Submitted by Sarah Cook, President and CEO We strive to make 18 Degrees an organization where we regularly welcome fresh ideas and new perspectives, introduce new skills, and provide learning opportunities to expand our knowledge. In this vein, we are thrilled to launch our first agency-wide leadership cohort this fall for a rigorous nine-month exploration of …
Category Archives: Blog
Standout Summer for Kids 4 Harmony
Kids 4 Harmony is back in action for the school year. Earlier this month, Pittsfield’s Beginning Ensemble students got to choose their instruments at Morningside, while the Advanced String Ensemble and Elayne P. Bernstein Ensemble got back to work at Pittsfield High School. And new for K4H this year, we got a head start with …
YouthLaunch 3-year Impact Report
Download our 3-Year Program Report The YouthLaunch program was a three-year pilot that focused on early engagement for families with children zero to ten years old. Using a holistic approach with the EMPath Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) model, we further integrated a focus on parent and child interactions, as well as early and preliteracy skills …
Celebrating Pride Month
Emma Lenski, M.S., LGBTQIA+ Services Coordinator Submitted by Emma Lenski, M.S., LGBTQIA Services Coordinator Family Resource Center at 18 Degrees As Pride Month comes to a close, I wanted to make a statement about its ongoing significance. LGBTQ rights in this country have a long history, with the well-known Stonewall Riots being a catalyst for …
What’s Happening at Kids 4 Harmony – March 2022
What's Happening at Kids 4 Harmony From special collaborations to where you can catch the next performance and everything in between, this issue is overflowing with all the exciting things happening at Kids 4 Harmony. Eleanor Rigby The Kids 4 Harmony string quartet and the vocal trio from Darrow demonstrated what …
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Celebrating Black History
By Sarah Cook, President and CEO At 18 Degrees, we celebrate Black History Month by acknowledging that Black history is American history, and its celebration cannot, and should not, be confined to just one month. We hope that the wealth of information and activities available throughout the month sparks conversations, enriches experiences, and ignites a curiosity …
Winter 2022 Newsletter
A Message from our President and CEO At 18 Degrees, we are motivated by the belief that even when things seem dark, there is a new beginning over the horizon. Our goals are to provide services and supports that transform the lives of children, families, and communities by creating opportunities that inspire hope, promote possibilities, …
Celebrating Mentoring Month at 18 Degrees
By Sarah Cook, President, and CEO of 18 Degrees We’re reaching the end of the twentieth National Mentor Month, launched in 2002 to “recruit new mentors, advance the mentoring field’s legislative priorities, and drive meaningful change for young people.” We are proud of our mentoring program here at 18 Degrees, through which we currently serve …
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Mentoring Creates Meaningful Connections
In honor of National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the countless contributions and lifelong positive impact our mentors have on area youth. These powerful relationships have the ability to improve academic, social, and economic prospects and make youth more likely to have safer, healthier, and more prosperous lives. Mentor Reflections Seeing Life Through Fresh Eyes My own children are adults now. …
18 Degrees Expands Youth Programming
18 Degrees, Family Services for Western MA, is offering additional programs for young people in the Berkshires. These programs are designed to guide young people to the resources, skills, and support to help them reach their goals. All of our youth programs aim to ignite young people’s creativity, support their ambitions, discover opportunities, and break …