Norris Square Neighborhood Project, Inc.

The mission of NSNP is to promote positive change through youth education, community leadership, green space, the arts and the celebration of Latino culture.

NSNP reaches the community first through the individual child. NSNP’s theory of community change is that by focusing supports on a child, he or she will affect change in life, his or her house, and then expand to his or her school, block, street and subsequently, his or her community. Through this change process, NSNP has been able to affect positive change in literally generations of community residents. In order to bring this spirit of youth-driven change within the organization as well, NSNP has increased its youth decision-making within its programs and program design, as youth from kindergarten to the twelfth grade contribute to the development of program activities on an age-appropriate scale.

A unique and integral part of the NSNP programming is providing a small program model in which an intimate, familial environment exists between staff (most of whom are community members themselves), youth and other community members. NSNP values the individualized attention and relationships instructors engage in with youth participants and feel strongly about the positive influence this has on youth development and educational advancement. Many youth have taken this mentoring and support that they have received at NSNP and have become mentors themselves. NSNP has hired program participants as staff members, interns and has been working with older youth to prepare them for board service.

Our Core Values

• We, people of all ages, work together as equal partners.

• We facilitate youth being the leaders, drivers and decision-makers of our programs and activities.

• We celebrate and welcome the differences between us and see them as opportunities.

• We communicate openly, positively, and constructively.

• We use what we learn at Norris Square Neighborhood Project to be role models and change makers in our community.

• We are a positive and supportive family.

• We encourage innovation, creativity, and group problem-solving.

• We respect each other.

• We love what we do here!