About

Who We Are

We are a coalition of 40 youth and community groups from across the State of Massachusetts who work together to create more employment opportunities for teens.  As teens, youth workers, executive directors, members, and leaders, we believe that young people and community organizations should have a voice in the youth employment policies-private and public-that affect our lives.

Leadership

Dan Gelbtuch helped to found the Youth Jobs Coalition in 2009.  Since then he has been an active organizer and leader in the Coalition.  Dan has helped to develop the leadership of hundreds of teens from across the State who have taken active leadership roles in the YJC’s organizing campaigns.  He is proud of the many victories that the Youth Jobs Coalition has achieved and the power they have built across the State.  Dan is looking forward to expanding the Coalition’s reach both politically and geographically.

Keturah Brewster works at Dorchester Bay Youth Force.  She is 17 years old and attends Boston Latin School.  She has worked at Youth Force for 2 years and is also a board member of The City School and Change Agent Magazine.  She has spoken at YJC rallies and conducted meetings with politicians and private sector leaders.  She is one of our brightest members.  She is looking forward to building and maintaining relationships with politicians and organizations within YJC.

Lew Finfer has been a community organizer in Massachusetts since 1970.  He is currently the director of the Massachusetts Community Action Network (MCAN).  Lew helped to found the Youth Jobs Coalition and has provided staffing time for the last three years to the YJC. He has worked with neighborhood and statewide groups on issues of youth violence prevention/positive youth opportunities, job training, housing, education, health care, and immigrant rights over the years.

Nakeisha Fullington has currently been working with the Dorchester Bay Youth Force for four years, beginning in her sophomore year at Boston Latin School. She now is a sophomore at Umass Boston studying Sociology and Business Management. Nakeisha has continued her work in the Youth Jobs Campaign even beyond her high school career because although she is no longer a recipient of the jobs she wins she feels the work still isn’t done and has only just begun. Nakeisha Fullington has been involved in the YJC for three years and became an active leader during the summer of 2011. Nakeisha is just one of the many great leaders who truly believe in the power of youth jobs and continues to look forward to the new campaigns they will win in the future.

Tarek Scott has been working with the Youth Jobs Coalition since the summer of 2012.  She attends the Greater Egleston High School and is in the eleventh grade there.  She got involved in the YJC through The City School and later graduated from their Summer Leadership Program.  Tarek is looking forward to attending her first February rally

 
Hazel Johnson got connected to the Youth Jobs Coalition 1.5 years ago through the creation of the Lynn Youth Organizing Network (LYON), the Essex County Community Organizations’ (ECCO) youth organizing wing.  Since creating LYON and joining YJC, Hazel has helped to secure funding for youth summer jobs, built relationships with elected officials and worked with and encouraged major corporations on the North Shore to hire teens. She is excited to capitalize on her strong leadership and relational skills through her work with the Youth Jobs Coalition. Her hope is that YJC’s campaign can start to bridge the gap between Boston and Lynn by working together for the same cause. 
 

Coalition Members