SEPTEMBER 2022
Open Houses Attract Unprecedented Interest
YEMBA attracted the largest interest in its history during the recent open houses at Oak Park’s two middle schools. More than 130 families stopped by the YEMBA table and signed up to receive more information about our programs, including 74 families at Brooks and 58 families at Julian. The past average has been 60 families. YEMBA staff will be following up with each of these families.
YEMBA’s Mentoring Empowerment Program (MEP) and Mentoring Empowerment Training (MET) program start October 3.
Cook County Provides $300,000 Grant
Above: YEMBA Executive Director Edward Redd attended the press conference announcing the Cook County JAC grants. He met with Toni Preckwinkle, president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, and Commissioner Brandon Johnson.
YEMBA was one of 68 awardees, out of 400 organizations, to receive funding from the Cook County Justice Advisory Council (JAC). The program is investing $75 million over three years to support organizations tackling gun violence in Chicago. YEMBA, which received a grant of $300,000 over three years, was selected because of our efforts to mentor and support youth in after-school programs.
YEMBA Alumna Making Strides in College
Although she has only been at the University of Michigan for a couple weeks, Amaria Harris is already making her mark. The recent Fenwick High School graduate is majoring in chemistry/pre-med, with plans to enroll in the School of Pharmacy next year. She also plans to minor in Spanish. She is trying out for the cheerleading team and has gotten involved in the Black Students Union. She is excited about the campus’ large international student population.
Amaria got a head start on her intended career by earning her pharmacy technician license during her senior year and training under a pharmacist at Walgreens. She also benefitted from a four-year HFS Chicago Scholars partnership with ComEd that allowed her to work alongside mentor engineers on several projects.
Given Fenwick’s small faculty/student ratio, Amaria was surprised to learn that her first chemistry lecture had more than 200 students. But she is undaunted.
“I think I am academically prepared. I know how to use my time wisely and I think I can handle all of my classes. YEMBA also prepared me for advocating for myself,” Amaria said.
Amaria credits YEMBA’s financial literacy sessions, presented by Byline Bank, for helping her learn how to be financially responsible and open a bank account. We look forward to following Amaria’s progress and expect great things from her!
Kelly Jones: Passionate About Equity
Kelly Jones joined YEMBA in August as an intern—although she has been volunteering throughout the summer as we geared up for the new academic year. Kelly is pursuing a masters of social work at the University of Illinois Chicago’s Jane Addams College of Social Work.
Kelly comes to YEMBA with a wealth of experience. For the past six years, she has served as vice president of marketing at Modern Teacher, a national professional development network for public school districts.
Wanting a more direct, meaningful connection with students, Kelly plans to concentrate on school social work while earning her master’s degree. She is passionate about equity in education and believes that YEMBA plays an important role in ensuring that all students have the chance to succeed.
“Equity is a core function of public education. But it’s not living up to its potential. Even in places like Oak Park, we’re not serving all students. YEMBA is filling in the gap and providing an avenue toward equity and social justice,” she said.
Melissa Tassone Helps Tell YEMBA's Story
Melissa Tassone, a professional photographer/videographer, has helped make YEMBA’s stories come alive. She initially got involved by doing pro bono photography for our inaugural gala. Since then, she has created the “A Day in the Life of YEMBA” video as well as a video focusing on our female mentors. She also shot our recent summer program commencement. Her work has greatly enhanced our website.
A graduate of Dominican University, Melissa’s business, Melissa Tassone Creative, has grown over the past 11 years to include nine staffers and specializes in editing and creating seamless videos from submitted video clips and photos. However, she still does some private projects, including weddings and family portraits.
Melissa lends her expertise to YEMBA because our focus on providing essential resources to vulnerable youth resonates with her.
“I met with Mr. Redd and, after he shared YEMBA’s mission and the stories of some of the students, I just felt like I was in the right spot and wanted to help,” Melissa said.
Looking for a Few Good Staff!
YEMBA is seeking a program director and several Adult Mentors. The program director is responsible for overseeing our Adult Mentors and shaping our curriculum. The Adult Mentors work with our Junior Mentors (high school students) to help make a positive impact on our youth. If you are interested or know someone who might be interested, please refer to our careers page.