 cities and towns. United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley is a nonprofit charitable organization that brings together people from business, government, education, healthcare, faith groups and the community. They work to improve the quality of life for our region’s children and families by uniting effective partners, wise investments, and committed volunteers to strategically tackle the most critical issues and create measurable differences in our neighborhoods.