East End House is a community center dedicated to supporting the well-being, academic success, and positive transition to adulthood for youth in Cambridge and surrounding communities. Serving children and young adults ages 5 to 24, particularly those from under-resourced backgrounds, they take a holistic approach to empowering individuals from diverse communities to build a strong foundation
and thrive.
ThinkGive launched its partnership with East End House in the fall of 2023 to bring valuable social and emotional learning (SEL) programming to students. We gathered feedback from both educators and students about their ThinkGive experience, and here’s what they had to say.
Educators: Marsé Romero
Grades: 6-7
Location: Cambridge, MA
Began partnership with ThinkGive: 2023
Impact of ThinkGive on Students: “Students were most interested in the lesson about activism and helping our environment. It is not something schools talk about often.”
Highlights of the ThinkGive Experience: “My favorite part about ThinkGive is talking to students about hard topics and hearing their thoughts. Open and honest conversations from youth are so valuable.”
Survey Results: After participating in ThinkGive, students reported significant improvements in their social and emotional skills:
100% felt more connected with their community, 83% with their peers, and 83% with their friends.
83% agreed that they were becoming more caring when someone was upset.
83% agreed that they were feeling more gratitude.
Student Voices: Here’s what some students had to say about their ThinkGive experience:
“I am more kind and aware of people’s feelings.”
“I learned about being social and thinking about everyone around me.”
“I learned how to be more empathetic.”
Minna Kim, ThinkGive Program Coordinator, shared her reflections on the partnership with East End House:
What’s it been like working with East End House? “I first connected with Marsé, the East End House Middle School Program Director, in the summer of 2023, and from the very beginning, their warmth and generosity have been unwavering. Beyond their commitment to offering consistent and impactful ThinkGive programming, Marsé has gone above and beyond by contributing to broader initiatives—joining our Educator Advisory Council, collaborating with our Development Manager on a project, and recently hosting a site visit with a ThinkGive staff member and supporter.
The interactions between Marsé and various ThinkGive team members, along with our observations during the site visit, reaffirmed how closely their leadership aligns with the social-emotional learning we prioritize in our programs. East End House embodies the values we strive to instill in students, supporting and living out ThinkGive’s mission. Working with Marsé and the East End House community has been a privilege, reinforcing the incredible impact we can make when we’re united by a shared vision and purpose.”
East End House is a recipient of the SEL for Every Child Fund, which provides full funding to implement ThinkGive’s SEL programming. If your school/organization serves a majority of under-resourced youth and lacks funding for SEL initiatives, find out if you qualify at thinkgiveproject.org/fund.
