This summer, YOU Boston continued its virtual career cohort program with over 130 youth placed into eight different cohorts. The cohorts include the Senior Peer Leaders, Baking and Pastry Arts, Barista and Customer Service, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Health and Wellness, Media Arts, and Visual Arts.   

While the program has remained virtual, YOU Boston is excited to have offered three field trip opportunities to each cohort this summer. The field trips have provided a valuable opportunity for young people to meet in person while further exploring aspects taught in their cohorts. The field trips have also allowed youth to explore areas and businesses in and around Boston.

Baking and Pastry Arts: Taiyaki NYC

For their second field trip, youth from the Baking and Pastry cohort visited Taiyaki NYC in Boston’s Seaport. At Taiyaki NYC, the youth worked to prepare fish cones and desserts with their Taiyaki NYC instructor, Amy, who made them feel right at home. The youth made the batter and fish-shaped ice cream cones themselves. They also worked with egg custard and red bean paste, and they even put together gourmet ice cream cones by the end! They didn’t leave empty handed either. Each youth got to take home a few treats to remember the field trip by.

Barista and Customer Service: The Well Coffee House

On their first field trip, the Barista and Customer Service cohort went to The Well Coffee House on State Street in Boston. The owners, Julie and Matt, went over the history of their business. They also taught youth about the types of coffee they use. At the end, the youth learned how to make a caramel iced coffee and an iced latte. In their cohort, youth have been learning different ways to make coffee with complex steps. Their field trip to The Well Coffee House helped them put some of these skills to practice!

Fashion Design: Institute of Contemporary Art

Youth from the Fashion Design cohort visited the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston for their second field trip. Together they saw the exhibit about Virgil Abloh, the founder and CEO of fashion brand Off-White™ and fashion designer. The youth learned about what inspired Abloh’s designs, and used this to find inspiration for their own designs. They have been working on developing their personal identity and flair in fashion, and their field trip to the ICA helped them explore that even more.

Graphic Design: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Graphic Design cohort visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for their first field trip. Youth explored the grounds of Isabella Stewart Gardner’s home and visited the different rooms of her home full of art. The Graphic Design youth have focused on a number of like how to represent themselves in their graphic design documents and add their personal flair. Their visit to the museum provided a great opportunity for them to meet in person and expose themselves to more styles and design aesthetics!

 

Health and Wellness: 4 Corners Yoga + Wellness

For their first field trip, youth from the Health and Wellness cohort visited 4 Corners Yoga + Wellness in Dorchester. There, the youth participated in an hour-long yoga class where they practiced basic yoga positions together. They were also able to hear from the studios’ co-founder, Christine Rose, who shared her values about offering more access to wellness practices through her studio. This complemented the young people’s cohort meetings, where they have been discussing professions in the health industry. The field trip to 4 Corners Yoga + Wellness helped challenge the youth and push them out of their comfort zone.

Media Arts: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

A couple youth from the Media Arts cohort visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for their third and final field trip. They viewed Isabella Stewart Gardner’s meditation rooms as well as the structure of the buildings and the different aesthetics she chose for each room. The youth focused on the works of art from around the world. Each room had a different theme, and they expertly analyzed and correctly determined the different themes! They also took a picture in front of an empty frame left behind after the infamous art theft in 1990.

Senior Peer Leaders: Escape the Room Boston

The Senior Peer Leaders went to Escape the Room Boston near Downtown Crossing for their second field trip. As the Senior Peer Leaders, they have been working on developing their leadership and professional skills. They have led engaging group discussions for the other cohorts and crafted informative presentations and newsletters for YOU Boston participants. Escape the Room Boston was a great opportunity for the Senior Peer Leaders to bond and work on their teamwork, communication, and time management skills together. Although they didn’t quite manage to snatch the 33 billion dollars in time, they still had a great time with each other!

Visual Arts: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

For their second field trip, the Visual Arts cohort went to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. During the trip, youth got a tour around the museum. They learned about Isabella Stewart Gardner’s life and explored her extensive art collection. Within their cohort, youth have been discussing different types of art and different artists, like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Pablo Picasso. The visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was a great way for the young people to explore even more styles of art while spending time together in person.