Alumna Gives Boston Youth Skills for a Brighter Future

As Director of Lifelong Learning and Economic Development at the Hyde Square Task Force, School of Social Work alumna Yi-Chin Chen (M.S.W. ‘03) wears many hats.  Whether working hands-on with youth on a daily basis or helping build the Task Force’s partnership with the Health Careers Ambassadors Program, Chen is immersed in both her organization and the community.

“The most challenging part of my job is the lifestyle,” said Chen. “You are integrated into the community and it becomes your life. The job becomes who you are.”

With roots tracing back to the late 1980s, the Hyde Square Task Force began as an effort to reverse the trend of youth violence in Hyde-Jackson Square, a small area between Boston’s Jamaica Plain and Roxbury neighborhoods where violence and drug-dealing was rampant. Over time, the Task Force evolved from organized public meetings, peace marches, and crime watch groups to a professional non-profit serving over 1,000 Boston youth between ages six and 21.

Chen’s main role is the creation and implementation of programs that provide youth with educational options as well as community and economic development, including the Task Force’s college and careers pipeline programming, which works with approximately 200 youth from ninth grade through college.

“Working with external partners is so important because it really allows our young people have as many opportunities as possible,” she said.

Chen is currently working on a Task Force partnership with the Health Careers Ambassadors Program (H-CAP), which focuses on leadership skill development and matches local youth interested in the healthcare industry with internships.

Since its inception in 2004, H-CAP has placed 15 youth in internships in health centers around Boston. The program’s ultimate goal is provide young people with more knowledge about community health issues, who in turn use that knowledge to work for change in their neighborhoods and communities.

“The young people in H-CAP learn about health equity then in turn educate others about it,” Chen said.

In addition to the H-CAP Program, Chen represents the Task Force on several city and statewide committees, advisory boards, and initiatives. Her connection to the School of Social Work remains deep, and her 2005 case study on the Task Force’s Youth Community Organizing Initiative has been used as a reading in SSW coursework. Chen has also supervised six School of Social Work students serving their field placement at the Task Force.

While the Task Force continues to evolve, Chen, and the organization, has no plans of slowing down.

“We want to make sure the community stays diverse and accepting of all people,” said Chen.  “We work with 80 teens every single day. They are the reason why we do what we have to do – and it’s worth it.”

For more information on the Hyde Square Task Force, please visit http://www.hydesquare.org/.

-Mackenzie Kreitler