Youth Enrichment Services (YES)
Title: Planting the Seeds for Success: A Resource Guide for YES
Student Interns:
Tsahaynesh Glah
University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
Hannah Jarvis
University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Academic Preceptor:
Nina Markovic, PhD
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Denise Jones, PhD
Deputy Director, Youth Enrichment Services
Walker Michaels, MD, MPH
Violence Prevention Manager, Youth Enrichment Services
Community Site:
YES is a nonprofit organization located in East Liberty. For more than 30 years, YES has been providing socially and economically at-risk youth aged 6 to 24 with the opportunity to achieve success through mentorship, education, and employment experiences.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps interns created a resource guide specifically for the YES site. They conducted focus groups, spoke with many students, collaborated with staff, and considered their overlapping interests in nutrition and gardening. In the resource guide, the interns created an all-inclusive framework for hosting garden events, a case study of a community garden and music night, and rainy-day lesson plans. In addition to their project work, they also assisted with multiple summer events, including the Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and the weekly nutrition course.
Reflections
I will leave this experience forever changed by the young people I had the privilege of working with throughout this summer. Their resilience, their voices, and their vision for their communities will stay with me long after this summer ends. It is truly inspiring to work alongside staff and students who show up and give their best every single day.
Tsahaynesh Glah
This experience taught me how to build deeper connections. There were many opportunities to find connections, whether with students during classes or staff throughout the day. Each person, student, staff, or intern, contributes something unique and helps to create the wonderful space that is YES.
Hannah Jarvis
