Breaking Barriers to Youth Success
UTEC's mission is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disconnected young people to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WITH IMPACT YOUNG ADULTS ›OUR OUTCOMES
88% vs.
of UTEC young adults
had no new arrests
while enrolled (FY18)
52%
of MA young adults
are re-arraigned within a
year of release from jail
mattress recycling
We provide residential and commercial mattress pickup in Eastern MA, deconstruct the pieces, and recycle more than 80% of materials.
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woodworking
Cutting boards and other hand-crafted Madd Love Market products help young adults carve out better futures.
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food services
From catering and Cafe UTEC lunches to food manufacturing in the UTEC Community Kitchen, young people learn essential food preparation and service skills.
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facility rentals
Our historic green building is perfect for weddings, galas, concerts, meetings, seminars, conferences, and more.
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Meet Anthony (Ant Man) Ellis, who has been with us for over 17 years, and was recently promoted to Director of Transitional Coaching! (*Snaps, Ant!*)
What roles have you previously held?
I started as a Jr. Streetwoker, while working part time, then became a full time Streetworker. I was the program manager for the construction crew during the renovation of our current building, then the program manager of Transformational Beginnings. Next, I was a Transitional Coach before my most recent position as the Intake Manager.
What is the most important thing you've learned about youth work?
One of the most important things I’ve learned doing youth work is that you have to remain consistent with the young adults in everything you do with them. It’s also important to meet young adults where they are at, and you can’t take things personally.
How has COVID impacted the work?
We’re limited in the number of young adults to bring in every month, which means smaller cohorts of new young adults. During remote programming, I was concerned that we would lose some young adults to being offsite. However, the use of calls and video chat really ensured young adults were not forgotten about and they stayed pretty engaged.
Any memorable moments?
One of my most memorable moments at UTEC was when we took two rival gangs on a peace trip where we went white water rafting. The trip was a success, and the activity was amazing. To witness young adults that have differences work together to achieve a common goal is very fulfilling and motivates me to continue the work.
What is your favorite UTEC value?
I love all the values, but I think in my role the most important value is SEEING BEYOND THE MASK. When young adults come in they are usually a little reserved and may present in a certain way to protect themselves. I try to make them feel comfortable and valued here so they can let their guard down and be themselves. It’s always good when young adults can be their authentic selves.
What is your favorite ice breaker?
My favorite icebreakers are those that have some level of competition. I’m very competitive and love to win! If I had to choose I would pick PIRATES ARE COMING. It’s great -- gets everyone involved and is usually hilarious.
What do you like to do for fun?
For fun, I like to hang out at home with my dog (13yr old pitbull Jada), watch sports, and go fresh water fishing when I can.
It takes a village to divert mattresses from the waste stream! Amazing work, team! #SparkSustainability
BIG SNAPS TO KEVIN BECAUSE HE IS A HiSet GRADUATE!!!!
Photo throwing back to him kicking back after passing his first test in January!
Celebrating our young adults’ accomplishments + getting into the fall spirit at our house meal! 🍂🧡🎃
There are SO many reasons to be proud of Alex, but today we are going to celebrate the fact that SHE IS A HISET GRADUATE!!!!!!!!!!
Big Snaps to Alex who has worked so hard to pass these tests!
*mic drop*
