The City Links Page

"City Links is like a big house, looks like a family, sounds like knowledge, and feels like a safe place."

-Edith Palomino, City Links Student.

City Links Students

Academic Tutoring

Volunteer Activities

Community Advocacy

For over thirteen years the City Links program has been providing linguistic minority youth in Cambridge with well-supervised public sector internships, support from work-site mentors, counseling on access to higher education, academic tutoring, and extensive training in and exposure to public service careers and leadership development. In addition, students are paired up one-on-one with a mentor who provides career, educational, and personal guidance.

City Links interns provide valuable program and interpretation assistance to city employees, while breaking down barriers to diversity. They work and learn at locations such as the Cambridge Police Department, Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge Public Libraries, and municipal child care centers.

Students also attend a seminar on the public sector, covering such topics as: leadership; community development; the structure of city, state and federal government; Cambridge immigration history; translation skills for the workplace, and public sector career opportunities. In addition, students participate in volunteer activities and various community advocacy events.

Guest speakers from the linguistic minority community visit the class to discuss their careers and to outline the experience and education necessary to take on leadership roles in the public sector. Students are also offered workshops and counseling on higher education opportunities.

The program offers these youth an opportunity to gain the concrete skills and work experience that will help them to achieve self-sufficiency and to lead productive lives and become community leaders.

Become a City Links Volunteer

Who are City Links Students?

The City Links program participants are juniors and seniors who are enrolled in the Language Acquisition program at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (intermediate or advanced level in English). Students reflect the diverse linguistic minority community of Cambridge, representing countries such as Haiti, Brazil, El Salvador, Pakistan, Vietnam, India, Sudan, Colombia, the Dominican Republic , and Ethiopia. All participants are low-income, and over 50% do not live with their parents.

See the City Links Photo Album


City Links Students, Summer 05	City Links Students, Summer 03

Internships

Each student in the City Links program is placed in a year-round paid internship with a department within the City of Cambridge. Students participate in these internships four days a week; two hours after school. Some of the internship placements include the Cambridge Public Libraries, the Cambridge Police Department, the Cambridge Women's Commission, the Department of Human Services, and the Mayor's Office.


Intern working at the Cambridge Public Library Children's Room	Intern working as assistant to the Dean of Students, School L, CRLS

Every Tuesday afternoon, City Links students attend the City Links seminar that covers job readiness skills, the local government structure, immigration history, and civic leadership. Some of the topics included in the curriculum are: time management, communication skills, networking, resume writing, Cambridge city history, the structure of local government and current issues affecting immigrants in the community.


City Links Seminar	City Links Seminar

Students preparing for a presentation at City Links Seminar	Student preparing for a presentation at City Links Seminar

Academic Tutoring

Students in the City Links program are paired up one-on-one with volunteers who serve as academic tutors to work on academic subjects such as English language skills (ESL) and English AP courses, Math, Science, and Social sciences. In addition, students receive tutoring for standardized tests such as the SAT, TOEFL, and MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System).


Tutoring session	Tutoring session

Tutoring session	Tutoring session

Students in the City Links program are paired up one-on-one with volunteer mentors who serve as advisors, role models, tutors, and friends. Most of the program participants are the first in their families to consider going to college and many have benefited tremendously from the guidance and support they receive from an adult who cares about their future. In addition to working towards higher education goals, mentors and students enjoy many fun group activities such as ice-skating, bowling, canoeing as well as one-one-one outing activities.


Mentor and Mentee Night	Mentor and Mentee working on college applications

City Links Mentor and Mentee at City Links End of Year Celebration	City Links Mentor and Mentee

City Links Mentor and Mentee canoeing trip	City Links Mentor and Mentee bowling night

Community Advocacy

As a program that serves immigrant students, issues affecting the immigrant community are important to City Links students. Our students have been great advocates for two very important legislations: The In-State Tuition Bill and the Dream Act. City Links students have been at the forefront in the fight for the right to education for all immigrant students regardless of their immigration status.


Advocating for "The Dream Act" in Washington, DC	Making Banners for trip to Washington, DC

Getting ready to march on Capitol Hill	Talking to the media

At the State House after a day of advocacy for the In-State Tuition Bill	Making a banner for the In-State Tuition tour

Volunteer Activities

Every year students in the City Links program participate in several volunteer activities in places such as: the Greater Boston Food Bank, the Cambridge Senior Center; the Greater Boston Big Sisters Association, Tuesday Meals at the 1^st Parish Church in Cambridge, and the WGBH Radio pledge drive.


Getting ready to serve at the Senior Center	Dancing with seniors

Taking a break for a group photo at the Senior Center Holiday Party	Taking a break from serving

Guest Speakers

Guest speaker are an integral part of the City Links seminar. Guest speakers are invited to the seminar to speak to the students about career options; important issues such as the environment and to impart different workshops on topics such as budgeting, essay writing, civic engagement, etc.


"Speaking to the Media" Workshop	Role playing: City Links Seminar

Group picture with guest speaker, City Councilor Anthony Galluccio