Exploring Early Childhood Education at East Boston Social Centers

Experience is truly hands-on for the three PIC interns at East Boston Social Centers, a nonprofit organization that provides programming for children and seniors in the East Boston neighborhood. With their days spent playing with dolls or calming finicky toddlers, these students are learning firsthand about the joys and challenges of early childhood education. 

Michele D’Ambrosio, Director of the Early Learners program, appreciates the help that the high school students provide in the classroom, especially after Covid-19. “Since the pandemic,” she says, “There’s been a lot of increases with social-emotional needs and children needing one-on-one [attention]. So, we assign some of the teens to shadow certain children to engage them in exploration play.” Some of the students’ responsibilities include helping with learning centers and outdoor activities and modeling appropriate behavior for children at mealtimes. 

Xzavien Larrama didn’t expect to intern in the field of early childhood education, but after receiving a placement at an elementary school last summer, he realized that he enjoyed working with children. Larrama, a rising senior at East Boston High School, says, “I wanted to stay working with kids, because I loved it, honestly. It was very fun. I got to be a kid myself.” This summer, he aids the Early Learner’s program for children ages 2 months to 5 years old at East Boston Social Centers. 

Fellow rising senior at East Boston High School Jason Marquina also finds working with children inspiring—so much so that he’s been interning at East Boston Social Centers for two years. He says, “I’ve learned that every kid has their own personality, and they’re all different. They’re not all the same. So maybe one kid might like something, and then another kid doesn’t like it. You have to be different with every kid.”  

As Marquina has discovered, working in early childhood education has helped interns to bring their social skills to the next level. Learning how to deal with different personalities and moods can be difficult—especially with young children—but it is also a valuable skill that will transfer to any field or career. Larrama finds the fun in the challenge of interacting with children, saying, “Every kid is a little different. But once you figure out how to work with them, it becomes a little easier.” 

In addition to learning about early childhood education and developing social skills, the interns have also strengthened valuable life skills. Larrama says, “I’ve been able to build a resume. I’ve been able to have more experiences. I’ve also been a little bit more in touch with my finances. Because that’s going to be a huge thing as an adult.”  Like Larrama, Marquina has also learned the valuable skill of budgeting—he saved up to buy his first car with his earnings. 

As professional educators, the supervisors at East Boston Social Centers expect quality work but also understand that the interns are still children themselves. Stacey Villeda, Director of the Thriving Teens program, hopes that the organization can become a safe place for student interns. She says, “There’s someone here who is expecting them at a certain time. There’s someone here who is happy to see them, to talk to them, to ask them about their day whether that’s one of the directors, one of the site coordinators, or one of the children that they work with.”  

For Larrama and Marquina, East Boston Social Centers is truly a welcoming and informative environment; they both intend on continuing working into the school year. Although Larrama aims to have a career in architecture, he believes the skills he’s learned from his internship will prepare him for his next steps. He says, “Overall, it feels like I’ve gotten a head start. I have a lot of support and a lot of connections. I think it’s great to start early as well as with PIC.” 

We would like to extend our gratitude to Liberty Mutual, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and the NBT Charitable Trust for generously sponsoring intern placements in community-based organizations.

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