MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES $5,600,000 IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT CHILD CARE CENTERS AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS’ ACCESS TO EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMMING

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES $5,600,000 IN AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT CHILD CARE CENTERS AND ESSENTIAL WORKERS’ ACCESS TO EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMMING

BOSTON - Thursday, November 17, 2022 - Today Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor's Office of Early Childhood announced the recipients of grants totaling $5,600,000 from the Essential Worker and Stimulus and Stability Funds. These grants are part of Boston’s equitable and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic specifically through supporting child care centers and essential workers who work non-traditional hours. These programs are funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). “Investing in a robust and accessible childcare system is an investment in our collective future,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “With this grant, we can support childcare centers to expand their services for our essential workers, and provide better opportunities for childcare workers who serve as the backbone of youth development.”  Essential Worker Childcare Fund The strain on our child care system created by the pandemic has made it even more difficult for parents and caregivers who work outside of the traditional 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. work day to find care for their young children. Recipients of the Essential Worker Childcare Fund presented a clear plan to increase the number of childcare providers who offer non-traditional hours for essential workers including hospital, construction and education workers who are helping Boston recover from the COVID 19 pandemic. The fund's grantees - Building Pathways, Community Labor United and SEIU Education and Support Fund - will recruit center or family child care providers who will agree to provide early and late care and match them with essential workers who need that care.   "As a single mother who struggled to make ends meet and find suitable childcare, I understand the importance of having accessible, affordable, and reliable childcare services,” said City Councilor Julia Mejia. “Our office is incredibly proud to have worked in partnership with the coalition and administration to secure one million dollars to ensure that our childcare providers and non-traditional workers receive the assistance they need. This investment will be a game changer for both workers and providers and it's the boost that our economy needs as we continue to work toward recovering from the pandemic."  Stimulus and Stability Fund As essential workers, child care workers have been on the front lines of balancing health and safety with the needs of families for child care during the pandemic. Due to these additional stressors, the sector has faced extensive retirements and staff loss to other jobs with higher wages in the retail sector. Another result of historically low wages, while other sectors have recovered more fully following COVID, child care centers continue to face severe staffing shortages. Stimulus and Stability grantees will provide immediate compensation relief to child care workers by providing higher wages, hiring and retention bonuses, and other compensation incentives. In addition, grant recipients will work on addressing years of low wages and compensations. Each will receive training and technical assistance to develop a compensation plan for their organization that raises teacher pay to a minimum of $22 per hour by 2025 and provides a sustainability plan for maintaining those wages. The 21 grantees represent 55 centers in 14 neighborhoods across Boston. Collectively, they are licensed to serve 4815 children ages newborn to five. These funds will ensure that they are able to staff classrooms at capacity and return to pre-COVID hours. “I’m proud to have led the Boston City Council’s approval of this transformational investment in childcare for Boston’s families,” said Councilor Kenzie Bok. “Through these funds, we are investing in better pay, benefits, and licensure for thousands of childcare workers across our city. The long-term fruits of these federal funds will be more sustainable high-quality childcare options for all Bostonians, including our essential workers. Boston’s economy depends on excellent childcare: it changes the odds for both the parents of today and the young Bostonians of tomorrow.”  The twenty-one grant recipients are listed below:

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Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Efforts to Expand Access to Early College Programming, College Affordability Resources

 Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Efforts to Expand Access to Early College Programming, College Affordability Resources

 

FRAMINGHAM – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration joined high school and college students for a roundtable discussion to highlight the significant progress made by the administration in reducing barriers to access and affordability of earning college degrees. Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito,  Secretary of Education James Peyser, Commissioner of Higher Education (DHE) Noe Ortega, Senate President Karen Spilka, Framingham State University President Dr. Nancy Niemi, Mass Bay Community College President David Podell and legislators heard from local students about how the administration’s Early College programming and financial aid initiatives, like MassGrant Plus, allowed them the opportunity to pursue college courses, credits and degrees.

 

"Providing students in Massachusetts with a clear, accessible path to college has been a priority of the Baker-Polito Administration since taking office, and the impact that our administration’s significant investment in programs like Early College has had on students is clear,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We remain committed to ensuring that every student has the tools and resources accessible to them for success in the classroom, on college campuses and in the workforce.”

 

“Offering students and learners of all ages opportunities to explore exciting careers and coursework through Early College programming is critical to not just their success, but the continued and future success of the Massachusetts workforce,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are proud of these important partnerships between schools, higher educational institutes and employers, and we look forward to the continued accomplishments that Early College programming will deliver."

 

Since the launch of the Early College program in 2017, the Baker-Polito Administration has undertaken a statewide effort to expand Early College to substantially increase the number of high school students who take college courses and earn credits at no cost before they graduate high school. The Fiscal Year 2023 budget signed by the Governor included a significant increase to Early College funding to bring the total annual investment to more than $19 million. 

 

“Over the past several years, we have worked hard to increase access to college by creating more affordable pathways, increase college completion rates - particularly for first-generation college-goers and underrepresented student populations - simplify the process for students to transfer credits from one public campus to another, and address affordability issues by eliminating unmet financial need for low-income students,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “We have made great strides around college affordability through all of these initiatives and are very pleased that they made a difference in thousands of young peoples’ lives.”

 

“Access to college-level coursework and credits gives students, many of whom may be the first in their families to pursue higher education, a chance to invest in themselves and their futures," said Senate President Karen Spilka. "Creating pathways to affordable higher education not only has a direct impact on fulfilling an individual’s career goals but is pivotal in closing the workforce skills gap and creating an economy that works for everyone. The Senate is proud of the historic investments made in our public colleges and universities, early college programs, and scholarship opportunities which make achieving a degree possible for many. Building upon these commitments remains a priority of mine heading into the new legislative session, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on this critical issue.”

 

Early College programs combine traditional high school courses with an opportunity to earn college credit at a college or university. Currently, there are approximately 5,400 students enrolled in Early College courses at 50 high schools across the Commonwealth. The Executive Office of Education anticipates that number to grow to 8,700 students by the 2024-2025 school year. About half of the Commonwealth’s Gateway Cities have Early College programs at their high schools, and nearly 60 percent of students enrolled in Early College come from low-income backgrounds. More than half of Early College students identify as students of color.

 

Students who participate in Early College programs enroll in college at significantly higher rates than their high school peers, and it boosts college completion rates for low-income, minority and first-generation college students. In 2019, approximately 76 percent of Early College students enrolled in college after graduation compared to 55 percent of their peers who did not participate in Early College.

 

Framingham students are introduced to Early College starting in 8th grade. Currently, there are 257 students enrolled, and the number is expected to double over the next 18 months. To date, students have collectively earned 2,100 college credits, a savings of nearly $500,000 in tuition for families. All students have faculty and teacher support in addition to academic tutoring, wellness meetings, college readiness and career exploration excursions and enrichment.

 

"Our Early College efforts have been years in the making and with even more growth on the horizon,” said Framingham Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Tremblay.“Our collaborative efforts across the city's range of educational partners, from PreK through 16, have indeed captured the attention of many and our students remain the greatest beneficiary of this collaboration with the incredible support of the leadership of the Commonwealth."

 

In 2018, the Baker-Polito Administration launched MassGrant Plus scholarships to cover the unmet costs of tuition and mandatory fees for all low-income community college students. The scholarships were later expanded to all eligible public college and university students, and now include all eligible University of Massachusetts students. MassGrant Plus is a last-dollar, needs-based grant that enables thousands of undergraduate students to attend Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities without taking on personal debt for tuition and fees related to instruction. Governor Baker signed an historic increase to financial aid as part of the FY2023 budget, with a record $175 million in state scholarships, an increase of over 85 percent since 2015. This investment enables MassGrant Plus financial aid grants to be extended to all income-eligible students at community colleges, public universities, and the University of Massachusetts, ensuring that every low-income student at every public higher education campus will have their tuition and mandatory fees fully covered. MassGrant Plus scholarships are awarded to students by each public college or university. The Department of Higher Education updated the guidelines to provide greater flexibility to campuses to make the process easier to award the grants to cover the costs of tuition and instructional fees, as well as a stipend for books and supplies. 

 

“The investment in MassGrant Plus has significantly increased access to the Commonwealth’s public community colleges and universities. Expansion of financial aid is key to advancing the Equity Agenda. And programs like Early College and MassTransfer also increase access and choice for students and demonstrate the expansive opportunities at our public colleges or universities,” said Department of Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega.

 

The Department of Higher Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance this fall also launched MASSAid, a college cost and financial aid eligibility tool that enables prospective college students to understand their expected college costs. Students who file a federal application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) will automatically receive a text message from the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance within 72 hours of their FAFSA submission, inviting them to create an account on MASSAid to learn more about state financial aid opportunities.

 

Once logged into MASSAid, students can:

• View and compare the costs of attending any college or university in Massachusetts;
• View their expected family contribution - the amount the federal government expects students and families to pay towards the cost of college – as calculated by the FAFSA;
• View their federal Pell Grant award amount;

• View their potential eligibility for 11 different forms of state financial aid, based on the student’s FAFSA data and additional information provided by the student through the tool; and
• Access additional information regarding state financial aid programs and contact information for the financial aid offices of every Massachusetts college and university.

 

To learn more about MassGrant Plus, click here.

 

To learn more about the MASSAid tool, click here.

 

To learn more about Early College programs, click here.

麻省州市政要齊聚食物銀行 為貧民入冬送暖 (市府視頻)

 

Former Missing In Action Service Member To Be Honored With Hero Square in East Boston

 Former Missing In Action Service Member To Be  Honored With Hero Square in East Boston 

BOSTON, Massachusetts -  Private First Class Joseph J. Puopolo will be honored with a heroes square in East Boston on Saturday, Nov 19, 2022 at 10:00am.  This ceremony will officially name the corner of Bennington St and Putnam Street Joseph J. Puopolo Square.

Puopolo was born on February 2, 1932 and lived in East Boston Massachusetts. Puopolo was 17 years old when he enlisted in the United States Army. Puopolo had the rank of Private First Class.  He died as a prisoner of war in February 1951 while serving in the Korean War.

Puopolo was a member of C Battery, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Artillery, 8th U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on December 2, 1950, after his unit attempted to withdraw from Kunu-ri, North Korea, on November 30, 1950 following the Battle of Ch'ongch'on. In 1953, four POWs who returned during Operation Big Switch reported Puopolo had been a prisoner of war and died on  February 28, 1951 at Prisoner of War Camp #5.

Says Commissioner of Veterans Services Robert Santiago, “We are honored to have the opportunity to remember the life of Corporal Puopolo.  Having been missing for more than 70 years, we are thankful that he is finally at rest here at home and his service is recognized by the East Boston community and the City he loved and called home.” 

Puopolo's identity was recently confirmed by the Department of Defense on August 23, 2022. He was brought home to his family on October 18th and is resting in peace with his mother Anna Puopolo and younger brother Nicholas Puopolo in Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, MA.

大波士頓商會及"城市醒覺"公佈2022十大傑出青年領袖

 Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and City Awake Announce

2022 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders

 

Boston, MA – The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and City Awake are pleased to announce the 2022 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders (TOYL) honorees. The TOYL Awards are presented annually by City Awake, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s premier young professional network, that connects, engages, and celebrates next-generation leaders. The awards recognize the contributions of current and emerging young, local leaders who have demonstrated professional, personal, cultural, and civic commitments to advancing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community, organization, and region.

 

2022 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders

Constanza Cabello	Vice President, Equity Programs, State Street Corporation
Ava Callender Concepcion	Commissioner, Cannabis Control Commission
Brandon Cardet-Hernandez	Executive Director, Ivy Street School & Skills for Life
Sabrina Antoine Correia	Vice President, Public Engagement, JPMorgan Chase
Nieisha Deed	Founder & CEO, PureSpark
Vilas Dhar	President and Trustee, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
Adrian Madaro	State Representative, 1st Suffolk District, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Kristen Riley	District Director of Operations, Stop & Shop
Madeleine Rodriguez	Partner, Foley Hoag
Tiffany Vassell	R.N. Board Member, Bay State Birth Coalition

Learn more about the 2022 TOYL honorees here.

 

The TOYL awards were presented by the Boston Jaycees from 1952 to 2006 to identify and celebrate young leaders. Since its inception, more than 500 young leaders have been honored for their professional, personal, and civic commitment to improving the quality of life within our community. In 2012, the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce revived the TOYL awards to continue the tradition of honoring Greater Boston’s current and future leaders.

 

Previous recipients include President John F. Kennedy, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Attorney General-Elect Andrea Campbell, Rev. Willie Boderick, II, business leader Jack Connors, Jr. and community advocate and United Nations representative, Carol Fulp. View all past honorees here.

吳弭上Java with Jimmy 秀 (市府視頻)

 

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES OPENING OF NEW CITY-OPERATED SENIOR CENTER IN EAST BOSTON

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES OPENING OF NEW CITY-OPERATED SENIOR CENTER IN EAST BOSTON

BOSTON - Wednesday, November 16, 2022 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu, in partnership with Massport, announced the opening of a new city-owned senior center in East Boston, located at 7 Bayswater Street. Mayor Wu joined Massport, elected officials and community members involved with advocating for the new center at a ribbon cutting Wednesday, on the one year anniversary of her taking office as Mayor. The center will be operated by the Age Strong Commission and managed by the Property Management Department.  "This new, accessible senior center in East Boston will expand opportunities for our older adults to connect and build community," said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m grateful to all our City departments, local partners, and community members that have advocated for years to make today’s opening a reality.” The East Boston Senior Center, based on community input, will offer programs and services for older adults (Boston residents age 60+) starting December 1. The center will provide lunch on weekdays, as well as classes for wellness, entertainment, and more. Between now and December 1, the center will offer tours to interested community members, November 21-23 and 28-30, during regular hours, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  “This new senior center in East Boston will raise the bar for senior programming in Boston and is a great example of what can happen when the City partners with residents and entities like MassPort to serve a critical neighborhood need," said Chief of Human Services, José F. Massó. "We're excited to be able to offer programming that will resonate with all the diverse groups of older adults that make up East Boston.” “Socialization, connection, and community are vital to human wellbeing,” said Emily K. Shea, Age Strong Commissioner. “Research shows that people who have friends and participate in activities are more healthy and live longer. The new center will provide a place for our older residents to connect with each other and engage in a richer, healthier life.” “This was a great collaborative effort between PFD, Age Strong, and Property Management,” said Chief of Operations Dion Irish. “The renovation allows for additional programming and services while the new addition enhances accessibility with respect to its existing urban setting.” Formerly serving as the East Boston Barnes Branch of the Boston Public Library, the construction of the new center site officially started in September 2020 and was led by the City’s Public Facilities Department. New additions and renovation of the site were initially delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues. This project, with a focus on accessibility for older adults, consisted of over 20 external partners, including the architect, Fennick McCredie Architecture (FMA), and general contractor, GVW Construction (GVW). Additionally, Lifespan Design was brought on as a consultant for their expertise in senior center features, which was noted in the RFP. The new center consists of two levels, with modern, accessibility features for older adults including an elevator (upgraded from a lift), wave/sensor door openings instead of push buttons, tables that wheelchairs can easily roll up to, bright lighting, a hearing loop system (hearing aids can connect to), and stairs with step-grippers. The center’s restrooms are large enough to include a care partner, wheelchair, or walker and include dual grab bars and toilet seats of different heights to accommodate older adults of varied heights. Light switches are installed at a lower height and electrical outlets higher to accommodate older adults as they bend. Outside of the center, there is a walking path in the backyard to cue folks with memory loss as well as raised garden beds, so older adults can participate in gardening either from a wheelchair or without steep bending.  "The opening of this vital civic space for our seniors comes after decades of advocacy from many individuals," said City Councilor Gabriela Coletta. "I am so grateful to the community members, former and current elected officials, and Massport for making this dream a reality. The center will be a hub of activity and bring people together for years to come." "Supporting our seniors is one of the most important things we can do as a community and a city, thank you, Mayor Michelle Wu, the Age Strong Commission, Public Facilities, members of the East Boston Community, and MassPort for your work in bringing a new Senior Center to East Boston," said State Senator Lydia Edwards. “I'm excited to see the long-awaited dream of the East Boston Senior Center finally realized," said Representative Adrian Madaro. "This is something that I have advocated for throughout my time in office. Our seniors are the bedrock of our community, and this new state of the art center will provide East Boston's elders with a dedicated space to gather, participate in enriching activities, and access supports and resources. Thank you to the city's Age Strong team and Mayor Wu for helping us get the Senior Center across the finish line!" The City committed $6.5 million in the capital budget for the design and construction of the new center. In partnership with the City of Boston to improve the quality of life for residents, Massport contributed significant funding for the creation and operation of this center. “Massport is pleased to partner with the City of Boston and support the new East Boston senior center, which will deliver important services and programming,” said Massport CEO Lisa Wieland. “We are glad to see the community’s hard work and dedication over the years coming together in this terrific new asset for East Boston.” The new center will be led by Age Strong’s Lina Tramelli and Luz Leal, both bilingual in English and Spanish, to serve East Boston’s diverse community of older adults. Visit www.boston.gov/ebsc or call 617-461-3131 for more information.

慶祝波士頓市府廣場重開 市府訂12/1日辦「Alight」詩歌活動

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES “ALRIGHT” POETRY EVENT WITH POET LAUREATE PORSHA OLAYIWOLA AS BOSTON HOSTS THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE

BOSTON - Tuesday, November 15, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu and the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture, in collaboration with Boston Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola, today announced the City will host ALRIGHT on Thursday, December 1, 2022 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Boston Center for the Arts Black Box Plaza (539 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116). This event is part of a broader celebration of Boston as Host City of The Earthshot Prize, a global initiative designed to find and grow the solutions that will repair our planet this decade.  “The arts must play a crucial role in bringing our communities together for the scale and creativity of actions needed to tackle climate change,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I look forward to this event and am grateful to Porsha for creating this space to inspire what’s possible for climate action.” ALRIGHT, led by Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola and artist and curator Cierra Peters, is an interactive arts experience and show that engages a conversation around the Black Diaspora and climate change. Inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics, “We gone be alright,” this art experience uses an Afro-futurist pedagogy to frame the role Black individuals have in writing and claiming a future we want to and can live in by their own design.  “ALRIGHT pairs optimism with action to move through what feels like dystopian space,” said Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola. “It’s interactive in that the audience in ALRIGHT are both players and actors, as we all have a hand to play in shaping the future we wish to live in.” The event will feature music from DJ Real P, dance vignettes choreographed by Kaleisha Chance at 4Star Dance Studio, poetry from Crystal Valentine, a live performance from Fanta Vibez, and more. Audience members will be spirited through the evening via forest god/dess Dzidzor Azaglo of Black Cotton Club. “This is an exciting opportunity for the City to explore the intersection between arts and the environment, and to center Black voices,” said Chief of Arts & Culture Kara Elliott-Ortega. “We look forward to inviting the entire city to join us in imagining a better future for everyone through dance, poetry, and song.” The ALRIGHT event is free and open to all, and attendees are encouraged to dress in the theme of “enchanted garden” and to consider the environment in their dress choices by wearing existing items or shopping sustainably. Free tickets can be reserved here. About The Earthshot Prize Founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2020, The Earthshot Prize is a global environmental prize to discover, accelerate and scale ground-breaking eco-solutions to repair and regenerate the planet. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot, which united millions of people around the goal of reaching the moon, The Earthshot Prize aims to catalyze an Earthshot challenge to urgently encourage and scale innovative solutions that can help put the world firmly on a trajectory towards a stable climate, where communities, oceans and biodiversity thrive in harmony by 2030. The five challenges are: Protect and Restore Nature; Clean our Air; Revive our Oceans; Build a Waste-free World; and Fix our Climate.   The Prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism but championing inspiring leadership and helping to scale incredible cutting-edge solutions. It will discover 50 winners over 10 years with the power to repair the planet. More than a prize, The Earthshot Prize works in partnership with a Global Alliance of Partners to support the scaling of the solutions discovered and selected each year.