Mission Statement

TURN IT AROUND aims to educate and empower Charlestown’s youth to find their passions and reach their full potential - using community service, art, sports, civic engagement, social justice, poetry, music, film, theatre, and even the outdoors as vehicles for engagement and discovery.

Our annual community events include:

  • Youth basketball tournaments
  • Prevention assemblies
  • Peace walks
  • Neighborhood revitalization projects
  • Prescription drug take-back events
  • BBQ and resource fairs
  • Holiday parade & strolls
  • Clothing drive give-backs
  • Volunteering at the BHA Family Fun Day
  • Teaching LifeSkills to youth at the Boys and Girls Club
  • Lessons about MLK and Civil Rights and more!

Additional events and workshops are focused solely on building up member protective factors and include:

  • Spoken word poetry workshops
  • Nutrition lessons
  • Personal finance presentations
  • Trips to RMV to get MA IDs
  • Therapeutic painting
  • Resume and job search assistance
  • Stress reduction techniques
  • Prevention month photo contest

Turn It Around Junior

We are overjoyed to announce the expansion of TURN IT AROUND into TIA JR, programming for youth in 5th-8th grade. This programming began in Fall of 2022, and is run by TURN IT AROUND Alum Zaire Richardson and Program Coordinator Mswati Hanks.

TIA JR was created as an offshoot of TURN IT AROUND in order to build community, teach life skills, and invest in the young people of Charlestown. Similar to the mission of TURN IT AROUND, the overall goal is to educate and empower Charlestown’s youth to find their passions and reach their full potential!

Turn It Around 2022 Throwback Photos: