Summer Youth Blog

In an effort to expose youth to careers in information technology and journalism, Urban Scholars, the Office of Information Technology, and the Office of Communications partnered this past summer to offer two high school graduates an internship focusing on the development of a summer youth blog. The two interns, Jennie Lai and Trammel Griffith, who currently attend UMass Boston and Mass College of Liberal Arts respectively, were mentored by UMass Boston staff Akunna Rosser, Colleen Locke, and Lisa Link. The interns were given the task of developing a blog that would publicize the many youth programs on UMass Boston’s campus during the summer, including Camp Shriver, Project ALERTA, Project REACH, Talented and Gifted Program (TAG), and Urban Scholars. Jennie and Trammel’s blog became the first blog promoting the services offered by each UMass Boston summer program. Overall, this unique partnership between Urban Scholars and the Office of Information Technology has not only offered meaningful job experiences and personal development opportunities to low-income/first-generation college-bound youth, but has also exemplified the university’s commitment to community engagement and a culture of learning