Program Director Update: Mercy Works Summer Programming Reaches 151 Young People

Looking back at what we have accomplished this summer I am filled with deep gratitude. We are so thankful for every individual, agency, organization and the many donors that joined our effort to galvanize our collective resources to help our young people thrive!

Elementary students who participated in the Dunbar Association’s Hello Summer program.

As an organization it has been our priority to engage in projects, programs and partnerships that bolster learning and growth in our young people. As a community, we have reached 151 young people through vision-based programs this second quarter of 2022.

Our robust summer programming schedule included Synergy, a 10-week paid professional development internship for undergraduate college students; a seven week paid job-readiness training program for high schoolers in partnership with Onondaga Earth Corps; our monthly mentorship program for young men called Vision Velocity; a high energy summer camp experience that reached local youth ages 5-15 with vision based programs in partnership with the Dunbar Association.  

Students discovering the impact their fellow students made in their community at the Synergy Graduation Ceremony.

Finally, we hosted a transformative week-long conference for junior high and high school girls.  The theme for this summer’s Passport 2Vision conference was “Unmasking Your Inner Beauty,” and will take our young ladies through an exploration of confidence building self-awareness simulations, vision-based workshops and resiliency development.  I can’t think of a better way to wrap up our summer line-up of programs!

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