Rebuilding Our Community by Re-Engaging Our Youth

What an exciting, resilience-building year 2021 has been!  We are so proud of our young people and how they have come out of a pandemic ready to step into learning spaces and collaborate with the adults in their lives to re-engage and acquire new skills.  

Together we proved that how we achieve is not just by mind over matter.  We achieve by faith over mind and matter.  I am so thankful to our staff, volunteers, parents, students, our friends and supporters.  This unique community of individuals show up time and time again with a perspective and attitude that convinces our young people of the innate value, gifts and talents they have that the world needs! 

Maya, one of the local high school students participating in the Digital Music Lab, works to put finishing touches on her composition. Photo credit: Syracuse University

We provided training and mentorship to help youth develop strong character and a vision for their lives and encourage their participation in the process of transforming our vibrant southside community!  They rose to the occasion and have made us all proud. 

Our efforts in 2021 secured the enrichment and development for 203 youths in our Syracuse community and have resulted in some great wins that have positively impacted our young people, including:

  • The facilitation of two Digital Music Labs with the Syracuse University Music Department. To listen to participants’ final tracks, visit the Digital Music Lab playlist on SoundCloud.

  • A student-led community outreach event that served people in need through this summer’s Synergy Leadership Training Internship.

  • Community beautification projects that resulted from our continued partnership with Onondaga Earth Corps and our job readiness training program for high school students. 

  • An engaging summer camp experience for youth ages 5-17 in partnership with Dunbar Association.

  • A youth-directed entrepreneurship expo that culminated from our BMB Vision Ventures program.

Your support makes a real difference in the lives of young people. In this quarter’s newsletter, you’ll discover just how your partnership makes every program possible.



Nati Torrence