Somerville High School students Brandell Ravelo and Lara Jimenez, Middlesex County Register of Deeds Eugene Brune, Somerville High student Joey Flynn, Teen Empowerment Executive Director Stan Pollack, Somerville High student Terrence Bordenave and Somerville Acting Police Chief Micheal Cabral. ~Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

The
Center for Teen Empowerment hosted a "Celebration of Hope & Caring"
fundraiser at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse located
on Boston's waterfront Thursday evening. Teen Empowerment Youth
Organizers are made up of local high school students from the
Somerville, Boston and Rochester NY areas and receive intensive leader
training that empowers them to better understand themselves and their
communities. Through the training and the actions they take to help
their community, Youth Organizers learn sophisticated analytical,
organizational and communication skills that transform the trajectory
of their lives and implement powerful building and consciousness
raising activities that help lower crime and other dysfunctional
behaviors among their peers. Youth Organizers also work to bring the
voices of their peers into policy and community decision making. This
vital input helps create policies and practices that more effectively
meet the needs of young people.