About Watertown Youth Coalition
Our Mission
Watertown Youth Coalition’s mission is to support the wellness and empowerment of Watertown youth by engaging young people, families, and community.
Membership
Watertown Youth Coalition (WYC), overseen by the Wayside Multi-Service Center, is a community coalition of youth, parents, school, health, police, fire, town government representatives, social service and medical professionals, clergy, local business owners and community members – all of whom are committed to promoting healthy and positive lifestyles among Watertown youth. Find out how you can get involved>>
Current members include individuals from the following organizations:
Watertown Public Schools
Parent Teacher Organizations
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
Watertown Health Department
Watertown Police Department
Watertown Boys & Girls Club
Watertown Housing Authority
Watertown Town Council
Schneider Institute for Health Policy at Brandeis University
Staff
Laura Kurman, MA, LMFT, CPS
Senior Program Director of Watertown/Wayside Multi-Service Center
Laura oversees prevention, education and outreach programs. She has over 30 years of substance abuse prevention experience in a supervisory capacity and has been awarded multiple state and federal public health grants focused on prevention, youth development and health and wellness promotion. She is an experienced psychotherapist and holds a license in Marriage and Family Therapy and is a Certified Prevention Specialist
Stephanie Sunderland-Ramsey
WYC Program Coordinator
Stephanie has been Program Coordinator for the Watertown Youth Coalition at Wayside Multi-Service Center since October of 2000. Stephanie’s passion for working with youth started when she was an adolescent herself, teaching art classes at the local Boys & Girls Club. After receiving a degree in Psychology at University of Massachusetts, Stephanie has consistently focused on psycho-educational and prevention programming. She is pleased to work in the Watertown community where she collaborates with youth and other adults who are also focused on the health of youth in the community. Stephanie’s favorite activities are Pilates, running, reading and excursions with her children.
Christina Lupica
Youth Engagement Specialist, WYC Peer Leadership Advisor
Christina started at Wayside’s Multi-Service Center in September 2022. As the Youth Engagement Specialist, Christina collaborates with Watertown High Schoolers through the Watertown Youth Coalition Peer Leadership Program. The goals of this collective are to facilitate discussions about substance use and positive coping strategies in order to create constructive campaigns and events for the Watertown community. In addition to her work with the Watertown Peer Leaders, Christina has been working closely with Watertown Middle and High Schools to develop and implement wellness groups for 6-12th graders who are at risk for substance use, currently using, or wish to reduce their usage. These wellness groups are currently offered during the school day at the middle school and as an after school program at the high school. Christina looks forward to growing this program throughout the upcoming schoolyear. For more information on programming, email Christina at Christina_Lupica@waysideyouth.org .
Funding
Watertown Youth Coalition is currently funded and supported by:
Massachusetts Department of Public Health – Bureau of Substance Addiction Services
U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and Center for Mental Health Services
Watertown Community Foundation
Town of Watertown Watertown Public Schools
Wayside Multi-Service Center