Community Connections

Community Connections

May 2003

Group #12

WorldBoston recently hosted its 12th Community Connections group. This group from Magadan and Yakutsk, Russia were in Boston for a 3-week professional development program to learn about youth advocacy. During the group's stay in Boston they participated in professional meetings, lived with homestay families, experienced Boston's rich cultural history and even spent a couple of nights in the Big Apple.

Please click on the thumbnails to see the full size picture.

Welcome Reception - May 4th

Tatiana Savchenko with her host Johanna Prindiville

WorldBoston was fortunate to be able to welcome back a past Community Connections participant, Alexander Krudraytsev who returned to Boston with his wife, Natalya, who was in Boston as an Eisenhower Exchange Fellow.

Michael MacPhee with Galina Tkatchenko

Oleg Borisov and Elena Borisova

Sergey Vologzhin, Carolyn Shipley, Valentina Pavlova, Vladimir Mouliokine and Jim Burke get acquainted.

Homestay Hosts

Jim Burke hosted Vladmir Mouliokine.

Michael MacPhee hosted Sergey Vologzhin.

Shirley MacPhee hosted Varvara Ajigalova and Galina Tkatchenko.

Johanna Prinidville hosted Tatiana Savchenko.

Carolyn Shipley hosted Valentina Pavlova.

Irene Sinteff and Craig Cowles hosted Elena Borisova and Oleg Borisov.

Professional Meetings

While in Boston the program participants participated in 10 days of meetings with their professional counterparts.

(A complete list of business hosts can be found below)

Youth Vote Coalition

www.youthvote.org

Meeting with representative from the Youth Vote Coalition

Oleg Borisov presents the Youth Vote Coalition with gifts.

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Boston Children's Hospital

www.tch.harvard.edu

Group photo taken with the Child Life Specialists at Boston Children's Hospital

Galina Tkatchenko presents gifts to Children's Hospital representatives.

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Boys and Girls Club of Greater Boston - South Boston Clubhouse

www.bgcb.org

Valentina Pavlova looks at a project done by the kids from the Boys and Girls club during a tour of the club house.

A Boys and Girls Club representative talks about the computer room at the clubhouse

Tour of the Teen Room at the Boys and Girls Club in South Boston

After the tour of the clubhouse, the discussion continued over lunch.

Valentina Pavlova and Varvara Ajigalova proudly wear their new Boys and Girls Club caps

Representatives from the Boys and Girls Club of Great Boston look at a book given to them by the Community Connections group.

The group stands below the motto of the club. All agreed that the Boys and Girls Club motto

was true for the work that these participants do in their home cities of Magadan and Yakutsk.

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The Home for Little Wanderers

www.thehome.org

The Home for Little Wanderers put together an afternoon long program for the group starting with a discussion of their organization at their administrative offices

The group then went to The Orchard School and Home, a residential school which is run by The Home where they met with the school's directors and were given a tour of the school and residence by 2 students.

A group photo taken in front of The Orchard School and Home

with businesses hosts and program participants.

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US Fund for UNICEF - New England Regional Office

www.unicefusa.org

The group met with representative of the US Fund of UNICEF during their final day of meetings.

The group was able to discuss youth issues on a global scale with the two representatives.

Business Hosts

Massachusetts Department of Social Services - www.state.ma.us/dss

Harvard University Children's Initiative - www.gse.harvard.edu/~hci

Justice Resource Institute - www.jri.org

City of Boston - Centers for Youth and Families - www.cityofboston.gov/bcyf

Massachusetts Attorney General's Office - www.ago.state.ma.us/children

Mission Safe - www.missionsafe.org

Massachusetts Juvenile Courts - www.state.ma.us/courts/courtsandjudges/courts/juvenilecourt

City Year - www.cityyear.org

Big Sister Association of Greater Boston - www.bigsister.org

Youth Vote Coalition - www.youthvote.org

Museum of Fine Arts - www.mfa.org/education/childrenteenfamily.htm

Boston Public Library - www.bpl.org/central/children's

ReadBoston - www.cityofboston.gov/bra/JCSRB.asp

Boston Children's Hospital - www.tch.harvard.edu

The Guidance Center - www.theguidnacecenterinc.org

Bridge Over Troubled Water - www.bridgeovertroubledwater.org

Boston Center for the Arts - www.bcaonline.org

Boys and Girls Club of Greater Boston - www.bgcb.org

Simmons College - Graduate Program in Education - www.simmons.edu

Home for Little Wanderers - www.thehome.org

Massachusetts Department of Education - www.doe.mass.edu

US Fund for UNICEF - www.unicefusa.org

The Boston Foundation - www.tbf.org

Trip to New York City - May 15th - 17th

Circle Line Cruise around lower Manhattan

Sergey and Vladmir relax while enjoying the sights.

Tatiana and Galina enjoy the cruise.

Varvara, Valentina, Vladimir and Sergey pose with the Statue of Liberty.

Tatiana and Galina with the New York City skyline.

Vladimir with the Statue of Liberty in the background.

Oleg and Elena with the Statue of Liberty in the background.

Varvara and Valentina with the New York City skyline.

Sergey gets a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.

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South Street Seaport

Elena and Vladimir dance on Pier 16 at South Street Seaport.

Sergey shows off a gift he bought for his mother at a street fair.

Vladimir, Tatiana, Galina, Sergey and Brandie relax at South Street Seaport.

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Group Dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe

Tatiana, Galina, Varvara and Valentina.

Brandie, Natasha, Sergey and Vladimir

Sergey and Vladmir

Elena and Oleg

Those dessert sure were bigger than everyone thought they would be!

Valentina and Brandie

The group didn't want to leave without a picture in front of the Hard Rock Cafe sign!

Massachusetts State House visit with Representative Jay Kaufman - May 20th

Rep. Kaufman is a strong supporter of the Community Connections Program

and meets with each of our groups at the State House.

Farewell Dinner - May 21st

Vladimir with his host, Jim.

Varvara and Galina with their host, Shirley.

Sergey with his host, Michael

Craig with one of his guests, Elena.

Everyone enjoying dinner.

Brandie with Vladimir.

Michael with Varvara.

Michael and his mother Shirley are WorldBoston's newest host families. Here they are saying farewell to their new friends, Varvara, Galina and Sergey.

Certificate Presentation - May 21st

Each participant was awarded a certificate in recognition of their

successful completion of WorldBoston's Community Connections Program.