Teens ages 13-19

AFAB's programs include: Housing: affordable housing, transitional housing, and housing advocacy; Domestic Violence: advocacy, education, and outreach; Haitian Round Table on Domestic Violence (1st Wednesdays); Adult Education: ESL and literacy classes, workshops, computer training, and personal finance and economic literacy classes; Radio Program (3rd Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.); Youth Development including a Ayiti Demen cultural group (Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.), math tutoring with the Haitian Scientific Society (Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and Young Women's Leadership Development; and a French class (Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m). In addition to the activities at our community center in Dorchester, AFAB conducts workshops and makes presentations throughout Boston, and in communities including Cambridge, Somerville, and Brockton. 

Annual Events:

• International Women's Day (March)
• Clergy Breakfast (June)
• Domestic Violence Forum (August)
• Fundraising Dinner (October)

Students enter DYA working at different grade levels. Each student’s curriculum is designed for them individually. Every student receives personalized assistance, in addition to time spent on individual coursework, students are also taught and works in groups.

• Tutoring and Test Prep

  Private One-On-One Tutoring and Test Prep takes place at our main facility at 208 Ashmont Street. We also offer in-home private tutoring and in-home test preparation in cities throughout Massachusetts, including Boston, Springfield, Cambridge, Chelsea, Chicopee, Fall River, Gardner, Haverill, Holyoke, Lowell, Lynn, Quincy, Malden, New Bedford, Randolph, and more. Tutoring is available to students in kindergarten through the 12th grade. We offer more than fourteen different subjects in areas including Language Arts, Math, Science, and Foreign Languages. In-School and After-School Tutorial Programs have been developed with various public, private, parochial, and charter schools as well as community centers in and around Boston. Talk with your school Principal or community center Director about developing a Boston Learning Center tutorial program.

• BIFF (Building Inspiration to Fight Failure) Project

  BIFF is an innovative after-school program that begins with 12 intensive lessons delivered over a nine-week period. Like the 12 Step Program used in drug rehabilitation, the 12 lessons presented in the BIFF core curriculum bring kids to a crossroad where they can see two paths very clearly. One path – the path they are on – leads to failure and mediocrity. The other path – the BIFF path – leads to excellence and prosperity. It is an easy choice and 80% of the students who finish BIFF choose the path of success. The lessons taught in the curriculum help students boost their skills in the following areas: Listening, Reading Speed, Study Skills, Concentration, Memory, Organization, Attention Span, Speaking, Test-Taking, Motivation, Confidence, and Multi-Model Learning. Once a student completes all 12 lessons in the BIFF core curriculum, he/she is initiated into the BIFF alumni club and is eligible to attend monthly follow-up meetings and participate in the incentives program designed to reward high academic achievement.

• Girls Connection

  The Girls Connection Program is a collaboration between the Boston Learning Center and Madison Park Community Center in Roxbury. The program, which is designed for middle and high school students in grades 6 thru 12, includes both a summer component and an after-school component during the school year. The overall goal of the Girls Connection Program is to create a high quality, year-round program for teenage girls which offers comprehensive services and a variety of supports to enable participants to realize success in school and in life. Activities include tutoring/homework help, dance, double dutch, spoken word poetry, step, and entrepreneurship.

• S.A.L.S.A.

  S.A.L.S.A. (Students Advocating Life without Substance Abuse) is a program in which high school students act as positive role models for younger students in the community by promoting healthy drug-free lifestyles. The members visit schools and other communities where youth gather across the Boston area and put on informative presentations about the dangers of drugs and alcohol while reassuring the younger crowd that you can still be cool if you say “No.” The presentations foster an open forum for discourse about all issues younger youth might have for the high school leaders. S.A.L.S.A. has a paid summer term as well as a school year term. The program begins with an intensive training period where youth develop original skits and prepare their future presentations. During this time, S.A.L.S.A. leaders develop leadership and presentation skills while looking forward to serving their community. Additionally, S.A.L.S.A. leaders learn entrepreneurial skills by essentially running the program with adult supervision.

Learn to Skate Our Learn to Skate Program is for children from ages 3 and up. It is for 1st and 2nd year skaters. It runs on Saturdays at 4:00pm and 5:00pm from late November until early March. DYH also offers 2nd and 3rd child discounts. Each session will be limited to approximately 40 skaters with a skater to instructor ratio of 8:1. All participants must have a hockey helmet with full face mask on it. Stephanie O'Sullivan and the staff from O'Sullivan Hockey Academy provide the on ice instruction on behalf of Dorchester Youth Hockey. Learn to Skate Coordinator: Shaun O'Sullivan House League Registration for House League Hockey is open to children from Instructional to Pee Wee. The season runs from late November until early March and includes one game and one practice a week. Instructional players participate at no additional cost. House League Coordiantor: Kevin Burke Travel Team Travel teams play in either the Greater Boston Youth Hockey League or the Yankee Conference League. The Girls only team(s) play in the South Shore Conference. The season is from September to March. In March we hold registration and tryouts for travel teams Mites-Bantams. Midget registration and tryouts are held in the Spring. As a reminder, goalies with their own equipment play at 1/2 price! Instructional Hockey For first year players ages 5-8 years old. Instructional players compete in the Yankee Conference on the small ice surface at Pilgrim Arena in Hingham and practice at the Devine Rink in Dorchester. Instructional players are also allowed to participate in the House League for no additional cost.

The organization’s year-round programs; -A ten-week spring season -A one-week overnight summer camp in New Hampshire -A four-week summer day camp in Boston and Chelsea -Winter clinics and fitness sessions -Year-round Intramural Programs in collaboration with community-based strategic partners -SAT, ISSE, and SSAT test preparation -Secondary school placement advising and academic tutoring -College exploration and advisory services -Year-round educational support programs in collaboration with community-based strategic partners