Summer 2020 Waterfront Ambassadors program draws to a close
Eleven high school students from around the City of Boston joined The Trustees Boston Waterfront Initiative team this summer, as the Waterfront Ambassadors.
Though the program looked a little different compared to prior years due to social distancing concerns, the teens were still able to meet and learn virtually from a variety of partner organizations including representatives from the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway, Harborkeepers, the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, and other local artists, organizers, and educators.
The group also found ways to get outside while maintaining safe social distancing, including through regular, independent exploration of nearby public gardens and parks, to assess and think about what makes these places welcoming, valued spaces.
The final week of the program began with guest speaker Rebecca Herst, Director of the Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston. Together the group discussed the different ways that climate change may impact Boston, and how those working in the field of climate justice are trying to mitigate the inequitable effects of climate change on marginalized communities.
“The Ambassadors found this work really interesting and many of them were excited to become more involved in social justice and climate justice work during the school year,” said Program Manager Sarah Plotkin.
Later in the week, the final guest speaker of the summer offered a valuable opportunity for professional development, with a presentation from TD Bank Assistant Vice President and Store Manager Jim Culhane on personal finances. The Ambassadors were able to learn about the different types of checking and savings accounts, what it meant to get a credit card, how to build credit, and how to create and maintain a budget.
“The Ambassadors were thankful for the opportunity to learn about some of these complicated concepts and tools, and had many questions for him,” noted Plotkin.
The season ended with a virtual roundtable discussion between the teens, with each Ambassador sharing one thing from the program that they learned, and didn’t want to forget, including: "growth mindset," "facilitation skills," and "teamwork."
Plotkin added, “We were all grateful for the experiences we've had together this summer!”
In this week’s photo diary explore end-of-summer slides designed by each Ambassador. Each slide includes a self portrait, plus images of some of their favorite photography, and projects from throughout the season, along with their thoughts on what they will take from the program:
To see more blogs from the 2020 Ambassadors, click here. To read blogs from the 2019 program, click here.