Meet the Team: Wakefield Youth Action Team

Meet the 2024 YGPC Wakefield Youth Action Team from Wakefield High School and their two volunteer coaches, Ji Lim and AJ Lemarier!

Because the CDC’s 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results indicated that LGBTQ+ youth are quite vulnerable to risky behaviors, the Wakefield Youth Action Team aims to create a project that will help LGBTQ+ youth feel connected and supported by the school and community. They hope to achieve this by developing a fun and safe space for teens to hang out.

The Wakefield Youth Action Team had a youth team in the 2023 YGPC. In 2023, they were funded $1000 to provide mentorship and connections for students who are English Language Learners in middle school and high school.

Their coach, Ji Lim, is a seasoned IT professional with a rich career spanning various industries and organizations, from startups to tech giants. She currently serves as a Microsoft Data & AI Technology Strategist for management consulting firms. She is interested in giving back to the community and serving as a role model to be a positive influence on others. Ji enjoys having a front-row seat to witness the Wakefield Youth Action Team’s growth and achievements.

Their second coach is Aj Lemair, a dedicated financial planner. His passion for helping people stems from recognizing the immense difference a caring and knowledgeable advisor can make. He wants to support kids and young adults in the community as they learn valuable skills in developing a project, researching impact, and pitching their plans to investors. AJ wants to support future leaders by rounding out their experience.

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The goal of SCI’s Pitch Contest is to provide youth with the opportunity to decide how to strengthen their community while practicing valuable professional skills such as public speaking, project management, and community organizing. With the guidance and support of multiple professional volunteer coaches, each youth team will develop their project ideas and be in the driver’s seat of positive change. The youth teams will also have the opportunity to participate in skill-building workshops related to team collaboration, public speaking, and pitch development.

The Pitch program will culminate on April 6th, when SCI will host the in-person Pitch Event at the Microsoft NERD Center where $14,000 of grant funds will be awarded to at least 7 of our participating youth groups. Media are invited to attend the Pitch Event. Funded youth teams will have until November 2024 to complete their respective projects and submit a project impact report.

This project is supported by Kick It for a Cause, Winning Home, Inc., Gail O’Rourke, founder, Benefact4, Enterprise Bank, the AmeriCorps Agency, Massachusetts Service Alliance, and a Massachusetts state budget line item, thanks to the advocacy of State Senator Cindy Friedman. Major support for SCI Woburn is provided by Cummings Properties.