History

Founded in 1988, Roca is committed to serving the most disenfranchised and disengaged young people ages 14-24 (street/court/gang involved; drop-outs; young parents; and refugee and immigrants) in the Greater Boston area including the communities of Chelsea, Revere, East Boston, and Springfield, MA. Through transformational relationships (intensive relationship building), Roca helps young people re-engage in society - moving them into educational, employment, and life skills programming.

Launched from a single grant from the Teen Challenge Fund of Massachusetts, a passionate group of young people and adults started Roca to address teen pregnancy prevention and violence in Chelsea. Roca has helped more than 25,000 young people make positive, profound changes in their lives, creating a nationally acclaimed model of transformational relationships as a vehicle for youth development, and pioneering effective local, regional, and national relationships with government, state, religious, health, and community partners in Chelsea, Revere, East Boston and Springfield.