Railroad Street Youth Project

06/19/2026

06/11/2026

Deep thanks to the Center for Motivation and Change for consistently sponsoring our Culinary Arts Apprenticeship Dinner and demonstrating their commitment to our youth and the health of our community!

06/08/2026

A huge shoutout to Montgomery Carpentry for being an amazing sponsor of our event! We couldn’t have done it without you. Here’s to community, collaboration, and South County youth!

06/02/2026

Heartfelt laughter, hugs, tears, and an outstanding meal… the 2026 Culinary Apprenticeship Dinner was pure joy!

Congratulations to the culinary apprentices and RYSE Scholarship recipient, Berdy Cheramy, and a huge thank you to all of the amazing guests and everyone who made this memorable evening possible!

Photo credit:

05/14/2026

If you have not yet had the pleasure, please meet – and welcome - Megan Smith, RSYP’s new Apprenticeship Coordinator. Megan is quite familiar with RSYP, as she joined the community as a teen and became active in the South Berkshire Community Health Coalition, YOB meetings, and visiting Drop-In.

When asked to reflect on the value of being a constituent of RSYP, Megan answered, “I think the freedom of being yourself. You can be exactly who you are when you come into our space [Drop-In], which is really nice. It just felt friendly to come in here when I was a younger person… And so always coming in here, you can bring up anything that you're interested in doing and somebody's going to listen. It was refreshing to be in a space with adults or other young people who were completely open to hearing what you had to say. They were supportive of who you were.”

We are so proud to have Megan return to RSYP as a staff member, bringing first-hand experience and deep community relationships to our Apprenticeship Program.

Megan is excited to help young people learn that their passions can lead to jobs that are both fulfilling and support the local economy – key in a community that is struggling to keep young people from moving away. Be sure to say hi to Megan next time you’re at Drop-in!

05/12/2026

RSYP has some amazing sponsors for this year's culinary dinner, including ! We're so grateful to have them on board!

05/11/2026

South County Community Health Coalition Co-Chairs – Lezly Solis-Lopez, Mabel Cooney, & Sofia Castro – are on the South Berkshire Regional School District’s School Committee meeting agenda! They will present on the 2025-2026 Prevention Needs Assessment (PNA) survey results and provide data-informed recommendations on substance use prevention and improving mental health outcomes for youth.

Tune in this Thursday, May 14 from 6-8pm! You can find the Zoom link in our Linktree.

05/07/2026

Juliana Torres knows a thing or two about building. Her dad is in the trades, so when Railroad Street partnered with to offer a Building Trades Apprenticeship, Juliana jumped at the chance. While Juliana had already spent many afternoons at Drop-In, this apprenticeship was her first time participating in an official program.

“On the very first day, they asked if I had any experience,” she says. “I do, but I didn’t share much because I wanted to learn different ways of doing things and see what works best. My dad has always taught me to listen and stay open to learning.”

During her time in the program, Juliana used her skills to help build cedarwood benches, a farmstand roof, refurbish a greenhouse, and wire electrical outlets and light switches.

“It was a really positive experience,” she reports. “It helped me socialize more with people who aren’t normally in my daily circle. I stayed active during the day and felt like I accomplished something. I highly recommend joining an apprenticeship to everyone.”

“Juliana’s bright personality and enthusiasm for learning made the experience so much more enjoyable for everyone,” says Youth Outreach Advocate Elliot Seward. “Besides being an exceptional apprentice, she is also crushing it at school and on the track and field team.”

We can’t wait to see what skills and talents Juliana decides to build next!

05/05/2026

Sponsoring our annual Culinary Arts Apprenticeship Dinner is one of the ways local businesses support South County youth and contribute to the health of our community.

A huge “thank you!” to Timpane Construction for continuing to champion our work!

05/04/2026

Meet Daily “Mica” Micaela, a long-time RSYP youth who started coming to the Drop-In Center over 5 years ago. Mica has led several YOB-funded trips and activities, including a well-attended trip to Naumkeag’s Daffodil & Tulip Festival, and for the second year in a row, Mica facilitated the highly anticipated Special Effects Makeup workshop at the 413 Youth Conference.

“In 2020, Railroad Street was my safe place because I was new to the country,” she told us. “That's where I first met people. Railroad Street has seen me as a kid, as a teenager, and now as an adult.”

It wasn’t long after she started coming to Drop-in that RSYP’s Youth Advocate Marina “Maru” Dominguez recognized her interest and skill in makeup design. Mica expressed an interest in sharing her talent for makeup with her peers, which she did with great success. She then brought those skills to 413YC as the facilitator of a Special Effects Makeup workshop.

"Being part of Daily Micaela’s process has been deeply meaningful,” says Maru. “It’s great to see her recognizing her artistic abilities and the importance of sharing them with others, and that she could envision her art not only as a passion but also as a viable career path. It’s inspiring to see everything she accomplished with the 413YC.”

Check out the gnarly wounds participants created in her 413YC workshop!