MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO DESIGN AND CONDUCT DISPARITY STUDY

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO DESIGN AND CONDUCT DISPARITY STUDY

Disparity study will serve as the foundation for future equity-based policies, building on Mayor Walsh's 2016 Inclusion and Equity Agenda

BOSTON - Wednesday, October 11, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the City of Boston has released a  request for proposals (RFP) to provide technical and administrative support for the development of a citywide disparity study. The RFP seeks a consultant to work with the Mayor's Office of Economic Development to design and conduct a disparity study in an effort to identify and address gaps, and ultimately strengthen the City's procurement practices across all departments and provide an enhanced platform for future equity-based policies. "Equity is not only essential to achieving a just society, but it's also a strategic imperative for our economy," said Mayor Walsh. "This study, along with the tools at our disposal, will allow us to provide leadership in equitable procurement opportunities and enact policies that will help Bostonians grow small businesses, gain training and better access to good jobs, and create wealth." The consultant will design and conduct a study to examine the extent to which disparities exists in the City's utilization of qualified minority and women-owned enterprises (MWBEs) as contractors and subcontractors, through departmental procurement practices, and of qualified female and minority workers and their work on City construction projects and on large City-assisted construction projects. Once complete, the study will give City leaders a more formal understanding of the marketplace of companies eligible to provide goods and services and who can contract with the City. "With the Imagine Boston 2030 plan laid out and implementation strategies underway, we will continue to prioritize raising ladders of opportunity for all residents as Boston's economy transforms and grows," said John Barros, Chief of Economic Development. "This study is on course with the Walsh Administration's track record of creating pathways for upward economic mobility and serve as the foundation for the City's future equity-based policies." This study will build on progress made through the City's Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda , which helps policymakers strengthen or adjust current policy to further remedy disparities, and implement strategies outlined in Imagine Boston 2030, the first City-wide plan in over 50 years. The study will also complement current initiatives the City is taking to provide pathways to quality careers and strengthen wealth-building policies, notably cross-certification  to streamline certification for minority and women owned businesses with the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, increased targets for the Boston Residents Job Policy, and  small business technical assistance and lending programs. The downloadable version of the RFP is available here. A Proposers' Conference to answer any questions will be held Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 2:30 p.m, in the BPDA Board Room on the 9th Floor of City Hall. Responses will be due no later than 12:00 p.m. on Friday, November 3, 2017. About the Mayor's Office of Economic Development The Economic Development Cabinet's mission is to make Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shares prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for all Bostonians and the experience for all visitors. Learn more on their website.

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TRANSFERS SOUND ARCHIVES COLLECTION TO INTERNET ARCHIVE FOR DIGITIZATION, PRESERVATION, AND PUBLIC ACCESS

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY TRANSFERS SOUND ARCHIVES COLLECTION TO INTERNET ARCHIVE FOR DIGITIZATION, PRESERVATION, AND PUBLIC ACCESS

BOSTON – October 11, 2017 – Boston Public Library has approved the transfer of significant holdings from its Sound Archives Collection to the Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library offering permanent access to historical collections for researchers, historians, and the general public. This project will catalog and digitize a major component of the BPL’s Sound Archives Collection, which will be available where rights allow to all for free online upon the project’s completion. The BPL Sound Archives Collection contains the Library’s collection of non-circulating commercial sound recordings in a variety of historical formats, including 78 rpms and LPs. The collection includes American popular music of many genres, including classical, pop, rock, jazz, and opera from the early 1900s on the 78 rpms and through the 1980s on the LPs. The collection has remained in its current state for several decades, in storage, uncataloged and inaccessible to the public.

“Through this innovative collaboration, the Internet Archive will bring significant portions of these sound archives online and to life in a way that we couldn’t do alone, and we are thrilled to have this historic collection curated and cared for by our longtime partners for all to enjoy going forward,” said David Leonard, President of the Boston Public Library.

“Boston Public Library is once again leading in providing public access to their holdings. Their Sound Archive includes hillbilly music, early brass bands, and accordion recordings from the turn of the last century, offering an authentic audio portrait of how America sounded a century ago,” said Brewster Kahle, Founder and Digital Librarian of the Internet Archive. “Every time I walk through BPL’s doors, I’m inspired to read what is carved above it:  ‘Free to All.’”

The 78 rpm records from the BPL’s Sound Archives Collection fit into the Internet Archive’s larger initiative called The Great 78 Project. This community effort seeks to digitize all 3 million minted sides (~3 minute recordings) published on 78 rpm discs from about 1898 to the 1950s, supporting the preservation, research and discovery of 78 rpm records. While commercially viable recordings will have been restored or remastered onto LP’s or CD, significant research value exists in the remaining artifacts among the often rare 78rpm discs and recordings. To date, over 20 collections have been selected by the Internet Archive for physical and digital preservation and access. Started by many volunteer collectors, these new collections have been selected, digitized, and preserved by the Internet Archive,  George Blood LP, and the Archive of Contemporary Music.

“The simple fact of the matter is most audiovisual recordings will be lost,” says George Blood, an internationally renowned expert on audio preservation. “These 78s are disappearing right and left. It is important that we do a good job preserving what we can get to, because there won't be a second chance.”

Boston Public Library began working with the Internet Archive in 2007, and it is one of two digital partners-in-residence at the Central Library in Copley Square. The Internet Archive includes texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages, and also provides specialized services for adaptive reading and information access for the blind and other persons with disabilities. The Internet Archive scans and digitizes select bound materials for Boston Public Library, including the John Adams Library, one of the BPL’s Collections of Distinction.

麻大醫學院獲捐款1000萬元 成立李偉波罕見病研究院

李偉波(右)。(圖片來自麻大醫學院網站)

(Boston Orange 周菊子整理報導) 麻州大學醫學院今(10)日正式宣布，成立"李偉波罕見病研究院(The Li WeiboInstitute for Rare Disease Research)，另設最高資助5名生物醫學博士研究生的獎學金。

高冠平教授(右)。(圖片來自麻大醫學院網站)

中國深圳萬利加集團主席李偉波今年六月訪問波士頓，參觀了哈佛大學和麻省理工學院的納米研究中心，以及Zena，STAtech兩家公司。他同時也和麻州大學醫學院校長柯林斯(Michael Collins)晤談。

李偉波在一份聲明中表示，柯林斯校長所介紹的該校實驗室的進展情況，令他印象深刻，因而決定捐款1000萬元，在麻大醫學院成立罕見病研究院，並另外捐款75萬元，設立一個每年頒發，最多發給5名生物醫學系博士研究生的獎學金。

李偉波是在2013年時成立了”李偉波慈善基金會”，支持生物醫學研究及教育。他計畫把一半身家捐給這基金會。

麻州大學醫學院表示，目前世界上大約有7000種罕見病，影響了大約20萬人的身體健康。該院的工作和李偉波自己想要資助罕見病研究的心願不謀而合。

李偉波罕見病研究院將在麻大醫學院已有的基因療法，RNA生物學，以及RNAI科技等基礎上，進一步發展。

李偉波表示，在很近的將來，在全球科研領域，在生物醫學及人類健康上的研究，都將有飛躍進展。他的希望就是參與，並推廣生物醫學研究。

          這是麻州大學醫學院有史以來收到的最大一筆捐款，在麻州多所大學陸續收到鉅額捐款之際，麻大醫學院深感欣喜。本地獲得大額捐款的學校包括麻省理工學院(MIT)在6月時收到一億四千萬元，哈佛大學商學院在九月時收到一億兩千五百萬元，波士頓大學在九月時收到一億一千五百萬元。

          根據麻州大學醫學院網站，”李偉波罕見病研究院”將由在基因療法上卓有成就的高冠平(譯音，Guangping Gao)，以及Michael Green擔任共同主任。

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Statement on Trump Administration’s Immigration Principles

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Statement on Trump Administration’s Immigration Principles

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) and CAPAC Immigration Task Force Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) released the following statements in response to the Trump Administration’s immigration principles released earlier this week:

Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), CAPAC Chair:

“The Trump Administration’s reprehensible immigration principles are filled with poison pills that are a complete non-starter for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. DREAMers are deeply woven into the fabric of our nation, and we will not allow these young people to be used as bargaining chips to further the President’s xenophobic agenda.

“By offering a partisan proposal that uses tax payer dollars to fund a divisive border wall, attacks sanctuary cities, targets refugee children, and makes drastic changes to our legal immigration system, President Trump has signaled that he is willing to derail the bipartisan, bicameral progress that we have made in Congress simply to appease his anti-immigrant base.

“This is unacceptable. I urge Donald Trump to return to the serious negotiating position he adopted previously. That means dropping his outrageously xenophobic demands and instead working with the House and Senate in good faith to pass a clean DREAM Act that will enable our nation’s DREAMers to come out of the shadows, earn a path to citizenship, and continue to contribute to the only country they call home.”

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), CAPAC Immigration Task Force Chair:

“Let me be clear – the only thing on the table is passing a clean Dream Act and protecting the 1.5 million young people who would be eligible for relief. President Trump’s immigration wishlist is a white supremacist’s dream. At a time when the future of 800,000 young people hangs in the balance, it is unacceptable for the President to bring forth restrictionist rhetoric that sets us back decades.

“Instead of trying to ram through inhumane immigration policies, including building a border wall and cracking down on refugee children, we should first look at protecting these brave young people. These cruel and unreasonable demands will derail the future of any bipartisan fix to DACA.

“President Trump must understand one thing: Immigrants built this country, they are woven into the American fabric, and they are here to stay. I call on my Republican colleagues to reject these poison pills and work with us to pass a clean Dream Act.”

MAYOR WALSH HIGHLIGHTS INVESTMENTS IN BOSTON'S OPEN SPACE, JOINS 127 MAYORS PARTICIPATING IN WALK TO A PARK CAMPAIGN

MAYOR WALSH HIGHLIGHTS INVESTMENTS IN BOSTON'S OPEN SPACE, JOINS 127 MAYORS PARTICIPATING IN WALK TO A PARK CAMPAIGN

Ninety eight percent of Bostonians live within a 10 minute walk of a park

BOSTON - Tuesday, October 10, 2017 - As part of the national Walk to A Park campaign, which calls for all Americans to live within a 10-minute walk of a high-quality park or green space, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today celebrated Boston's success in establishing that 98 percent of Bostonians live within a 10 minute walk of a park, and reaffirmed the City of Boston's commitment to continue creating and maintaining high-quality parks that are accessible and equitable. The campaign is organized by The Trust for Public Land, National Recreation and Park Association and Urban Land Institute, and has the support of 127 mayors across the country. "With over 2,300 acres of parks and open spaces, Boston has a rich history of working to provide high quality parks to all of our residents," said Mayor Walsh. "We know the benefits of having every one of our residents live within walking distance to a park, and we are proud to join cities around America to launch today's 10-Minute Walk campaign." The mayors participating in the campaign are from all across the country and represent cities large and small, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston. The U.S. Conference of Mayors, which represents more than 1,000 U.S mayors, also unanimously passed a resolution at the 85th Annual Meeting urging all mayors to actively pursue the 10-minute walk to a park goal. Last year, Mayor Walsh announced Parks First, a comprehensive initiative ensuring Boston's open spaces are among the nation's most accessible and equitable. To date, the Walsh Administration has increased the Parks Department's operating funding by $4.1 million or 23 percent, and has renovated 76 parks since 2014. In recognizing the importance of creating parks that are inclusive in design, Mayor Walsh has created robust budgets for park renovations at Martin's Park in the Seaport and Smith Playground in Allston, both of which will be fully accessible to children of all ability levels. Last week, Mayor Walsh joined Harvard President Drew Faust in the groundbreaking celebration on the $6.5 million public-private investment at Smith Field. The $6.5 million renovation will include improvements to the playground and sports fields, as well as the construction of walking paths, a splash pond, a street hockey court, and a spacious amphitheater which will allow for various performances throughout the year. Plans also call for increased opportunities to display public art and several street improvements along Western Avenue. The new amphitheater will be named after General George Casey, an Allston native and war hero who died while serving in Vietnam. The project is expected to be completed in In August, Mayor Walsh joined Governor Baker and members of the Richard Family, Smith Family Foundation and Barr Foundation for the official groundbreaking for Martin's Park in the Seaport. The project honors Martin W. Richard, the youngest victim of the Boston Marathon bombings. When completed, the park will provide an inclusive space for children, families, and visitors of all abilities to learn, grow and play. Its central location will draw a high volume of residents and visitors and connect with the existing plaza at the Boston Children's Museum. Other investments include: An investment in the 45 acre Harambee Park will include environmental improvements, pedestrian pathways, field renovations, a playground renovation and entrance improvements transforming Harambee into a premier example of community-led comprehensive planning. Mayor Walsh has committed $28 million from the sale of the Winthrop Square garage to augment the current historic levels of investment in Boston Common to fully renovate America's First Park. A major tourist destination, cultural beacon and neighborhood park, Boston Common is one of the most treasured green spaces in the world. This investment will ensure future generations will enjoy the park in its full vibrancy. In addition, Mayor Walsh has committed $28 million from the sale of the Winthrop Square garage for Franklin Park to fully renovate Boston's largest park, which borders multiple neighborhoods. These improvements, combined with the current master planning of Moakley Park. "Everyone deserves to have a park within a 10-minute walk," said Adrian Benepe, Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development for The Trust for Public Land. "As our research shows, more than 100 million Americans currently don't have access to the countless benefits parks provide. These mayors deserve enormous credit for endorsing the 10-minute walk and supporting the principle that parks are a right, not a privilege -- and that everyone deserves access to high-quality public parks and open green spaces. I hope more mayors will sign on, and I encourage all citizens to urge their elected leaders to prioritize park access and quality." Studies show that high-quality parks provide a wide range of benefits to urban residents and cities themselves. These include physical and mental health benefits, by providing opportunities to be physically active and to interact with nature; economic benefits by boosting business and helping to revitalize neighborhoods; community-building benefits by providing opportunities for neighbors to interact with each other and work together to improve their surroundings; and environmental benefits by cleaning and cooling the air, improving climate resilience, and providing opportunities for environmental education. "On issues from climate change to infrastructure development, U.S. mayors have shown that cities can lead. Mayors aren't waiting on Washington; they are acting boldly and independently. Urban leaders have declared that parks are a priority, and mayors have joined together in this historic campaign to ensure that everyone has access to a high-quality park," said Barbara Tulipane, president and chief executive officer of the National Recreation and Park Association. Imagine Boston 2030, Boston's first citywide plan in over 50 years, outlines a vision to create a vibrant open space network citywide by strengthening Franklin Park and the Boston Common as keystone parks for the city, and creating new open spaces along Boston's waterfront. More information on Imagine Boston 2030 can be found here. A full list of mayor's participating in the Walk to a Park campaign can be found at 10minutewalk.org. For more information on Mayor Walsh's parks investments, please visit here.

昆士市不分區市議員雙語候選人論壇 10/11 舉行

JOIN US TOMORROW FOR THE BILINGUAL COUNCILOR-AT-LARGE FORUM The 2017 Councilor-at-Large candidates bilingual forum is coming up. This is an opportunity for you to get to know the candidates and listen to them speak about the issues that affect you. When: TOMORROW (Wednesday 10/11/2017) from 6:00-7:30pm Where: North Quincy High School (316 Hancock Street, North Quincy 02171) Why attend the City Councilor-At-Large candidates forum? Invest in Quincy’s future, education, property tax, public safety, and more Understand the candidate’s background and platforms Make an informed choice and vote on Tuesday, 11/7/2017 Please spread the word, bring your friends and family members to support the Quincy community and raise your issues and concerns. 為什麼要出席昆士不分區市議員候選人論壇？ 關心昆士的將來、教育、地稅、公共安全等？ 清楚候選人的背景和政綱 知道在11月7日（星期二）投誰一票 您的一票使昆士的明天會更好，請出席昆士不分區市議員候選人論壇，每一票都計算在內

Baker-Polito Administration Announces First-In-The-Nation Education Principles for Social Worker Education

Baker-Polito Administration Announces First-In-The-Nation Education Principles for Social Worker Education

Core principles address addiction and opioid treatment training at all Massachusetts schools of social work

BOSTON  – The Baker-Polito Administration announced a first-in-the-nation set of educational core principles for social workers, the largest force on the front lines of the opioid crisis.  The Social Work Education Core Principles for the Prevention and Management of Substance Misuse are designed to ensure that the 4,300 social work students enrolled in Massachusetts are equipped with the knowledge and skills vital to effectively combat addiction. Governor Charlie Baker was joined at the State House by Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders, Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, Mental Health Commissioner Joan Mikula, and deans and program managers from the nine schools of social work at a meeting to formalize the principles.

“We are proud to partner with all of the Commonwealth’s schools of social work to ensure the next generation of providers is exceptionally well prepared to prevent and treat substance misuse,” said Governor Baker. “This agreement will help Massachusetts continue the progress we made two years ago when we became the first state in the nation to require medical and dental schools to train their students in substance misuse prevention and care.”

“Massachusetts’ 4,300 social workers are on the front lines of battling the opioid epidemic every day,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “These principles will help ensure future social workers can implement life-saving strategies so that fewer families have to experience this devastating disease.”

The Baker-Polito Administration has increased annual spending for substance misuse prevention and treatment by 50 percent, not including MassHealth initiatives that expand access to residential treatment and evidence-based care for the state’s most vulnerable populations.  The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and the deans and program directors of the Commonwealth’s nine graduate schools of social work are the latest to partner with the Commonwealth on this groundbreaking effort to provide future generations of social workers with educational training to prevent and treat substance misuse.

“Almost every front line social worker will engage with a client struggling with substance use disorder or a family with a loved one struggling over the course of their career. They must be equipped with the best clerical tools to help clients navigate a path to treatment and recovery,” said Secretary Sudders. ``We are appreciative of the deans for their commitment to increasing their students’ understanding of the serious impact of opioid misuse.’’

“This is the latest chapter in our ongoing efforts to advance the education and awareness of those who serve on the front lines of helping people affected by the opioid epidemic,’’ said Commissioner Bharel. ``The commitment of our schools of social work strengthens a partnership that has created a sea change in the education of our health and human services workforce in Massachusetts in addressing substance use disorders.’’

As part of the agreement, each of the nine schools of social work will incorporate addiction education and training into their curriculum in the form and manner most appropriate for the institution, guided by the core principles. The nine schools of social work include Boston College, Boston University, Bridgewater State University, Salem State University, Simmons College, Smith College, Springfield College, Westfield State University, and Wheelock College.

These schools of social work now join medical schools, community health centers, and nursing, physician assistant and dental schools, in emphasizing substance use disorder education that already has touched more than 8,500 students in the Commonwealth.

“It is essential that we partner with the social work community to train students how to screen, treat, and care for individuals at high-risk for substance misuse and those already with the disease,” said Commissioner Mikula. “Addressing the underlying behavioral and emotional of needs of individuals will greatly aid in their path to recovery.”

CORE PRINCIPLES FOR

THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT

OF SUBSTANCE MISUSE

In the appropriate setting, using recommended and evidence-based methodologies, with a clear understanding of the cultural contexts of the individuals they serve, the graduating social work student should demonstrate the independent ability and/or knowledge to:

• Primary Prevention Domain – Preventing Substance Misuse: Screening, Evaluation, and Prevention

1.     Demonstrate an understanding of evidence-based prevention techniques and strategies, including community assessment, the use of data to inform prevention efforts, a focus on risk and protective factors for substance misuse, and other approaches consistent with the Strategic Prevention Framework and other evidence-based strategies.

2.     Assess a person’s risk for substance use disorders by utilizing age-, gender-, and culturally and linguistically-appropriate communication, screening, and assessment methodologies, supplemented with relevant available information, including (but not limited to) family history, co-occurring mental health disorders (especially depression, anxiety disorders, and PTSD), and environmental indicators.

3.     Demonstrate an awareness of how to inform individuals about the risks associated with substance misuse and the neurobiology of addiction, and to coach them about available resources, such as pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment options, including opioid and non-opioid pharmacologic treatments for acute and chronic pain management.

• Secondary Prevention Domain – Caring for Individuals At-Risk for Substance Use Disorders: Engaging Individuals in Safe, Informed, and Person-Centered Care

4.     Demonstrate an understanding of the substance use disorder treatment and recovery supports system, and how to appropriately refer individuals to their primary care physician, substance use intervention and treatment services, mental health specialists, community-based supports, and/or pain specialists for consultation and collaboration.

5.     Demonstrate the ability to complete a multi-dimensional contextual assessment inclusive of substance use and its interaction with symptoms of mental illness, which informs treatment and recovery support recommendations across the continuum of care.

6.     Articulate the foundational skills in person-centered counseling and behavior change, consistent with evidence-based techniques, including motivational interviewing, harm reduction, relapse prevention, and brief intervention skills.

·       Tertiary Prevention Domain - Managing Substance Use Disorders as a Chronic Disease: Eliminate Stigma and Build Awareness of Social Determinants

7.     Recognize the risk factors for, and signs of, opioid overdose and demonstrate the correct use of naloxone (Narcan) rescue.

8.     Recognize substance use disorders as a chronic disease that affects individuals and families physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. Importantly, substance use affects pregnancies and parent-child relationships.  Addiction  can be treated and recovered from with effective assessment, referral, community supports, and inter-professional collaboration.

9.     Recognize and assess their own and societal stigmas and biases against individuals suffering from substance use disorders and associated evidence-based medication-assisted treatment to work toward eliminating stigma.

Identify and incorporate relevant information regarding health inequities, current and historical drug policies, criminal justice practices, and related forms of systemic oppression into planning how to support individuals in the management of their substance use disorder, and recognize that in order to have a better chance at recovery, an individual’s basic needs must be met, including safe and stable housing, primary health care, mental health care, and access to ongoing support services as needed.

波士頓駐市藝術家即起接受本年度申請

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES THIRD YEAR OF BOSTON'S ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM, ARTIST APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED

BOSTON - Tuesday, October 10, 2017 - Building on the commitments made in the Boston Creates Cultural Plan to ensure arts are integrated into all aspects of civic life, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that applications are now being accepted for the third round of the Boston Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program. The deadline to apply is November 5, 2017.   Boston AIR brings together artists, community members and City of Boston employees to collaborate at the intersection of civil service, social justice and artistic practice to explore and reframe critical social conversations. Grounded in community, artists work to explore the ways art and artistic inquiry can be used to improve and bolster City initiatives and incorporate social and civic practice into government and community work. "The Boston Artist in Residence programs helps us enhance and integrate the vast cultural capital of our city into our core services, for the benefit of all of Boston's residents," said Mayor Walsh. "We are excited to kick off year three, this time with a focus on resiliency and racial equity, key priorities for the city." The Resilient Boston Strategy, issued in July of 2017, will provide the overarching policy framing for the third round of Boston AIR. The strategy outlines a pathway for Boston to be an equitable, connected city where all residents are connected to each other and to their city through resilient approaches to growth that benefits all families, regardless of their race, class, or neighborhood. "This year, Boston AIR will be a hybrid of the past two residency years. Once again, we are partnering with Boston Centers for Youth & Families, an effort that will continue to ground each residency in the local community and meet the needs of Boston residents," said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts & Culture for the City of Boston. "At the same time, we are asking artists to connect their residency to one of Mayor Walsh's key priorities.  We are excited to see what they come up with." In the third year, artists can apply as an individual or as an artist collective, with up to three artists working together and sharing responsibilities for the work. A total of six artists or collectives will be selected for the third year of the Boston AIR program. An Artist Selection Committee will be comprised of representatives from the City of Boston and local arts professionals. The artist cohort will include a mix of artistic disciplines and experience. The successful artists or collectives will demonstrate a strong, clear artistic vision, organizational experience and firsthand knowledge of cultures and/or communities in Boston. The 2018 Artists in Residence program will officially begin in January 2018 and continue through December 2018. There will be an informational webinar for applicants on Thursday October 26, 7-8 PM. To learn more about Boston AIR or to apply, visit www.boston.gov/boston-air. Last month, Mayor Walsh announced the successful completion of projects created by the second cohort of Boston AIR artists. The projects represented varying arts disciplines, from printmaking to sculpting and more, and build on Mayor Walsh's commitment to implementing Boston Creates. For more information on those projects, click here. "With Boston AIR, the city of Boston has launched a program from which every city could benefit. It provides financial and structural support to solidify and expand the role of the arts in place making within a community, paying artists directly and providing a stipend," said artist-in-residence Cornell Coley, who participated in the second cohort of Boston AIR. "Personally, I have been able to bring the healing properties of community drumming to youth and families, to support local businesses and to further develop my own art form. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive." The Boston Creates Cultural Plan helped inform Imagine Boston 2030, Boston's first citywide plan in over 50 years. Imagine Boston 2030 is a comprehensive vision to boost quality of life, equity and resilience in every neighborhood across the city. Both plans lay out a strategic framework to support Boston's artists and work to attract new artists, integrate arts and cultural into all aspects of civic life, align public and private resources to strengthen our cultural vitality, and more. To learn more about Imagine Boston 2030, please visit here.