We hope you are staying safe during these unprecedented times. Here at YPP we have been working to adapt our teaching, learning and organizing to accommodate the numerous and often changing circumstances as a result of the global response to the COVID19 epidemic.

Below are some highlights of what we have been up to and what we are looking forward to!

Additionally, we urge you on this special #GivingTuesdayNow, to consider a donation to YPP (or another organization that you care about in your community.) 

We join the Giving Tuesday movement in our belief that generosity has the power to unite and heal communities in good times and bad. A global threat like COVID-19 touches every person on the planet, and it presents an opportunity to come together as a global community.  Let’s come together to create a wave of generosity, citizen engagement, action from business and philanthropy, and support for communities and nonprofits around the world.

Virtual Flagway Festival 2020

  
YPP will host a 2-day Virtual Flagway Festival on May 15 - 16th, where YPP students from across the country will compete in various collaborative and individual games, while contributing points to their local team scoreboard.  Game results will be listed on the Flagway Festival Portal the week of May 17.

• Flagway Math Challenges on the Kahoot platform
• Math Scavenger Hunt on Zoom/Google Classroom 
• DigiFlagway Frog Racers, on the Apple iPhone/iPad platforms
  
• The 2020 Virtual Flagway Tournament on Zoom/Google Classroom

Virtual Cognitive Interviews

In collaboration with Educational Testing Services, YPP has developed a series of  Cognitive Interviews*, based on our Flagway curriculum.   The interviews will be conducted by two YPP staff members per student and will initially target YPP students in Cambridge, Broward County, FL and Flint, MI, via video teleconferencing.

*Cognitive interviewing is a method for studying the ways in which students mentally process and respond to (math) problems, and are often used as a tool for formative assessment. 

Daily Math Challenges

YPP has partnered with Boston Public Schools (BPS) to provide daily Math Challenges created by our very own High School Math Literacy Workers (MLWs).  The goal of the challenges are to engage youth leaders, elementary school students, and families in collaborative teaching and learning of math, all while they are physically distanced from their regular schools and community touch points. With the challenges, students are also able to interact real time with high school MLWs from YPP -- with questions or comments related to the challenges -- via the Discord platform.

The daily Math Challenges will be distributed through early June and can be viewed on the BPS website or at typp.org/challenges.

YPP at 25!

YPP is planning a party, to commemorate our upcoming 25th Year Anniversary! The theme for the celebration will be, "Growing Up YPP".  Look out for a save-the-date for the Spring or Fall of 2021 coming soon.

Flagway Trainings & Orientations Continue Online!

On April 3rd, YPP lead a virtual orientation training with Project South staff in Atlanta, GA focused on Virtual Flagway.  During the training, YPP trainers introduced the Flagway Game module and discussed ways to make each activity engaging through the virtual space. There will be three more (training) meetings to complete the module and the ultimate end goal is to develop a strategy to implement the program for Summer 2020. 

Have an innovative idea? Let's work together! Please contact Marquis Lowe @ mlowe [at] typp.org. 

The Alliance National Campaign - Student Voice Working Group

YPP Math Literacy Workers (MLWs) are collaborating with the We the People - Math Literacy for All Alliance to present student voice activities at the Alliance National Campaign scheduled for the end of July. The goal is to bring more voice to youth in these spaces by listening, reflecting, and empathizing on youth experiences. Activities will include a “Four Corners - Take a Stand” activity, a short video of student interviews and virtual YPP games on the Kahoot platform.  Also included will be a website, designed by the MLWs, which will include a discussion blog where youth can create common scenarios based on experience conflicts that have arisen as it relates to the education systems in their respective communities.

If you’d like to get further connected with any of the initiatives you see below, let us know!  You can reach us via email ([email protected]) or drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter.

Thank you everyone, and stay safe!