Black Girls Go to Yale
Yale University School of Public Health and Be the Changemakers put together one of the most exciting parts of this year’s Summer Work Experience Program. What exactly was it? A road trip for 100 Black girls to visit Yale University. We called it “You Belong in the Room” — an epic voyage sponsored by the East Orange Mayor’s Office of Employment and Training, the Newark Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, and the Hillside Innovation Academy. Yale School of Public Health Professor Ijeoma Opara led the trip, along with Dr. Jamila T. Davis and Angelo Pinto from Be the Changemakers..
East Orange SWEP Fest 2023
The finale event, titled "Youth Voices Matter: Empowering Youth Through Expression and Engagement," was a collaborative effort between SWEP, the Mayor, Seton Hall University, and Essex County Community College. It took place on the City Hall plaza, putting the talents of the students on display. SWEP 2023 proved another vibrant celebration of our youth. The selection of student-ran booths was fantastic, offering a variety of options and showing so many career paths available to young people. This gave participants the chance to explore their interests and check out industries that they’d never considered before.
NYC Hall Popup Shop
The Citywide Teen Entrepreneurship Program 2023 ended with another successful round of supporting new small businesses run by young people from marginalized communities. With funding from NYC Mayor Adams and City Council Members Farah Louis, Althea Stevens, Nantasha Williams & Kevin Riley, Partners Uplifting Our Daughters and Sons runs the Teen Entrepreneurship Program with active participation from schools across the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. The program encourages young entrepreneurs to hone their ideas into an action-oriented business plan. Then, it provides them with the tools they need to get going. In total, 128 students graduated from the program and received funding to start their own businesses.
Peaceful Summer Fest 2023
In a compelling and impactful display of activism and solidarity, Be the Changemakers students from various corners of New York City and New Jersey united at the 2023 Peaceful Summer Fest in East New York Brooklyn, rallying together under the guidance of AT Mitchell from Man Up Inc. This festival stood as a beacon, shedding light on the alarming spike in gun violence during summer months and aimed to foster a culture of peace on our streets. The festival included fun, games, entertainment and performances from local acts and celebrities including Lil Mama & AZ.
