Mass General Brigham and the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children Collaborate to Expand Revere Youth Zone

Newly renovated Bright Space will provide Revere-area youth with a welcoming place to learn, connect and thrive

November 9, 2026 - Mass General Brigham and the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children today announced the opening of a new Bright Space at the Revere Youth Zone, expanding the longstanding after-school program's ability to offer local young people a safe, welcoming and engaging environment. The renovated space was made possible through grant funding provided by the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children. The signature program of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, Bright Spaces, provides safe, engaging, and fun environments for children to play and learn directly supporting non-profits like the Youth Zone and the children in their care.

Part of the Mass General Brigham Revere Community Health Center, the Youth Zone is a free after-school program serving Revere children and teens. For more than 25 years, the program has combined academic support with recreation, mentorships and activities, providing an accessible resource for local youth.

The need for that support continues to grow. The Youth Zone received more than 8,000 visits for the 2024-2025 school year, up from 6,700 the prior year. On average, 47 kids attend each month, compared to about 10 per month in the program's early days.

Many participants are referred to the program by Mass General Brigham pediatricians and staff, and may face poverty, food insecurity and inadequate housing.

The Bright Space was designed around the needs of the Youth Zone and includes dedicated calm space for students to work on homework and other school projects. The space builds on the Youth Zone's existing programming and reflects Mass General Brigham and the Bright Horizons' Foundation for Children's shared commitment to supporting young people and families.

"The creation of this Bright Space helps Youth Zone continue to fulfill our mission to empower Revere youth to thrive and live a vibrant future. Warm and welcoming spaces are critical to our program, and we're grateful to the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children for their belief in what we do and their support of young people in the Revere community," said Michael Lenson, program director of Youth Zone.

"Our goal with Bright Spaces is to give children the opportunities they deserve to develop resilience and form stronger bonds with their families and other caring adults. We strive to promote healing, offer nurturing and stimulating activities, and provide a stable, enriching environment for each child who walks through the door," said Yvonne Lynch, president of the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children.

Mass General Brigham and the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children will mark the opening of the Bright Space with a ribbon-cutting celebration on Wednesday, November 11 at 11:00 am at Youth Zone, 300 Broadway, Revere, MA.

About Mass General Brigham

Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic health care system, uniting great minds to solve the hardest problems in medicine for our communities and the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a nonprofit organization committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation's leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.

About the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children

The nonprofit arm of Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc., the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children envisions a better world in which all children, families, and communities have the opportunity to thrive. This vision is put into action by connecting the skills and talents of our Bright Horizons Family to the needs of their local communities. The signature program, Bright Spaces has been providing safe and comfortable places for children and families through local nonprofit partnerships since the Foundation's inception in 1999. For more information, please visit https://www.brighthorizonsfoundation.org.