As everyone knows, this particular pandemic makes us reach deep in our toolbox to build new and edit the tried-and-true pathways for success. This fall, at Dearborn STEM Academy (DSA) and at Boston Teachers Union School (BTU), we were innovative with our programming and kept our young people at the center, embarking on a different type of career exploration. It makes me think of the Robert Frost poem, “The Road Not Taken”. In our case, the pandemic prevented us from sending young people out into the world of work. Hence, we brought the world of work to them!
At DSA, we implemented workplace explorations for our middle school students. Because Apprentice Learning curates programming that illuminates agency and choice whenever possible, career options included: Actor, Electrician, Flower Arranger, Sound Designer, Podcaster, Architect, Writer, or Social Justice Activist. Small groups of eighth grade students worked with each Career Mentor to create an artifact of their efforts. Some of these artifacts included: using design thinking to make a ketchup bottle that gets out the last drop; learning and using basic electrical concepts; making a podcast, writing a monolog, or practicing the art of flower arranging.
At BTU, each apprentice explored and researched a career of personal interest—including prerequisites and the proper work attire connected to their job interest. These apprentices continued to practice public speaking, making eye contact, and a different way of shaking hands in the business world. This culminated in a one day, two-hour interview experience where each eighth grader met 1-on-1 with an adult who played the part of an interviewer and who afterward gave written and oral feedback.
In both schools, on the morning of their apprenticeship, the eighth graders arrived excited, intrigued, nervous, and most importantly, ready. In our workshops, we practice being “Work Ready”, “Community Ready,” and “Courage Ready.” Our apprentices were all of this and more. The looks on their faces, the attention spans, and their posture was the evidence. They were able to speak freely, ask questions, and use their learning styles and signature strengths in the service of their own growth.
This spring we’re called to change our methodology once again because the times demand it. At this moment, due to the pandemic, our worksite partners are not able to safely come into the building. So, we’ve altered the design of our program but not the mission. We will deliver our regular six-week preparation curriculum including having each student create a resume.
AL staff will deliver mechanical engineering and marketing apprenticeship experiences to the youth ourselves. We’ll also utilize SuitUp to provide a one-day entrepreneurship experience virtually. The eighth graders will be mentored by employees of Dentsu Media and LiveRamp and will work in collaboration with middle school students in other states. These experiences are different opportunities for the youth to strut and stretch their budding growth. They will get to practice using their voices, engaging with others, exploring three careers and reaching their own personal bar of excellence.
For our ninth grader alumni, we begin our Launch+ program this week. This paid Learn-to-Earn internship meets virtually with Apprentice Learning staff twice weekly. Alums deepen their understanding of the world of work, learn to accurately update resumes created in eighth grade, and are fully supported as they apply for paid summer employment through SuccessLink.
We continue to feel fortunate in this climate. We keep doing our best work no matter what curves the pandemic brings. We keep helping young people deepen their skill sets, broaden their horizons, and expand their possibilities. We know that eventually, the outside world will open back up and we’ll be able to send youth into the world of work. We know that you’ll be right there with us, waiting with open arms to share your experience, expertise, and passions.
It’s a well-known—and quoted—notion that “children are our future.” A Boston-based nonprofit is leaning all the way into this belief with short unpaid apprenticeships that place middle schoolers in professional settings to spark an interest in, or passion for, potential careers.
Apprentice Learning originally started in 1999 at Mission Hill School with the idea of giving middle school students real world work experience and having working adults integrated into the regular curriculum. Helen Russell ran the program for 10 years until—in her words—“it petered out.”
But original funders of the program never wavered in their support, and recruited Russell in 2012 to renew the program independently. Apprentice Learning now has five partner schools in the Boston public school system and all eighth graders are eligible for the program.
“Eighth grade is the sweet spot. They’re at a point in their lives where they crave independence, are curious about the adult world, and they’re just about to go to high school,” Russell says. She also says ninth grade has the highest rate of failures, absenteeism, and suspension. “If we can give them a sense of success, independence, and competence in the larger world beyond school it can inoculate them against that very difficult ninth grade transition.”
How the Program Works
Seventy companies offer apprenticeships to Boston middle schoolers in multiple industries, including retail, law, beauty, nonprofit, arts, culinary, architecture, professional sports team, and biotech. Last year, 174 students participated in the program.
Students first get exposure to the program in seventh grade with a Workplace Exploration orientation. Once in eighth grade, the first six weeks are considered prep sessions: identifying their strengths, a review of professional courtesies (shaking hands, looking someone in the eye, being mindful of how you speak to an adult as opposed to your friends, arriving on early), their learning styles, workplace options, and more.
Next come the on-the-job apprenticeships, which are built into the school day. Once a week for six weeks, students leave school to go to work for two hours at their assigned workplace site. Their tasks can include stocking shelves and helping customers at a toy store; tending to the front desk of an office; confirming appointments for a salon; Students usually travel in groups of two or more. Through a co-op agreement with Northeastern University, college students tag along as a coach. Once they arrive at their workplace, students call a number to check-in with a contact at Apprentice Learning, and head home at the end of their day.
Each student’s parent or guardian must sign off on the placement because it usually requires travel on public transportation. Russell’s staff considers factors such as the mode of transportation and how far the location is from the student’s school and home when determining their apprenticeship placement. Students travel to other parts of Boston they usually don’t see or spend time in, in an effort to demystify the city skyline, understand what happens in those buildings, and build relationships.
“It creates meaning in other communities. We’re trying to de-silo communities so young people feel welcomed in all parts of the city, particularly youth of color. And for businesses to appreciate and see Boston public school students, many students of color, as assets and recognize talent and skills they bring as they enter into the employee pipeline,” Russell says. “We’re really targeting young people who may not have adult role models in professional jobs or families new to the country and may not be able to tap all resources available.”
After apprenticeship is completed, Apprentice Learning staff introduce the apprentices to the full network of program partners and they help them apply for enrichment programs, internships, and paid jobs. According to the nonprofit, more than 45% of apprentices land summer jobs.
An Experience Designed to Spark Career Interest and Expand Worlds
Rianna Soares worked in an office for her apprenticeship about 10 years ago, doing administrative work such as assembling information packets and filing. She says she learned the importance of time management through this experience. “I felt really good about it, I knew this would be a good first step for me career wise,” Soares says.
“I was excited to have my first job and going into the office for the first time I felt at home. I loved the work I was doing, and my coworkers were super friendly and helpful.”
Apprentice Learning can also give students and early sense of what they do not want to pursue as they get older. Kaylah Morilus thought her placement preparing meals at the Boys and Girls Club in Allston Brighton would be a great entry into the culinary field. Through that experience, she learned a career in cooking is not for her.
“I learned that preparing food for a large number of people is very technical. There is a certain way to cut everything and there are different ways to handle food. I learned how to cut onions without crying which was great!” Morilus says. “I do like to cook but more for myself. Also serving the food to the children was fun and it made me happy to see a smile on their face when eating the food I helped prepare. I learned that I like to be a part of something that makes a difference in someone’s day. “
She stayed connected with Apprentice Learning through high school as a City Summer Intern and then as a City Summer Peer Leader. This experience enabled her to explore other businesses in the city, build on her eighth grade experience and become somewhat of a mentor to younger students.
“I thought the experience was great because I saw Boston in a different light and the variety of jobs that were here. I learned how to build my resume and talk in an interview, meet people and learn how to network,” she says. “The coolest part was coming back and being a peer leader and helping teach other girls what I learned. This experience made Boston less of a mystery and more of a place of possibility and accessibility.”
Morilus is currently a freshman at the University of Massachusetts, with an interest in journalism and women and gender studies.
Rianna Soares (left) and Kaylah Morilus (right)
Some companies offer worksite sessions, hosting students for one day for several hours. The law firm where Madeleine Rodriguez works, Foley Hoag, has hosted Apprentice Learning students for the past four years. Students are given a tour and meet a variety of employees in a variety of jobs such as finance, technology, operations, administration, and law participate in question-and-answer sessions.
Madeleine Rodriguez (Photo: FoleyHoag)
“The coolest question I’ve seen asked is a student who identifies as part of the LGBTQ community and she said, ‘I’m gay. What is it like working in law as a gay person?’ And a person who happened to be there, who is gay, said, ‘I’m gay, and went into law. Being gay influenced me to go into law’,” Rodriguez recalls.
She says in introducing students to a career in law, they discuss legal issues the students may be able to relate to such as Boston’s infamous school busing program to desegregate public schools and modern-day concerns such as wrongful convictions, interactions with police and the criminal justice system.
“What we hope for them to get out of this is, to first and foremost, see themselves reflected in a workplace that I personally am very invested in seeing look more and more like them in the future,” Rodriguez says.
“I personally remember what it was like interviewing to work at law firm when I was in law school. Every single building I walked into I must’ve looked like I was in the Taj Mahal. I had never been in such nice offices; it was beyond my imagination in my first two years working at a law firm. There was a lot of that, ‘Do I belong here? Am I doing what I need to do to earn my position here in this very impressive space?’ I want to get to a point where that sense of ‘Do I deserve?’ goes away.”
Experience and a Sense of Contributing
Ultimately, these opportunities are the reasons why Russell says the program isn’t a job shadow. It’s structured to be actual work experience that builds a sense of familiarity, curiosity, and independence that leads to competence and confidence that extends beyond their school years.
“Apprentice Learning is one of those standout memories for kids,” she says. “To have middle school experience that you were welcomed into the adult world, contributed and were successful, it’s such a developmentally important experience. We hope that by providing them an experience in which they literally work alongside adults, in a workplace, they get the sense they’re being taken seriously.”
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Zendilli Depina
Zendilli Depina, Program Manager, is responsible for overseeing and planning our in school workshops and summer internship. She attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she studied Public Health with minors in Sociology and Psychology. Zendilli has her Masters in Public Health from the Boston University School of Public Health with certificates in Health Communication and Promotion and Maternal and Child Health. She has extensive experience working with youth and her background includes being the Head of the Arts and Crafts department at the Aloha Hive summer camp and working as the Youth Coordinator for the Needham Department of Public Health.
Kelly Parrish
Associate Director of Partnerships, Kelly Parrish: Ms. Parrish is responsible for strategic partnerships and corporate engagement. She has extensive experience within non-profit management and higher education, including Year Up for eight years, Boston Scholar Athletes for four years, and Wentworth Institute of Technology for four years. She has been an adjunct professor at Cambridge College for 13 years.
Chris Schultz
Director, Bain Capital
Chris Schultz is a Principal at Churchill Asset Management having joined the firm in 2021. Prior to Churchill, Mr. Schultz held various roles at Bain Capital and State Street Global Advisors. Mr. Schultz earned his Bachelor’s of Arts in History from Holy Cross and his Master of Business Administration from Boston College. He joined the Apprentice Learning Board in 2019.
Paige Whalen
Paige Whalen is one of the Program Coordinators at Apprentice Learning. After graduating from North Carolina State University in 2019, Paige served as a City Year Americorps member at the Lila G. Frederick Middle School in Dorchester. During her service year, she also served as a Project Coordinator for the Civic Engagement team at City Year Boston. Throughout college, Paige worked at Overland Summers, an outdoor adventure company, leading bike tours for young people across the world
Elizabeth Walczak
Independent Consultant
Elizabeth Walczak is an independent consultant in nonprofit management and philanthropy. She was formerly a Donor Services Officer and Program Officer in Education to Career at The Boston Foundation. She has also served as Director of Partnerships for Boston After School and Beyond, and has worked at New York University and as a graduate fellow for the Boston Public Schools. Ms. Walczak serves as a career coach/mentor for the Posse Foundation and is on the Advisory Board of the Noonan Scholars. She holds an MPA from New York University and a BA from Hamilton College. Ms. Walczak joined the Apprentice Learning Board in 2018.
Elizabeth Santiago
Chief Program Officer, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership
Elizabeth Santiago joined the board of Apprentice Learning because she believes in our mission. She had her very first paid, summer job at the age of 14 when she was in the 8th grade. That job taught her the value of work, gave her skills I still use and exposed her to career options. Ms. Santiago wants that for other middle-schoolers in the city of Boston. She is on the board of Apprentice Learning because she can further support Apprentice Learning achieve our goals to spark growth and ignite a sense of purpose as we open doors to success from summer jobs to high school, college, and eventual careers.
Letta Neely
Letta Neely, Program Director, is responsible for guiding program delivery and expansion. Letta has extensive experience managing community-based programs for youth including supporting middle school students and teachers at the Mission Hill School for eight years. Additionally, she is an acclaimed local playwright and poet and has taught in community settings with both youth and adults. She is a parent of an Apprentice Learning alum and a resident of Dorchester.
Cinqué Dunham-Carson
Program Manager
Cinqué Dunham-Carson is the Program Manager of Student Development and Leadership Programming at Northeastern University’s John D. O’Bryant African American Institute. Along with supporting scholarship and mentoring programs, he leads workshops and projects for the Institute. He has many years of experience working at and volunteering for nonprofit organizations. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a certificate in nonprofit management from the Institute of Nonprofit Practice. Mr. Dunham-Carson joined the Apprentice Learning board during its founding year of 2012.
Sara Katz, Director of Program Operations
Sara Katz is Director of Program Operations for Apprentice Learning. She has taught at both the early childhood and middle school levels and has experience doing technical research for think tanks. Sara specializes in curriculum development, data analysis and interpretation, and family engagement strategy. Sara holds a B.A. in Education and Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis and an Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University Graduate School of Education |Email
Sophie Samdperil, Program Coordinator
Sophie Samdperil grew up in Jamaica Plain and is excited to reconnect with her hometown through working with Apprentice Learning, its partner schools, and businesses in her role of Program Coordinator. Sophie recognizes the power of career exposure and training for young adults, and is fully embracing her role in leveling the playing field for opportunities for success.Sophie graduated Bates College in May 2017 with a B.A. in Sociology and Spanish, with a focus on socialized identity development and education. | Email
Hannah Wilson, Director of External Affairs
Hannah Wilson is the Director of External Affairs where she focuses on building partnerships with the private sector and expanding opportunities for students to participate in the economy of Boston. She has experience designing corporate social responsibility initiatives, employee and volunteer engagement, marketing, and public-private partnership . Hannah has a B.A. in Public Relations and Marketing Communications from Simmons College and a M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) from Northwestern University. | Email
Helen Russell, Executive Director
Helen Russell is the Founder and Executive Director of Apprentice Learning. Over the past 30 years, Russell has advocated for connecting students and schools to their communities using hands-on learning experiences. She spent over a decade in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) in external affairs, program development and fundraising at Boston Arts Academy and the Mission Hill School. Prior to working with BPS she was an instructor and program director for Thompson Island Outward Bound and is a senior trainer at Project Adventure. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Boston College and a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. | Email
Brenda Kirouac
AVP, HR Manager & Senior Business Partner
Brenda Kirouac is the Human Resources Manager for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBank Boston), a role that primarily includes talent acquisition and management, workforce development, diversity and inclusion, in addition to various other responsibilities. Her professional experience includes financial & professional services, advertising, engineering, manufacturing and the staffing industries. Brenda’s passion for ensuring that students see a path to their future takes many forms, including leading a local Girl Scout Troop and involvement with a local Cub Scout Den, establishing employment partnerships with local organizations that serve underrepresented youth and professionals and creating career exploration opportunities at her place of employment. Brenda is an alumna of Cornell University with a degree in Industrial and Labor Relations and holds an MBA from Emmanuel College. Brenda enjoys spending time and traveling with her husband and two children, both Boston Public School students. She joined the Apprentice Learning Board in 2019.
Mercedes Tompkins, Treasurer
Chief Development Officer, Brookview House
Mercedes Tompkins has twenty-five years of experience as a community activist, organizer and fundraiser. She has served as Chief Development Officer at Brookview House since 2008. In previous positions she has developed and maintained community partnerships and cultivated relationships with individual donors, public and private foundations. Prior to her work at Brookview, Ms. Tompkins was the Executive Director of the Dorchester Community Roundtable and Director of National Outreach for Oxfam America. She also spent ten years as the Executive Director of Casa Myrna Vasquez, a domestic violence sheltering program in the Boston area. Presently she serves on the board of directors of Boston Community Capital and the Northeastern University – Institutional Review Board. Ms. Tompkins joined the Apprentice Learning board in 2015.
Mathilda McGee-Tubb, Vice-Chair
Attorney, Litigation Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.
Mathilda McGee-Tubb is an attorney focusing on commercial litigation and arbitration, as well as education law. She has an active pro-bono practice helping non-citizens with immigration issues, survivors of sexual assault, and others. In 2016, Ms. McGee-Tubb received the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice Associate Pro Bono Award. She holds a JD degree from Boston College, an MA from Columbia University, and a BA from Oberlin College. Ms. McGee-Tubb joined the Apprentice Learning Board in 2016.
Justin McLean, Board Chair
Head of Middle School, The Meadowbrook School of Weston
Justin McLean was named Head of Middle School at Meadowbrook School of Weston in 2016, and has been on faculty since 2007. During his tenure at Meadowbrook, Mr. McLean has served as a history teacher, a basketball coach, a sixth grade advisor, and as the Director of Multicultural Affairs. Mr. McLean has also served as chair of People of Color in Independent Schools of New England. In 2016, he was selected for the National Association of Independent Schools Fellowship for Aspiring School Heads. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College and a master’s degree from Columbia University. Mr. McLean joined the Apprentice Learning board in 2016.