Youth Programs

Teens at Robinson Gardens Apartments have explored an ambulance, met with an early childhood educator and learned the ins and outs of radio announcing – all steps geared toward keeping a thoughtful eye on the future.

The after-school and summertime lecture series, brought to the youth by the Springfield Housing Authority’s resident services youth programming, has become a focal point for steering teens to consider education, jobs, and independent adult lives.

“During the school year, I bring someone in every Monday afternoon,” explained Jimmie Mitchell, who is SHA’s Youth Engagement Coordinator. “During the summer, it’s whenever we can get someone in.

“We want them to see what kinds of jobs are out there for them, and to start thinking about what they need to do to qualify for these jobs. We talk about education, training, and the daily routines of the different careers,” he said.

On a recent day, two emergency medical technicians from American Medical Systems drove up in an ambulance fitted for all manner of accidents, traumas and medical emergencies.

Robinson Gardens teens at a presentation by AMT Medical Services. In the background are, from left, SHA Youth Engagement Coordinator Jimmie Mitchell and EMTs Kaliegh Ingeneri and Paul Novinsky.

Dressed in their official uniforms, Paul Novinsky and Kaliegh Ingeneri explained the training needed to get their jobs, certifications they must carry at all times, and some of the gritty details of what they deal with, day to day.

“We have a lot more equipment in there than most people realize,” said Ingeneri, gesturing toward the ambulance.

“It’s enough to keep people alive until we can get them to the hospital,” noted Novinsky.

Teens peppered them with questions about responding to emergencies like the Boston Marathon bombing, Hurricane Sandy, tornadoes, and more typical city events such as heart attacks, accidents and gunshot wounds. The professionals admitted that the job at times can be emotionally rough, even while they must maintain their composure.

“A call where a child gets hurt is the hardest,” acknowledged Ingeneri. “I have a friend in the business who responded at Sandy Hook, and he’s still hurting about it.”

They recounted an incident where a young child, thinking he could fly, jumped out a fifth-story window. He survived, but with many broken bones and surgeries in his future.

Robinson Gardens teens eagerly listened to the EMTs, focusing as intently on the training and certifications as they did on the tales of tragedy. Later, they got to explore the ambulance parked outside at the Pine Point family development.

“It was so interesting. I think we all enjoyed it a lot,” said 14-year-old Zaria Kelly, newly elected president of the Robinson Gardens Youth Group.

“I never thought about what an ambulance driver does,” said Jaleace Lindsay, who is 14. “There’s really a lot to it.”

Checking out the ambulance, left to right: EMTs Kaliegh Ingeneri and Paul Novinsky, and Robinson Gardens youth Zaria Kelly, Christian Davis, Raemiah Brown and Jaleace Lindsay.

Mitchell has brought in a banker, a youth development program owner, a state Senate aide, an announcer from WTCC Radio, a member of the U.S. Army, a Massachusetts State Police officer, and a representative of a local career center, among others. Besides getting youth to think about their future, he wants to ensure they are exposed to people from the community.

“Some of these kids don’t leave the development very often outside of school,” Mitchell said. “I want them to know what’s going on in the community, and to see people who are out there working.”