Speakers of Tomorrow
Samantha Whitten '20 (she/her)
The fear of public speaking, also known as glossophobia, is very common, affecting approximately 73% of the population, including students. Throughout their careers in middle school, high school, college, and beyond, students will find themselves in a multitude of situations in which they must face this fear. Whether it’s a class presentation or a graduation speech, students will need to not only overcome this fear, but also draw on skills that many have not learned or had much practice with to give a good presentation. The objective of Speakers of Tomorrow is to connect high school students and volunteers with experience and a greater comfort level with public speaking to middle school students who are looking to improve their public speaking skills. Through practice, mini lessons and guidance, students can practice public speaking to gain confidence in front of a crowd.
The first two sessions of Speakers of Tomorrow ran in the fall, with 20 students and several high school volunteers. Each session ran for four weeks, and both in-person and virtual options were offered. The session was a great success for all the students who attended, and with lots of interest in the program and a hope expressed by the students to be able to participate again, we hope to run another session of Speakers of Tomorrow! To make the materials we used accessible to anyone who wants to run a Speakers of Tomorrow in their community, and all of the materials are accessible through this google folder, including lesson plans and promotion templates!
The first two sessions of Speakers of Tomorrow ran in the fall, with 20 students and several high school volunteers. Each session ran for four weeks, and both in-person and virtual options were offered. The session was a great success for all the students who attended, and with lots of interest in the program and a hope expressed by the students to be able to participate again, we hope to run another session of Speakers of Tomorrow! To make the materials we used accessible to anyone who wants to run a Speakers of Tomorrow in their community, and all of the materials are accessible through this google folder, including lesson plans and promotion templates!
Translating Voting Materials
Lily Tang, '15 (second from left) with associates from AAPIC
Lily Tang, a '15 Alumna, received an Empowered Citizen's Grant to work with the Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission (AAPIC) to translate voting materials in preparation for the 2020 presidential election. She identified seven of the most common Asian languages spoken in Massachusetts (Chinese (simplified), Vietnamese, Khmer, Tagalog, Korean, Nepali and Japanese) and worked with translators to produce documents detailing election dates, instructions on how to vote by mail or in person, and definitions of government offices. Printed copies were available for the duration of the election season, and electronic versions are now highlighted on the AAPIC website.
To view the translated materials, visit the AAPIC Election Resources page.
To read more about Lily's project, see this article in the Daily Collegiate.
To view the translated materials, visit the AAPIC Election Resources page.
To read more about Lily's project, see this article in the Daily Collegiate.
Power of Change
Christi Lee 2015 alum who represented Lexington High School applied for and received an Empowered Citizen Grant for her role working with The Power of Change Project. The Power of Change Project works with communities to raise awareness and money for food banks and organizations that combat domestic hunger. Participating schools include Pentucket Regional High School, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, Lexington High School, Holliston High School, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, and Ashland High School. So far The Power of Change raised $4,935.20 (or 14,806 meals).
To learn more, visit:
Power of Change
To learn more, visit:
Power of Change
Project Next Generation
2014 alum Katie Curran received an Empowered Citizen Grant using the funds to support her work with Project Next Generation. Project Next Generation is an international youth organization that holds tuition-free social science workshops for middle school students. PNG's mission is to engage and inspire the next generation of young global leaders to affect positive change worldwide. PNG’s workshops are centered around one or more of the following themes: Leadership/Peacemaking, Diplomacy/Global Citizenship, Politics/Civics, Volunteerism, High School Preparation, Journalism and Business/Entrepreneurship.
National History Day
Lily Tang '15, second from left, with fellow National History Day participants at Braintree High School.
Lily Tang 15' alum was awarded an Empowered Citizen Grant to use towards National History Day at Braintree High School. National History Day is a national, project based, academic competition focusing on history for students in grades 6-12. Projects revolve around an annual theme, which changes each year. The theme provides a framework for projects while allowing a wide range of topics.
To learn more, visit:
Braintree History Club
National History Day
Massachusetts History Day
To learn more, visit:
Braintree History Club
National History Day
Massachusetts History Day
Miss Amazing
In December 2014, an Empowered Citizen Grant was awarded to Andrea Nevins, a 2014 MassSTAR delegate from Medfield High School. Andrea's grant award was used towards expanding the Massachusetts Miss Amazing Pageant held on February 28, 2015 at Medfield High School.
To learn more about the Massachusetts Miss Amazing Pageant visit http://missamazingpageant.com/
To learn more about the Massachusetts Miss Amazing Pageant visit http://missamazingpageant.com/
Paulist Center: serving dinner to those in need
Photo of Irene (fourth from left) and Chris (second from right) with Steve Mahoney of the Paulist Center and members of the Matignon Ke Club
In 2013, Irene and Chris were awarded $150 for their project of hosting a dinner at the Paulist Center. With the help of their Key Club, they were able to raise an additional $150 and serve a meal that was just as rewarding for them as it was for the guests they served.
Irene Wong ’11, Matignon High School, Brandeis University
Christopher Ackerman ’11, Matignon High School, Boston College
Irene Wong ’11, Matignon High School, Brandeis University
Christopher Ackerman ’11, Matignon High School, Boston College
Lawrence Boys and Girls Club: outfitting a newly formed swim team with bathing suits, goggles, swim caps, and team sweatshirts
In December of 2002, four young boys drowned when they fell through the ice of the Merrimack River in Lawrence. This tragedy inspired Tracy and other members of the Andover High School swim team to prevent a similar tragedy in their community by revitalizing the swim team at the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club. Tracy and her team began giving the club members weekly lessons but felt that the inadequate swim attire of some of the club members, consisting of athletic gear and t-shirts, was unsafe. Tracy used the $1,000 grant to purchase team bathing suits, goggles, swim caps, and sweatshirts for the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club swim team. This contribution provided the children with safe swimming gear and helped unite the swim team as a legitimate team.
Tracy O'Malley, MYL '03, Andover High School, Current second year MBA candidate at Harvard Business School in Boston, MA
Tracy O'Malley, MYL '03, Andover High School, Current second year MBA candidate at Harvard Business School in Boston, MA
Camp Arrowhead Year-Round Newsletter: a monthly off-season newsletter for a special needs summer camp
When Matt learned about the Empowered Citizen Grant Program at the 2003 MassSTAR Citizenship Conference, he took the opportunity to contribute to Camp Arrowhead in Natick, MA. Camp Arrowhead is a camp for children and adults with special needs where Matt had volunteered the two prior summers. As a volunteer, Matt observed the strong sense of community the campers and volunteers shared all summer long and the long period of time between summers. Matt sought to continue this community bond all year round, and collaborated with two volunteers to apply for an Empowered Citizen Grant in order to found a monthly off-season newsletter. Matt used the $1,000 grant he received to pay to print the newsletter and to purchase the envelopes and postage needed to mail the newsletter to the campers and volunteers. This newsletter continued the camp’s sense of community throughout the rest of the calendar year, empowered campers by publishing their contributions, and enhanced the return rates of the volunteers.
Matt Raffol, MYL ‘03, Natick High School, Project Manager, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Matt Raffol, MYL ‘03, Natick High School, Project Manager, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Kids to College Initiative: introducing access to higher education to patients of the Holyoke Health Center
Summer noticed a large disparity between the number of students who graduated high school and attended college and high number of students who dropped out of high school in the Holyoke community. In 2010, Summer partnered with a pediatrician and applied for an Empowered Citizen Grant to introduce access to higher education to patients of the Holyoke Health Center. With the belief that health not only encompasses the physical self but the well-being of a person in totality, Summer used the grant money she received to create a small computer lab. In addition to purchasing printers and ink with the grant money, Summer also reached out to the community and received donations of refurbished laptops from neighboring colleges. Because of this computer lab, students who did not have computer access now had a means of completing homework, registering for the SAT College Admission Exam, and preparing college applications. Summer and the pediatrician then built a
partnership with the University of Massachusetts Citizens Scholars to create an influx of volunteers who would assist the high school students in their path to higher education.
Summer Moukalled, MYL ‘06, East Bridgewater High School, Community Health Educator, Peace Corps Belize
partnership with the University of Massachusetts Citizens Scholars to create an influx of volunteers who would assist the high school students in their path to higher education.
Summer Moukalled, MYL ‘06, East Bridgewater High School, Community Health Educator, Peace Corps Belize