About BYSN

The Boston Youth Service Network (BYSN) is a group of community-based organizations committed to:

  • Sharing and developing best practices,
  • Prioritizing referrals within the network to provide a continuum of services,
  • Increasing capacity to measure and account for quality services and outcomes. 

Our mission is to improve the quality and diversity of services for youth at risk that allow them to develop the academic, work-readiness, life skills and support structure necessary to become productive adults.

 

We do this by working collaboratively to deliver services and leverage resources. 

 

WHAT WE DO:

Member organizations provide Alternative Education and Career Exploraton programs to over 1,000 Boston youth each year from all neighborhoods.  

Key Program Components

  • Alternative Education: Community-based diploma and transition programs, GED preparation and testing, and basic skills remediation.
  • Career Exploration: Opportunities for youth to explore a range of career options in an industry, develop relevant skills, and prepare, plan and transition to next steps in employment, training or higher education.
  • Youth Employment Services: Job readiness, skills development, academic remediation and financial literacy.

Other Services

  • Case Management: Individualized services, goal setting and attainment, thorough assessments of academic, work readiness and supportive service needs.
  • Follow-up Services: Support and follow up services are provided after program completion.
  • Referrals: Priority referrals within the network assure youth access to a broad range of high quality services.

 

WHO WE SERVE: 

Programs target low-income Boston youth, ages 14-21.  Collectively, the network serves over 1,000 youth from all neighborhoods.

 

Members are united in their goal of engaging youth that are not effectively served in traditional education and youth development systems. The target population can be defined broadly as low-income youth that have dropped out of school or are chronically truant, youth that are deficient in basic skills of literacy and numeracy, and court-involved youth.

 

 

 

 

BYSN providers are committed to:

 

  • Providing individualized services through an intensive case management approach.
  • Conducting thorough assessments of academic, work readiness, and supportive service needs, which are documented in individual service strategies.

  • Providing services within a school-to-career framework that emphasizes contextual learning and exposure to the workplace.
  • Developing relationships with employers, training institutions, and post-secondary schools in order to enhance program curriculum and to generate involvement through the provision of mock interviews, workplace tours, job shadowing, mentor and internship opportunities.
  • Providing follow-up support for youth to monitor progress and ensure that youth have access to necessary supportive services that will keep them on track to reaching their goals.