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Blackstone Community Center

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News at the BCC

Sign Up for Summer Camp!

Summer Camp Applications are in!  Please come to the front desk to request an application.

Fundraiser Honoring Jorge Dias

No Family Gym 3/11/17

Reminder!  There is no Family Gym this week due to Northeastern's Spring Break.

See you next week!

BCYF Swim League Now Recruiting Youth Participants

BCYF Swim League Now Recruiting Youth Participants

Swim Team Experience Not Necessary

Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF,) the City of Boston’s largest youth and human service agency, is currently enrolling youth participants, age 6-17, in a citywide competitive swimming league.

Every year, over 300 young swimmers participate in the BCYF Swim League. In addition to improving swimming skills, participants make new friends and enjoy visits to other Boston swimming pools for meets. The league is a developmental league and serves as an introduction to competitive swimming so experience on a swim team is not necessary but participants must be able to swim one length of the pool. The regular season meets are held on Fridays at 6 p.m. beginning on November 13. The Championship Meet will take place on Saturday, March 26.

To sign up to participate, e-mail or call the contact listed below or contact Antonio Rosario, BCYF Aquatics Manager, at Antonio.Rosario@boston.gov or 617-635-4920 ext. 2150.

Teams and Contact Info:

B.E.S.T. Orcas

Locations: Dorchester House, 1353 Dorchester Avenue; BCYF Madison Park Community Center, 55 Malcolm X Boulevard, Roxbury; BCYF Holland Community Center, 85 Olney Street, Dorchester.
Contact: best.orcas@gmail.com

BCYF Blackstone Community Center
50 West Brookline Street, South End
Contact: Marco Torres, Marco.Torres@boston.gov; 617-635-5162

BCYF Condon Community Center
200 D Street, South Boston
Contact: James Warren, James.Warren@boston.gov; 617-635-5100

BCYF Charlestown Community Center
255 Medford Street
Contact: Bob McGann, Robert.McGann@boston.Gov; 617-635-5169

BCYF Curtis Hall Community Center
20 South Street, Jamaica Plain
Contact: Ramon Espinal, Ramon.Espinal@boston.gov; 617-635-5195

BCYF Draper Pool Blue Fins
5275 Washington Street, West Roxbury
Contact: Armond Washington, Armondo.Washington@boston.gov; 617-635-5021

BCYF Flaherty Pool
160 Florence Street, Roslindale
Contact: Louis Barnes, LouisJ.Barnes@boston.gov; 617-635-5181

BCYF Hennigan Community Center
200 Heath Street, Jamaica Plain
Contact: Vicki Hernandez, Victoria.Hernadez@boston.gov; 617-635-5198

BCYF Holland Community Center
85 Olney Street, Dorchester
Contact: Sounja Bynoe, Sounja.Bynoe@boston.gov; 617-635-5144

BCYF Leahy-Holloran Community Center
1 Worrell Street, Dorchester
Contact: Mary Ellen McDonough, Maryellen.McDonough@boston.gov; 617-635-5150

BCYF Madison Park Community Center
55 Malcolm X Boulevard, Roxbury
Contact: Mamenasha Tesfaye, Mamenasha.Tesfaye@boston.gov; 617-635-5206

BCYF Mason Pool
159 Norfolk Avenue, Roxbury
Contact: Andres Ramirez, Andres.Ramirez@boston.gov; 617-635-5241

BCYF Mildred Avenue Community Center
5 Mildred Avenue, Mattapan
Contact: Dorian Barcus, Dorian.Barcus@boston.gov; 617-635-1328

BCYF Paris Street Pool Great White Sharks
112 Paris Street, East Boston
Contact: Abdel Lahlali, Abdelmoula.Lahlali@boston.gov; 617 635 1410

BCYF Perkins Community Center
155 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester
Contact: Christina Silva, Christina.Silva@boston.gov; 617-635-5146

BCYF Quincy Community Center Rubber Duckies
885 Washington Street, Chinatown
Contact: Helen Wong, Helen.Wong@boston.gov; 617-635-5129

Fall 2015 BU FitWell Schedule

Download the Fall BU FitWell Schedule here!

Our Spring Fundraiser is here May 30, 2015. Buy your tickets now!

Our Spring Fundraiser is here May 30 2015 Buy your tickets now
Join us Saturday, May 30th, 2015 at 5:00 pm for of an evening of cocktails and spontaneous musical fortune-telling to support the BCYF Blackstone Community Center.

Enjoy cocktails and socializing at Stella Restaurant. Then, head next door to the Blackstone to enjoy an evening of audience participation theater.

Part improvisational theater, part cabaret, part audience participation, The Ego & The Oracle is a live stage spectacular where "Ouija Board meets iPod Shuffle". Audience members are invited on stage to ask personal questions of The Oracle. They then spin a giant wheel containing songs by Jim's Big Ego. When the wheel stops, the band spontaneously performs the chosen song, which is then interpreted as the answer to the question. The outcome can be humorous or moving, often both at once.

Cocktails at Stella Restaurant 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

The Ego & The Oracle Show 6:30 pm - 8:30pm

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

Ticket Options

If you can't attend the fundraiser, but would still like to help out, donate here!

Blackstone Open Today!

We will be open 7:30am - 6pm today, Thursday January 29th.

Winter Programming Schedules

The schedules for the Gymnasium, Pool and BU Fitness Center are here!

Your Friend Gets in Free!

Teens 14-19, Bring a friend and your friend gets a free membership and prizes for you and your friend in the Fitness Center.  Ends January 31, 2015

Full - Time Summer Life Guards Wanted

See flyer for full information on the opportunity.

Free Swim Day, Wednesday 12/10/2014

A FUN and FREE drop-in day of swimming for everyone to enjoy.  Np pre-registration required.  Stop in for some fun!

Free structured games, sports, activities and food.

Space availability is on a first-come, first served basis.

For more information call BCYF Blackstone Community Center at 617-635-5162

Sponsored by Boston Medical Health Center HealthNet Plan.  BMCHP.com

Successful First Fundraiser

Successful First Fundraiser
The BCYF Blackstone Community Center’s first-ever fundraiser on Saturday night was a huge boost toward improving programming and giving some much needed love to a facility in need of some renovations.

It also went a long way in just telling the Center’s story to the community at large.

But while the event featuring a cocktail hour at Stella Restaurant and a concert from The Ego & The Oracle raised more than $3,500 for the community center, there is still much more work to be done and it is not too late to donate to the cause.

After enjoying cocktails and delicious appetizers at Stella, the event moved to the Blackstone Community Center auditorium for the concert portion of the evening, which featured spontaneous musical fortune-telling that is part improvisational theater, part cabaret and part audience participation.

Audience members submitted a question to the Oracle on a wide range of topics before the authors of those questions were randomly called to the stage, where hilarity ensued. The selected audience members were asked to spin a giant wheel containing songs by Jim’s Big Ego. When the wheel stopped, the band spontaneously performed the chosen song, which was then interpreted as the answer to their question.

If you couldn't attend the fundraiser, you can still support the center, please donate here!









Please join us for the first Blackstone Community Center Fundraiser!

Please join us for the first Blackstone Community Center Fundraiser
Join us Saturday, May 3rd, 2014 at 5:00 pm for of an evening of cocktails and spontaneous musical fortune-telling to support the BCYF Blackstone Community Center.

Enjoy cocktails and socializing at Stella Restaurant. Then, head next door to the Blackstone to enjoy an evening of audience participation theater. Part improvisational theater, part cabaret, part audience participation, The Ego & The Oracle is a live stage spectacular where "Ouija Board meets iPod Shuffle". Audience members are invited on stage to ask personal questions of The Oracle. They then spin a giant wheel containing songs by Jim's Big Ego. When the wheel stops, the band spontaneously performs the chosen song, which is then interpreted as the answer to the question. The outcome can be humorous or moving, often both at once.

Cocktails at Stella Restaurant 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

The Ego & The Oracle Show 6:30 pm - 8:30pm







Blackstone Academy Summer Program Canceled

We are very sad to share that the Blackstone Academy Summer Camp has been canceled for the Summer of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

6th Annual Friend-Fundraiser, Honoring Community Heroes Thaddeus Miles and Keyla Jackson

6th Annual FriendFundraiser Honoring Community Heroes Thaddeus Miles and Keyla Jackson
The Blackstone Community Center Council is holding its 6th Annual Friend-Fundraiser to support the Jorge Dias Summer Camp Scholarship & the programming at the Blackstone Community Center.

This year, we are pleased to be honoring the incredible work and generosity of two outstanding individuals (and one great team!): Thaddeus Miles and Keyla Jackson. The South End/Lower Roxbury community has benefited greatly from their work, and we look forward to celebrating with them on April 11 at Stella Restaurant, from 6:30-9:30pm.

Volunteer!

Looking for a way to help in your community? Join us in serving meals to our local children. Through a partnership with the YMCA, we receive up to 70 snacks and hot meals Monday through Friday. We need volunteers to help serve the meals and enjoy the company of the children.

We need volunteers from 4:30 - 6:30pm Monday through Friday. For more information, please contact the Blackstone Community Center at 617-635-5162 or info@yourblackstone.org.

Thank you!


5th Annual Fundraiser, Honoring Caroline Foscato

The Blackstone Community Center Council is holding its 5th Annual Fundraiser to support the programming at the Blackstone Community Center.

We will be honoring former council member, and current director of South End Soccer, Caroline Foscato, for her long time service commitment to the youth and families of the South End at Stella Restaurant from 6:30 - 9:30pm April 26th.

Artist in Residence at the Blackstone


BOSTON - Monday, October 3, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, and Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) today announced the ten artists selected for the City of Boston's second year of artists-­in-­residence program, Boston AIR. This second year of the Boston AIR program helps fulfill a commitment made in Boston Creates, the city’s cultural plan, and expands the size of the artist cohort, increases the length of the residencies, and grounds each residency at BCYF through their community centers and core citywide initiatives, such as the BCYF Streetworker Program, youth summer programs, and leadership development for young women.

"Arts and culture form the building blocks that make our city thrive. They encourage us to engage with each other and connect to the larger community," said Mayor Walsh. "Boston AIR brings this creative practice into the work of our city departments. I am excited to announce the new Boston Artists in Residence and look forward to the positive impact they will have on BCYF.”

Recognizing and supporting artists’ essential contribution in creating and maintaining a thriving, healthy and innovative city is a stated goal in the Boston Creates plan launched earlier this summer. Boston AIR is one initiative as part of the plan that will integrate creative thinking into the work of municipal departments and planning efforts.

Through Boston AIR, artists are supported as agents of reflection, collaboration, and activism, whether through process-oriented practice, direct community engagement, and/or as leaders of system-wide change projects at BCYF and other City agencies. The ten selected artists are invited to study and expand their own civic and social practice, alongside a parallel cohort from ten BCYF community centers and other City employees who will explore methods to incorporate artistic social practice into government and community work. Both the artist and City cohorts will share examples of their work, attend master workshops and lectures by guest artists, and have opportunities to exchange ideas and co-design proposals.

The Blackstone Community Center is working with:

  • Rashin Fahandej is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose projects include feature documentaries, video-sound installations, photo, sculpture, and painting. Fahandej is currently teaching at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Bunker Hill Community College, Emmanuel College, and a research fellow at the MIT Open Documentary Lab where she is researching new forms of documentary filmmaking and developing a transmedia project based on the narratives and stories in the city of Boston.

Each artist will be awarded a $22,500 stipend for a nine-month-long residency to develop and test ways that creative approaches can meaningfully impact the work of the public sector and society at large. Each artist will be paired with one of ten designated BCYF community centers and provided a studio space at that center.

"When we began the Boston Artists in Residence program, we hoped that by embedding the artists in City Departments it would bring creative thought to municipal problem solving and project implementation,” said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston. “The work of our first three Artists in Residents exceeded our expectations.This time, we hope to have the same impact on the work being done by Boston Centers for Youth and Families.”

The mission of Boston Centers for Youth & Families is to enhance the quality of life of Boston’s residents by partnering with various organizations to offer a wide range of comprehensive programs and activities according to neighborhood needs and interests. BCYF’s ACES programming framework (arts, civic and community engagement, education, and sports and fitness) is designed to provide access to these programs at every BCYF center. Through Boston AIR, BCYF hopes to expand their arts and civic engagement programs.

Join the Swim Team!  2016-2017

Join the Swim Team nbsp20162017
Blackstone Sharks Swim Team For the 2016 - 2017 Season!

Swim Team Practice Begins October 1, 2016

Practice Times:
Tuesday: 6:00pm - 6:45pm
Wednesday: 6:00pm - 6:45pm
Thursday: 6:00pm - 6:45pm

Boys and Girls 7 - 18 years old

Registration Free: $25 for each child.

See attached flyer for additional information

BU FitWell Center at the Blackstone Now Open!

BU FitWell Center at the Blackstone Now Open

THERE’S A BRAND-NEW, COOL PLACE TO CHECK OUT RIGHT IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.

Boston University has teamed up with the Blackstone Community Center to bring you another way to get healthier and have lots of fun while doing it. We think the new center will make you want to come back again and again.

It’s called the Boston University Fitness & Wellness Center at Blackstone.

It is staffed exclusively by Boston University fitness personnel and has all of these features:

  • 2,000 square feet of fitness space
  • The latest in cardiovascular and fitness equipment, including Precor treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, power cage, and dumbbells
  • Personalized assessment of your health and fitness level
  • Track your progress toward your fitness goals with state-of-the-art technology.

Membership

  • Your Blackstone Community Center membership gives you access to the Boston University Fitness & Wellness Center at Blackstone. After you sign a waiver of liability, you’ll have full access to all the equipment at the fitness center and you can participate in programs and workshops run by Boston University fitness staff.
  • You must be 14 years of age or older to enter the fitness center without a parent or guardian present for supervision.


Boston University is committed to providing exceptional health and wellness programs to the community of the South End through the Blackstone Community Center.

So don’t wait another minute. Schedule your orientation today!
HOURS: 3–8:30 PM WEEKDAYS | 10 AM–3:00 PM SATURDAYS
Check out the Boston University Fitness & Wellness Center at BCYF Blackstone at bu.edu/fitrec/facilities/blackstone.shtml for more information.

Download the waiver here.