Hyde Square Task Force

Hyde Square Task Force is a youth development nonprofit in Jamaica Plain’s Hyde and Jackson Square area, now known as Boston’s Latin Quarter. Its mission is to nurture and amplify the voices, creativity and power of young people by grounding them in Afro-Latin culture so they can advance justice in their communities. It works mostly with Latinx, immigrant and first-generation college-going youth, and programs combine arts, academics and civic engagement.

Neighbors and local leaders formed HSTF in the 1980s to address growing violence in the Hyde/Jackson neighborhood. Its Jóvenes en Acción (Youth in Action) program builds cultural competency through Afro-Latin art, while Caminos: College and Career Pathways and a College Success Program help young people plan life after high school and earn a degree. Youth also take part in advocacy, organizing and creative place-making work, including efforts to develop the Latin Quarter as a cultural district.

What to Know

• The organization’s mission statement is published in both English and Spanish.
• Its guiding values include belonging, creativity, justice, community, owning it and love.
• It is listed with Three Squares Main Street.