Champions of Change
For the past 13 years, Andrea Perry has worked for YouthConnect, a program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston in partnership with the Boston Police Department. YouthConnect places clinical social workers inside police districts with the highest rates of youth crime. Social workers work with police-referred youth on a voluntary basis to improve the teen’s overall well-being at home, school and in the community. In her various roles at YouthConnect, Andrea has counseled youth victims of community violence, assisted gang-involved teens to get connected to academic and employment opportunities, and helped hundreds of youth and families obtain access to the resources necessary to strengthen their lives. Since becoming the Executive Director in 2010, Andrea is now responsible for the overall programmatic, administrative and clinical aspects of the program.