St. Stephen's youth at work

MLK Day of Service

While many enjoyed the federal holiday, the St.Stephen's Youth Program (SSYP) rolled up its sleeves collectively with the help of volunteers of all ages from the surrounding community to make improvements at the Blackstone Innovation School, 380 Shawmut Avenue, and Josiah Quincy Upper School, 900 Washington Street.

According to Maureen Burns, SSYP, approximately 100 people volunteered at the Blackstone School and about 50 at JQUS. The Rev. Tim Crellin, vicar of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and founder/esecutive director of SSYP, commented on the day's success.

"This is our 8th MLK Day of Service at the Blackstone and this year at Josiah Quincy, and it's absolutely fantastic. There was a huge turnout and a lot of great work got done. We honored the legacy of Dr. King and most importantly, we came together to make a stand against the politics of division and the forces that are trying to drive us apart by working together to make the schools better."

At the Blackstone, volunteers refreshed bulletin board displays and performed other age-appropriate tasks before sitting down to a light, hot lunch prepared by SSYP staff. After lunch, SSYP youth peer leaders led games designed to illustrate the budgeting process for the Boston Public Schools as well as funding allocation within the Blackstone with the goal of demonstrating the hard choices that have to be made when there are not enough dollars for all of the essentials.

After the games, the community heard remarks and asked questions of Jessica Tang, president of the Boston Teachers Union. Tang talked about the challenges teachers face in the classroom and the standards to which teachers are held. Audience members asked about the merits of charter schools versus public schools and other topics.