The Collaborative for Educational Services in Northampton, MA, manages the DYS EDUCATION INITIATIVE on behalf of the MA Department of Youth Services. This initiative, spearheaded by Director of Education Woody Clift, Ph.D., provides a range of educational services, including college programming, career exploration, and high school education to youth across the Commonwealth who are in the care of DYS,. In addition to supporting youth success in high school, the program includes efforts to increase access to postsecondary and vocational opportunities, resulting in youth participation in postsecondary classes online or at colleges while in residence and/or in community settings. The Initiative’s College Program offers youth the opportunity to earn college credits toward degree programs through online college courses and college courses taught in DYS facilities by adjunct faculty from one of our higher education partners.
DYS Guiding Principles
AT CES, we understand that inequity and injustice are deeply embedded in our society’s political, social, educational, and economic structures and ideologies. These oppressions, based on socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, education level, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, and ability, serve to deny us all human dignity, preventing the harmonious integration and inclusion of diverse groups, blocking the self-determination of those historically targeted by discrimination, and maintaining social and economic disparity. In light of this understanding, and with an unwavering belief that everyone is a learner, we embrace a personalized, learner-centered approach to education that embodies the following beliefs:
- College, Career, and Civic Readiness
- Culture and Purpose
- Social Justice and Equity
Please download our Guiding Principles Overview.
Announcing the First Annual Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Monthly Award
Collaborative for Educational Services educators working with youth in the care of the MA Department of Youth Services (DYS) do tremendous work facilitating youth success across a range of outcomes. They do so, in part, by embodying the guiding principles that the organization has embraced in their work with DYS. To recognize these educators, CES has introduced a monthly Excellence in Education: Living our Guiding Principles Award. The award is given to a teacher for each of the five DYS regions; and a statewide winner will be selected at the end of the year.
Says Director of Education, Woody Clift:
“It brings me great pleasure to announce the winners of October’s Excellence in Education-Living our Guiding Principles award. I celebrate our colleagues for the positive impact they have on everything we do, most especially, their students.”
Colleagues and/or students nominated each of these exemplary educators. They represent the very first winners of this award recognizing educators across the DYS workforce who, through their craft, embody one or more of the Guiding Principles including: College, Career, and Civic Readiness; Culture and Purpose; and Social Justice and Equity. These are central to the organization’s mission to improve the academic and life outcomes for the youth they serve.
To learn more about the teachers receiving this award each month, visit our Award page.
