Empowering Youth-Led Social Change
With the right skills and resources, all youth can think deeply about difficult social problems and work successfully with others to create significant change.
“I look forward to going to work every day and I’ve made friends that I care about a lot. Being at TE has been a good experience — no matter if I was having a good day or a bad day — it really does feel like a community.”
— Damani Myanor, Youth Organizer
OUR MISSION
To employ, train, and empower youth to, in collaboration with adults, create peace, equity, and justice.
OUR VISION
We envision a world in which youth with adults, in mutually respectful and supportive relationships, use their voices creatively to inspire, lead, and empower their communities to achieve justice and peace.
WHAT WE DO
The Center for Teen Empowerment employs and trains youth ages 14-19 to plan and carry out neighborhood-based youth organizing initiatives that promote peace, equity, and justice.
Through group facilitation, the arts, and collaboration with community members and leaders, we support youth as they process their experiences, heal from trauma, and then use their experiences as a platform to change the community for the better.
OUR IMPACT
TE’s neighborhood-based youth organizing catalyzes multiple levels of change for sustainable impact.
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Individual
Confronts poverty through youth employment, on-the-job training, intentional group mentoring, building career-oriented leadership skills, and developing prosocial behaviors.
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Community
Taps into the power of peer-to-peer influence to shift elements of culture that undermine young people and communities; strengthens relationships and supportive networks. Example: Teen anti-violence/peace initiatives.
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Institutional
Builds social capital and positions youth as leaders to help adults craft effective policies that address the root causes of issues faced by youth. Example: Solutions, not Suspensions.
Testimonials from our Youth Organizers
HOW TO FIND US
The Center for Teen Empowerment currently has chapters in Boston and Somerville, MA and Rochester, NY. In addition to our national headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, we have two sites in Somerville, two in Boston with a third location coming soon, and two in Rochester with a third coming soon!
"Empowering youth voices, engaging communities, and creating positive change for a stronger future."
Select a location to learn about the impact our centers are making in their communities!
Boston (National HQ)
Rochester
Somerville
HOW TO SUPPORT OUR WORK!
DONATE TO TEEN EMPOWERMENT TODAY
When you make a donation to Teen Empowerment, you directly support paid positions for our youth employees and enable us to engage with more young people in addressing social issues that impact communities of color. Your contribution helps our youth and young adult staff supplement their family income while actively driving community change, shaping policies, and educating their peers to create inclusive environments that promote fairness and equality.
Your generous gift to Teen Empowerment helps create safer communities, fosters positive relationships among youth and between youth and adults, and amplifies youth’s unique talents to shape policies that directly affect their lives.
Join us in making a difference today!
