Yonkers and Westchester Congressman Jamaal Bowman visited the Hudson River Museum on June 11 to meet with graduating high school seniors from Yonkers who participated in the HRM’s Junior Docent program. 64 teens were in the 2021 Junior Docent program, which trains students to provide hands-on workshops and tours for Museum visitors. JDs become community leaders and great public speakers.
The Junior Docent Program is an award-winning, after-school youth development program that serves students (Grades 9–12) from public high schools throughout Yonkers. Extending over four years, the Program expands students’ knowledge of art, science, and history while strengthening skills in communication, critical thinking, and leadership. The Program trains them to become leaders, thinkers, professionals, and contributing members of their communities. Peer mentorship and a sense of camaraderie among students are hallmarks of the experience.
One of the core components of Junior Docent training is an extensive College Readiness Series, guiding the teens through SAT/ACTs, college visits, the application process, interview and essay preparation, financial literacy for the entire family, and more. Since its inception in 1995, the Program has graduated more than 400 young adults; 100% of Junior Docents who complete the Program have been accepted to college.
This year’s JD class of 2021 is going to USC, NYU, Brown University, St. John’s, UCONN, Northeastern, SUNY Stonybrook, and Lehman College, to name a few.
The Junior Docent Program is a nationally-recognized model for teen programming. Junior Docents are required to work one weekend per month. They lead gallery tours; science, technology, engineering and math demonstrations; Family Studio workshops; and other hands-on activities that enhance the visitor experience. They also create tours and programs for themselves and their peers and mentor younger docents. After completing one full year of the Program, following staff evaluation, participants qualify to be paid for their work. Finally, Junior Docents who are seniors in high school may be elected to an Advisory Board that meets monthly to shape the future of the Program.
Junior Docents are students from the seven Yonkers public high schools, representing culturally, economically, and socially diverse communities of the City of Yonkers. Many Junior Docents are first generation or recent immigrants to the United States; currently, the students in the Program speak seven different languages. They have an array of interests, including science, fashion, art, dance, history, business, and medicine.
Congratulations to this class of 2021 JD for making it through a year of COVID. Congratulations and best wished on your future endeavors. And pay a visit to the Hudson River Museum this summer, there’s a lot going on. Visit HRM.org for more information.
