Youth Advocacy Foundation

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Youth Advocacy Foundation

The Youth Advocacy Foundation, Inc. (YAF) works to ensure equitable access to quality education and That's why the EdLaw Project is one of our key initiatives.

For the past sixteen years, we have been working to protect and defend Massachusetts' most vulnerable youth. Some of our key successes include:

-Changing how Massachusetts youth interact with the criminal justice system;
-Fighting for the establishment of regional juvenile public defender offices in Massachusetts;
-Advocating in favor of raising the age to be tried as an adult to eighteen years o

f age;
-Calling attention to the grave injustice that is sentencing juveniles to life without parole. There is an acute relationship between the juvenile justice and education systems. We see, over and over, that when children drop out of the educational system they end up in the court system. The EdLaw Project is a team of lawyers who provide education advocacy to court-involved youth. They also train lawyers, parents, and administrators statewide in expert education advocacy. Since EdLaw's formal inception in January 2000, EdLaw attorneys have directly advocated for the educational rights of over 1800 Massachusetts youth. We have realized, however, that as a small team based in Boston, our impact through direct education advocacy and legal representation will still leave the thousands more systems-involved youth without this crucial resource. Thus, to broaden our impact statewide, we have shifted our focus from providing direct representation to focus on expanding the network of those trained in education advocacy, primarily through training, mentoring, and capacity building. We're changing the standards of the statewide juvenile bar to include education advocacy for the 20-25,000 youth who interact with the court system each year in Massachusetts.

06/08/2026

🎉 Relive the magic of YAF's 25th Anniversary Spring Celebration — the videos are NOW live on our website! https://www.youthadvocacyfoundation.org/25years

Whether you were there in person, watched our livestream, or missed it entirely, you can now catch every incredible moment of our milestone evening!

Head to our website to:
🎥 Watch the full program and relive the entire evening from start to finish
✍️ Catch our student speakers to hear directly from the incredible young people whose lives have been transformed through education
🎤 Experience Alondra Bobadilla's breathtaking poetry performance

These stories are powerful, moving, and a reminder of exactly why this work matters. Head to https://www.youthadvocacyfoundation.org/25years to watch now and please share with anyone who needs a little inspiration today!

06/02/2026

On May 20th, YAF Executive Director, Michele Gershman Scavongelli, participated in the Youth At Risk Conference in Beverly, MA, presenting alongside Scott Hulgan, AIC of Salem YAD, and Maria Ventullo, AIC of Salem CAFL.

Their training, "The Intersection of Education & Juvenile Court," reached 35 attorneys, social workers, school staff, and youth-serving professionals — providing valuable tools and knowledge to better support young people navigating both the education and juvenile justice systems.

At YAF, we believe that investing in the professionals who work alongside our youth creates a powerful ripple effect, because when practitioners are better equipped, more young people receive the support and educational opportunities they deserve.

05/21/2026

We’re still taking it all in! Thank you to everyone who joined us last Friday night to celebrate, support, dance, bid, volunteer, advocate, and believe in young people.

Because of this community, the work continues. We cannot wait to share more photos, videos, and moments from an incredibly meaningful evening.

More to come soon! 💙

05/16/2026

🎉 WHAT A NIGHT! We are still on cloud nine from our incredible 25th Anniversary Spring Celebration and we have YOU to thank for making it so magical! The energy, the laughter, the meaningful conversations, and the love in that room last night was something we will never forget. 💙

🌍 A HUGE congratulations to our Dream Vacation Raffle winner — Jacqueline Chen! Jacqueline, wherever your adventure takes you, we hope it is absolutely unforgettable! 🎊 Thank you to EVERYONE who bought tickets to make this fundraiser successful!

🧠 And a massive shoutout to our three trivia winners who brought their A-game last night! Well played, champions! 🏆

But wait — THE NIGHT ISN'T OVER YET! ⏰

Our silent auction closes at 12:00 PM TODAY and there are still incredible items up for grabs — many with no bids or bids well under value. This is your chance to snag an amazing deal for an amazing cause!

🎁 Head to bit.ly/YAF25Years RIGHT NOW and place your bids before noon — every dollar supports Massachusetts youth in getting the education and services they deserve! Don't let these incredible items get away! 💙

Thank you for 25 incredible years — here's to 25 more! 🥂

05/15/2026

Tonight’s the night!! We’re looking forward to seeing so many of our friends and supporters in person at the Charles Hotel this evening at 5:30pm ET, but if you’re unable to be there with us in person, we hope you will still join us by watching our moving program LIVE starting at 7pm ET and participating in our auction and fund-a-need. 💙💚

For all the details how to participate and watch remotely, please visit: youthadvocacyfoundation.org/25YearsLivestream

05/14/2026

🎉 Tomorrow is the BIG night and we could not be more excited to celebrate 25 years of impact with all of you!

Before we do, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to the incredible sponsors who made our 25th Anniversary Spring Celebration possible. From our generous corporate partners to the incredible individuals and families who believed in our mission — your support means everything to us and to the Massachusetts youth we serve! 💙

A heartfelt thank you to our corporate sponsors:
✨ The Treco Foundation
✨ Goodwin Procter
✨ Morgan Lewis
✨ The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation
✨ Beacon Bank
✨ Kirkland & Ellis LLP
✨ Proskauer
✨ Robert M. Currey & Associates
✨ Foley Hoag LLP
✨ Kotin, Crabtree & Strong, LLP

And to ALL of our amazing sponsors — we are so deeply grateful for each and every one of you! 🙏

⏰ One last reminder — online raffle ticket sales for our Dream Vacation Raffle close TONIGHT at 8pm! Grab yours at bit.ly/yaf25years before they're gone — you don't need to be present to win! 🌍🎟️

See you tomorrow night! 🥂

05/13/2026

🎉 IT'S HAPPENING — Our Silent Auction is OPEN! 🎉

The bidding has officially begun for YAF's 25th Anniversary Spring Celebration, and there are some incredible items up for grabs! Browse and bid from anywhere — no app required! 🏆
👉 Start bidding now: bit.ly/YAF25Years

📺 Can't make it in person? You can still bid in the auction AND watch the excitement live on our livestream at: https://www.youthadvocacyfoundation.org/25yearslivestream

🌴 DREAM VACATION RAFFLE tickets are still available — but going FAST! We're capping sales at just 100 tickets and they're almost gone. Choose from three incredible trips and you don't have to be present to win!
🎟️ Grab your raffle ticket at: bit.ly/YAF25Years
🌎 Learn about the trips at: youthadvocacyfoundation.org/25yearsraffle

Every bid, every raffle ticket, and every donation supports 25 Years of Standing Up With Students. 💛

05/12/2026

A new Boston Globe investigation found that many Massachusetts schools are still using isolated “timeout rooms” for students — often children with disabilities — without requiring parents to be notified. Families and advocates say the practice can be traumatic and lacks accountability, while state officials argue updated regulations are meant to improve safety and oversight. The debate is raising bigger questions about how schools support students in crisis and protect vulnerable kids.

At YAF and EdLaw, we remain committed to fighting for the rights, dignity, and well-being of young people — ensuring every child is supported with compassion, transparency, and care, both inside and outside the classroom.

Read the full Globe article at: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/05/08/metro/names-massachusetts-schools-give-timeout-rooms/

05/08/2026

🎉 ONE WEEK AWAY! Can you believe it?!

Our 25th Anniversary Spring Celebration is just one week from tonight and we are SO excited — but there's still time to be part of it! Here's how you can join us:

🎟️ Get your tickets! Join us on May 15th for an incredible evening of inspiring stories, live music, poetry, trivia, amazing food and so much more! Don't miss your chance to celebrate 25 years of impact with us — grab your tickets now at bit.ly/yaf25years!

🌍 Win a Dream Vacation! Raffle tickets are still available — but not for long! For just $100 you could win a trip to Greece, Iceland, or Costa Rica. Only 100 tickets were printed and they are going fast! Learn more about each trip and grab your tickets before they're gone at youthadvocacyfoundation.org/25yearsraffle — you don't need to be present to win!

💙 Can't make it? You can still celebrate with us! Check out our Livestream at https://www.youthadvocacyfoundation.org/25yearslivestream and you can still donate to help us with our fundraising goals for the evening. Every dollar donated to YAF's 25th Anniversary goes directly to supporting Massachusetts youth in getting the quality education and services they deserve. Your gift helps ensure no student ever has to fight for their rights alone.

Here's to 25 years of impact and to the next 25! We hope to see you there! 🎊

Address

75 Federal Street , 6th Floor
Boston, MA
02110

Website

http://youthadvocacyfoundation.org/

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