E-Newsletter :: May 2009


	An Audacious Idea: Investing in Young People Who Are Investing in Each Other At The Young People’s Project, we operate between possibility (aspiration mode) and street level reality (survival mode). Our innovation is Math Literacy Work–young people organizing themselves to learn pieces of math and share it. We’ve inherited this work from the Algebra Project and have begun to broaden the frame for our work from Math Literacy to Literacy Work. More so then ever, young people need to develop multiple literacies and have the creativity, flexibility and imagination to put what they know to use, to not only be employable, but to be prepared to be among the changemakers and innovators who are helping to shape our future....read more - Omo Moses, National Director, YPP Developing Programs Update :: Lawrence, MA :: YPP worked with Lawrence Community Works' Movement City in Lawrence, MA to implement a satellite program with a group of their insturctors. Since january they have completed a season of the Flagway module and came to visit the Boston programs Spring Flagway Tournament in May. click here for a video, photos and more info on the LCW Flagway Training :: Brooklyn, NY :: YPP in collaboration with the Algebra Project, Bed Stuy Restoration Corporation and the Boys and Girls HS of Brooklyn, is in the initial planning stages of a year long pilot Math Literacy Worker program. Stay tuned for more info. For info on how you can get involved or support the developing program in Brooklyn, please contact ypp national :: Los Angeles, CA :: YPP has continued to make its place in Los Angeles. In collaboration with the Algebra Project , the program started in the charter school, Academia Avance in the Highland Park area, an under resourced community in North East Los Angeles. Upon completing a math literacy worker training in October 2009 they have done flagway, rates and graph workshops, and other social justice workshops with local 6th -11th graders. YPP LA recently recieved an award from the Los angeles City Council with praise for the work they have done in the city. The program has also inspired a Young Peoples' Project club at nearby Occidental College. At the College students dedicate time each week to come volunteer time with the math literacy workers. YPP LA has a waiting list of high school students who want to join the effort. "Our hope is once our capacity matches the demand we will be a stronger force." For more information on YPP LA, contact program coordinator Ebone Ball or Robin Wilson, Asst. Professor of Math at Cal Poly Pomona Congratulations to YPP Chicago's Spring Flagway Champs! YPP Chicago recently finished their Spring 2009 session on April 17th with the culminating event including over 100 high school and elementary school students. The students from the Logan Square Neighborhood Association at Monroe Elementary school were crowned 2009 Flagway League Champions. Congrats to all of the YPP Chicago Flagway Players! YPP in Mississippi: Land Donation and Summer Institute Spark New Life YPP Jackson will hold a Summer Institute at Jackson State University from July 5-Aug 2. The Institute will bring students together from Jackson, Duck Hill, and Shaw, MS and YPP sites around the country to be trained in Math and Media Literacy, Network and Community Building, and Policy and Advocacy to build a solid foundation for academic success, leadership development and organizing. The students participating in the SI will be the students that will help develop the programming at their local sites that will be customized to meet their specific site needs. In Mississippi, YPP will be partnering with Growing Power, Milwaukee, WI, to develop land that has been donated to YPP. The idea of gardening and farming on the land will attract younger students, particularly elementary school age and develop leadership skills. We would also like to develop a coalition of farmers in the area committed to helping to advance the youth in aspects of agriculture, particularly since two of the program hubs are in rural areas. The Jackson program will also be working with Lawrence Community Works from Massachusetts, to influence the development of its Network and Community building programmatic plan. It is our hope that both of these partnerships will assist YPP Jackson in connecting the history of Mississippi and civil rights, to farming and to the organizing work of this generation. For more info, to get involved or help support the efforts contact the jackson office jackson@typp.org End-of-Year Math Bashes in Greater Boston YPP GBA math literacy workers and staff organized two year end Math Bashes for its workshop participants. Math Bashes challenge participants to use the skills and strategies they've accumilated over the session, and them the opportunity to showcase their talents in a fun and competition friendly venu. The spring 2009 events were held at the Fletcher Maynard Academy Gym in Cambridge and the Holland Community Center in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. For more info, to get involved or help support the efforts contact the greater boston offices at gba@typp.org As you can see, YPP is making significant progress, and we hold great potential for growth and impact. Your partnership strengthens us as we inspire young people to learn, teach, lead and organize. Please help us by making a donation today to support our movement!
YPP Senior Profile: Julian Baynes Julian is a graduating senior at Prospect Hill Academy in Cambridge, MA. He has been a Math Literacy Worker with the Cambridge program since the spring of 2008. Julian will be attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA with a full academic scholarship starting this fall. In his own words: YPP really puts its facilitators, the Math Literacy Workers, in a position that many people beleive they should not be in; managing and teaching children. Children, whom many believe are the world's most valuable resource, should not be entrusted to just anybody.... read more from Julian Janelle Discusses Her Work at the TYPP@75 Event On April 2nd, YPP hosted a dynamic gathering of individuals from the non profit, foundataion and arts, for an interactive evening of engaging disussion and media intallations. The event took place at Paley Center for Media. Listen to Janelle's interview in the TYPP@75 sound booth.

An Audacious Idea: Investing in Young People Who Are Investing in Each Other

At The Young People’s Project, we operate between possibility (aspiration mode) and street level reality (survival mode). Our innovation is Math Literacy Work–young people organizing themselves to learn pieces of math and share it. We’ve inherited this work from the Algebra Project and have begun to broaden the frame for our work from Math Literacy to Literacy Work. More so then ever, young people need to develop multiple literacies and have the creativity, flexibility and imagination to put what they know to use, to not only be employable, but to be prepared to be among the changemakers and innovators who are helping to shape our future....read more

- Omo Moses, National Director, YPP

Developing Programs Update

:: Lawrence, MA ::
YPP worked with Lawrence Community Works' Movement City in Lawrence, MA to implement a satellite program with a group of their insturctors. Since january they have completed a season of the Flagway module and came to visit the Boston programs Spring Flagway Tournament in May.

click here for a video, photos and more info on the LCW Flagway Training

:: Brooklyn, NY ::
YPP in collaboration with the Algebra Project, Bed Stuy Restoration Corporation and the Boys and Girls HS of Brooklyn, is in the initial planning stages of a year long pilot Math Literacy Worker program. Stay tuned for more info.

For info on how you can get involved or support the developing program in Brooklyn, please contact ypp national

:: Los Angeles, CA :: YPP has continued to make its place in Los Angeles. In collaboration with the Algebra Project , the program started in the charter school, Academia Avance in the Highland Park area, an under resourced community in North East Los Angeles. Upon completing a math literacy worker training in October 2009 they have done flagway, rates and graph workshops, and other social justice workshops with local 6th -11th graders. YPP LA recently recieved an award from the Los angeles City Council with praise for the work they have done in the city. The program has also inspired a Young Peoples' Project club at nearby Occidental College. At the College students dedicate time each week to come volunteer time with the math literacy workers. YPP LA has a waiting list of high school students who want to join the effort. "Our hope is once our capacity matches the demand we will be a stronger force."

For more information on YPP LA, contact program coordinator Ebone Ball or Robin Wilson, Asst. Professor of Math at Cal Poly Pomona

Congratulations to YPP Chicago's Spring Flagway Champs!

YPP Chicago recently finished their Spring 2009 session on April 17th with the culminating event including over 100 high school and elementary school students. The students from the Logan Square Neighborhood Association at Monroe Elementary school were crowned 2009 Flagway League Champions. Congrats to all of the YPP Chicago Flagway Players!

YPP in Mississippi: Land Donation and Summer Institute Spark New Life

YPP Jackson will hold a Summer Institute at Jackson State University from July 5-Aug 2. The Institute will bring students together from Jackson, Duck Hill, and Shaw, MS and YPP sites around the country to be trained in Math and Media Literacy, Network and Community Building, and Policy and Advocacy to build a solid foundation for academic success, leadership development and organizing. The students participating in the SI will be the students that will help develop the programming at their local sites that will be customized to meet their specific site needs.

In Mississippi, YPP will be partnering with Growing Power, Milwaukee, WI, to develop land that has been donated to YPP. The idea of gardening and farming on the land will attract younger students, particularly elementary school age and develop leadership skills. We would also like to develop a coalition of farmers in the area committed to helping to advance the youth in aspects of agriculture, particularly since two of the program hubs are in rural areas. The Jackson program will also be working with Lawrence Community Works from Massachusetts, to influence the development of its Network and Community building programmatic plan. It is our hope that both of these partnerships will assist YPP Jackson in connecting the history of Mississippi and civil rights, to farming and to the organizing work of this generation.

For more info, to get involved or help support the efforts contact the jackson office jackson@typp.org

End-of-Year Math Bashes in Greater Boston

YPP GBA math literacy workers and staff organized two year end Math Bashes for its workshop participants. Math Bashes challenge participants to use the skills and strategies they've accumilated over the session, and them the opportunity to showcase their talents in a fun and competition friendly venu.

The spring 2009 events were held at the Fletcher Maynard Academy Gym in Cambridge and the Holland Community Center in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston.

For more info, to get involved or help support the efforts contact the greater boston offices at gba@typp.org

As you can see, YPP is making significant progress, and we hold great potential for growth and impact.

Your partnership strengthens us as we inspire young people to learn, teach, lead and organize.

Please help us by making a donation today to support our movement!

YPP Senior Profile:
Julian Baynes

Julian is a graduating senior at Prospect Hill Academy in Cambridge, MA. He has been a Math Literacy Worker with the Cambridge program since the spring of 2008. Julian will be attending Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA with a full academic scholarship starting this fall.

In his own words:

YPP really puts its facilitators, the Math Literacy Workers, in a position that many people beleive they should not be in; managing and teaching children. Children, whom many believe are the world's most valuable resource, should not be entrusted to just anybody....

read more from Julian

Janelle Discusses Her Work at the TYPP@75 Event

On April 2nd, YPP hosted a dynamic gathering of individuals from the non profit, foundataion and arts, for an interactive evening of engaging disussion and media intallations. The event took place at Paley Center for Media.

Listen to Janelle's interview in the TYPP@75 sound booth.