Bay Area Afterschool Pioneer to Retire

Martin Weinstein

By Sam Piha

Forty years ago, Martin Weinstein founded New Perspectives, a Marin-based youth drug & alcohol abuse prevention program. New Perspectives expanded to serve youth across the San Francisco Bay area and changed its name to Bay Area Community Resources (BACR). 

Marty pioneered school-based afterschool programs. He saw the importance of integrating mental health services by hiring staff with a counseling and social work background. He was also known for collaborating with other organizations in service delivery. (Note: Martin Weinstein helped launched my career in afterschool when he hired me in 1987. I worked for Marty for 8 years, managing BACR programs in the East Bay.)

Upon learning of his plans to retire, we interviewed Marty about his career and accomplishments, as well as other afterschool leaders, on his impact on the afterschool field. 

Q: Marty, what drew you to the field of youth prevention and positive development? 
A: In the early 1970s I decided I wanted to do something in my life that would benefit others, and I fortunately was given the opportunity to become the executive director of New Perspectives, which is now BACR. 

Q: Can you name one thing during your career that you were surprised by? 
A: I am surprised by the great careers built at BACR. Many of our staff make BACR their lifelong professional home.

Q: Was there an innovation you engineered that stands out to you? 
A: We created what is now known as an intermediary when AmeriCorps first started, and we are the longest running AmeriCorps program in California. Initially, the AmeriCorps agency didn't understand the value of this model.

Q: What is one of your fondest memories? 
A: I was visiting an afterschool program at an elementary school. The instructor was working with students on the concept of community. He asked the question, "how can we build a strong community?" A third-grade boy jumped up and said, "we gotta start doing push ups!" That is what I call a literal response.

Q: What are you most proud of? 
A: I am most proud of having had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people who have become both leaders in the field and dear friends of mine. 

Q: Looking ahead to the future of afterschool, what do you believe will be the challenges and opportunities? 
A: Recruiting and retaining high quality staff has become a significant challenge as a result of the cost structure of expanded learning programs. The opportunities in after school are great. We have the potential to totally and positively impact the lives of countless youth through the work of committed and passionate people working in our most vulnerable schools. 

"Over 25 years ago in the Bay Area, Marty became a mentor, then a collaborator, and most importantly, my friend. Marty is leaving an impressive legacy in California that has touched and changed thousands of lives. Mine included. I love and appreciate you, Marty!" - Michael Funk, Director, Afterschool Division, California Department of Education

Jennifer Peck

“It's hard to imagine BACR without Marty. He's been the steady, strategic, patient, driving force behind this organization for longer than most of us can remember. Marty has never veered from his mission, but always found ways to adjust and adapt based on community needs and remains a reliable, impactful force in so many communities. I am especially grateful for Marty's understanding of the importance of nonprofits serving kids and being active and engaged advocates at the local, state and federal level. Marty invested time and resources in advocacy coalitions that leveraged the strength of many other organizations, which made a real difference with AmeriCorps funding at the national level and ASES funding in California. Marty will certainly be missed, and he's leaving a solid organization with a great reputation. BACR will undoubtedly continue to be a huge asset in Bay Area communities.” – Jennifer Peck, Founder of Partnership for Children & Youth 

Don Lau

“I was introduced to Marty around 1986 by my YMCA's Y- Team Director, Alf Johnson. Marty and Alf had an idea to have the YMCA and New Perspectives (now BACR) partner on a prevention program targeting middle school students at risk of getting involved with "gateway" drugs. That was how the innovative Gateway Program was started by our two agencies. Gateway provided individual and group counseling, social services and recreation therapy. Each agency would provide services that were a part of their expertise. The Gateway Project was very successful in helping adolescents turn away from the drug and gang infested neighborhoods they lived in by exposing them to positive alternatives and giving them the tools needed to make good decisions. Gateway was an effective collaborative program model that was ahead of its time and I want to thank Marty for taking the risk with Alf and me to make it happen. All the best to you in your retirement Marty and hope you enjoy it as much as I do.” - Don Lau, former West Contra Costa YMCA, Executive Director & President/CEO YMCA of the East Bay

 

MORE ABOUT

Martin Weinstein is the Chief Executive Officer of Bay Area Community Resources and has been a leader within the organization and the community for over 40 years. With his guidance, BACR has developed into a dynamic and highly diversified nonprofit agency. Martin's professional history combines a solid theoretical background in business and a successful application in the social service arena. He holds an undergraduate degree from the Wharton School of Finance, University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from New York University.

Teens Advocating for Civic Engagement

By Guest Blogger John Fuentes

What happens when adult allies continue to make authentic youth voice a priority? When High school students in various leadership groups from San Diego to Oakland, CA speak truth to power? When technology becomes a resource for across state collaboration? When young people meet up in Sacramento to speak to legislators about the challenges they’re faced with and how afterschool funding supports overcoming some of these challenges? Answer: a $50M ASES increase with the support of our “TACA”(Teens Advocating for Civic Engagement) youth.

TACA started a little over a year ago when a group of CA3 (California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance) members discussed how powerful it would be to bring more youth voice to the front lines of civic action. Myself, Brad Lupien (ARC), Donny Faaliliu (L.A. All Stars) and Aleah Rosario (CalSac) spent some time during 2018/19 school year unpacking what TACA should look and feel like.

Once a month from October to May in the 2018/19 school year approximately 8 to 12 students from 5 High Schools representing ARC, L.A All-Stars and Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) got on a Zoom chat and discussed issues they were facing in their communities and what action steps they were taking to help resolve some of these issues. With the support of CalSac’s resource guides and the support from afterschool leadership staff, TACA students learned the difference between service and civic action. They learned more about local government and what issues the local officials were passionate about. This work helped support an informed dialogue between TACA students and their local and state officials.

Source: The LA All Stars

We found that the reoccurring challenges students were faced with in their communities were affordable housing, violence, suicide, and lack of equity in education. Whether students were attending JFK high school in southern California or Oakland Tech high school in the Bay Area, these issues were similar. Using Zoom video chats, TACA students had an opportunity to see, hear and learn from other students across the state and know that they were not alone doing work. Students shared ideas, action plans and goals for sustainability and systemic change.

TACA students expressed how cool it was to be able to connect with other students across the state, share their ideas and get feedback. How cool it was to see each other on a Zoom chat once a month and then meet in person for the first time in Sacramento; to know that they played a part in getting the $50M ASES increase because they shared their stories and mobilized.

Now, in year two, TACA has over 25 members from San Diego to Oakland, CA representing 14 high schools and 4 middle schools. Me, Brad, Donny and now Ayala Goldstein (CalSac) continue to support the TACA members as adult allies and coaches. This year TACA is made up of 1-2 students who are part of an existing afterschool leadership group and represent that group during our monthly Zoom chat meetings. The goal is for the two TACA representatives from each school site to join the monthly Zooms and share their learning with their peers and mobilize for Civic Action and change.

Source: ARC

Affordable housing, violence, and education continue to be pressing topics for our TACA youth and their peers and we will continue to support them with their Civic Action goals. We have a few new goals this year which include: Supporting with the 2020 Census, getting people registered to vote and once again showing up in Sacramento on March 9th and 10th for the California Afterschool and Summer Challenge.

If you want to see, hear and learn more about TACA, please check TACA out at this year’s BOOST Conference as they lead a workshop on Thursday April 30th, 3:45-5:30pm entitled "Student- Lead Campaign for Civic Engagement." You can also email me at john.fuentes@bacr.org or Ayala Goldstein at agoldstein@calsac.org
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John Fuentes is a program manager with Bay Area Community Resources in Oakland and Alameda. In addition, John is the lead facilitator for the “Heads Up” Saturday Leadership Academy program at Head Royce School in Oakland and an expanded learning quality support coach and trainer in the San Francisco Bay Area. John is a two-time Alameda Unified School District Salute to Education recipient and a 2018 Region 4-CDE Spotlight on Quality Award recipient.