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星期一, 5月 02, 2016

白宮訂5/4表揚林佩恩等10名亞美藝術及說故事推動改變者

White House to Recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling “Champions of Change”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, May 4, the White House will recognize ten individuals from across the country as “White House Champions of Change for Asian American and Pacific Islander Art and Storytelling.”

During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May, the White House andWhite House Initiative on AAPIs are celebrating artists and advocates who have used unique channels and diverse platforms to tell powerful stories, increase awareness around key AAPI issues, and encourage diversity and inclusion in all sectors of society. These ten individuals were selected for their leadership and tireless work to raise the visibility of diverse AAPI experiences and create dialogue around issues the community faces.

The event will feature remarks by Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady Tina Tchen, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu, and White House Initiative on AAPIs Executive Director Doua Thor. Panels with the Champions of Change will be moderated by Phil Yu, blogger of Angry Asian Man, and Jeanny Kim, Acting Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities. The event will be live streamed on the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov/live on Wednesday, May 4, at 2:00 PM ET. Follow the conversation at #WHChamps.

As part of AAPI Heritage Month, the White House is working with StoryCorps to share and document AAPI stories under #MyAAPIStory. To learn more, visit here.

Tanzila "Taz" Ahmed – Los Angeles, CATanzila "Taz" Ahmed is an activist, storyteller, and politico based in Los Angeles. An electoral organizer by trade, she’s mobilized thousands of AAPIs to the polls in over seventeen different languages in the past fifteen years at various nonprofit organizations, starting with founding South Asian American Voting Youth in 2004. She is Campaign Strategist at 18MillionRising, an Asian American new media organizing group. She is cohost of the #GoodMuslimBadMuslim podcast that has been featured in O MagazineWired, and Buzzfeed. An avid essayist, she had a monthly column called Radical Love, was a blogger for Sepia Mutiny, has written for TruthoutThe AerogramThe Nation,Left Turn Magazine, and more. She is published in forthcoming anthology Good Girls Marry Doctors(2016) and poetry collection Coiled Serpent (2016) and was published in the anthology Love, Inshallah(2012). Her third poetry chapbook Emdash and Ellipses will be published in early 2016. Taz curates Desi music at Mishthi Music where she co-produced Beats for Bangladesh and she annually makes #MuslimVDay Cards. Her artwork was featured in the shows Sharia Revoiced (2015), in Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center’s H-1B (2015), and Rebel Legacy: Activist Art from South Asian California(2014).
Selu Alofipo – North Salt Lake, Utah
Selu Alofipo is a self-taught expressionist artist who immigrated to the United States from the Island of Samoa in 1983.  He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana Tech University while on a football scholarship and credits much of his success to the opportunities made available to him through his parent's hard work and family support.  As a first-generation Samoan American, Selu feels a tremendous responsibility not only to his family, but also to his Samoan heritage to persevere, progress, and succeed by doing things the right way and by utilizing the values instilled in him as young child--faith, family, respect, and above all, hard work.  Selu has returned to his local elementary, junior high, and high schools to speak to students and to personally thank the teachers and administration for their dedication by donating customized original paintings as a token of gratitude.
Quang Vu Minh Do – Birmingham, AlabamaQuang Do is a spoken word poet and student development professional at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Quang has worked to empower AAPI youth and has extensive experience as a teaching artist facilitating writing/performance workshops using spoken word as a tool to help communities better understand the personal and cultural needs of the AAPI community.The themes of love, identity, oppression, compassion, and humanity are all foundational to Quang’s poetry. Quang is a multi-time Grand Slam Champion of the Montevallo Poetry slam, TEDxBirmingham 2015 speaker, and top finalist at the Southern Fried Regional Poetry Slam. He currently serves as Coordinator of Student Leadership at UAB where he advises and works with the Black Student Awareness Committee, the Multicultural Greek Council, the Multicultural Council, International Mentors, as well a host of other organizations and programs. Previously, Quang was  a full-time touring and teaching artist.

Jason Fong – Redondo Beach, CaliforniaJason Fong, born in Los Angeles, California, is a junior at Redondo Union High School and third-generation Chinese-Korean American. Jason is interested in progressive politics, having written extensively on issues such as police brutality, affirmative action, and immigration.  He is the founder of the popular hashtag #MyAsianAmericanStory, which has earned millions of impressions on Twitter.  His blog, JasonFongWrites, has been featured in news outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, the AtlanticNBC, and CNN. Jason has participated on panels about social media, civil rights, and Asian American identity at colleges, including the University of California, Riverside and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Kayhan Irani – Jackson Heights, New YorkKayhan Irani is an Emmy Award-winning writer, a socially engaged artist, and a Theater of the Oppressed trainer and facilitator. She designs and directs socially engaged arts projects for community-based organizations, government agencies, and international NGOs.  She facilitates workshops and trainings nationally and internationally in Afghanistan, India, and Iraq. Her published work includes Telling Stories to Change the World: Global Voices on the Power of Narrative to Build Community and Make Social Justice Claims (2008).  In 2010, Kayhan won a New York Emmy Award in best writing for We Are New York, a nine-episode broadcast TV drama created with the NYC Mayor's Office of Adult Education and used as an English language and civic engagement tool for immigrant New Yorkers. She is currently producing Documented cIRCA 86: Immigration Reform Turns Thirty, a multimedia oral history and public engagement project that celebrates the lives and accomplishments of immigrants who found a pathway to legalization through the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986.
Grace Lin — Florence, MassachusettsGrace Lin is an award-winning and bestselling author and illustrator of picture books, early readers, and middle grade novels, including the Newbery Honor Book "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon." An advocate for diversity in children's book, Grace gave the TEDx talk, "The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf." Most of Grace's books are about the Asian American experience.
Fawzia Mirza – Chicago, Illinois  Fawzia Mirza is a Pakistani, Muslim, and queer actor, writer, and producer based in Chicago. She has written and produced theatre, web series, short films, documentaries, and more. Fawzia is a creative workaholic and believes in the power of art, storytelling, and comedy to break down stereotypes across all her identities, as well as dispelling the model minority myth seen in both the media and her communities. Fawzia is currently producing her first feature film Signature Move, which is about a Pakistani woman seeking her identity in love and wrestling, and was selected to be part of the 2016 Tribeca Film Institute All Access program. She is the recipient of the 2015 3Arts Award and was named a Rising Star in Indie Filmmaking by WBEZ Chicago and a Top Ten Creative by Indiewire Magazine.

Leslie Hsu Oh – Middletown, Delaware
Leslie Hsu Oh is an award-winning writer whose work has been named among the distinguished stories of the year by Best American Essays. Losing her mother and brother to hepatitis B at age 21 inspired her to found the Hepatitis B Initiative in 1997, which she later expanded to the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. area with Thomas Oh. Today, this award-winning nonprofit continues to operate in several states mobilizing communities to prevent liver diseases caused by hepatitis B and C among AAPIs, African Americans and other high-risk groups. Earning masters in fine arts and public health from Harvard, she is the recipient of the Rasmuson Individual Artist Award, the first Julius B. Richmond Young Leader in Public Health Award, the first National Award for Excellence in Public Health Leadership, the Sun Memorial Award for exemplifying a commitment to improving the health and well-being of people in underserved populations, and the Schweitzer Award for reverence for life. Her writing and photography has appeared or is forthcoming in Alaska Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, First Alaskans Magazine, Fourth Genre, Parenting Magazine, Rosebud Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Sierra Magazine, Under the Sun, and The Washington Post, of which several are excerpts from a memoir-in-progress including the essay named in Best American Essays.
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu – Honolulu, HIHinaleimoana Wong-Kalu is a Native Hawaiian teacher, cultural practitioner, and community leader.  Her work as an innovative teacher was highlighted in the award-winning PBS documentaryKumu Hina from which emerged A Place in the Middle, a nationally-recognized youth-focused, culturally centered educational program aimed at making schools and communities safe and inclusive for all.  Hina serves as the gubernatorially-appointed Chair of the O'ahu Island Burial Council, charged with overseeing the protection and care of ancestral remains, and is leading a Hawaii State Department of Corrections program to empower offenders preparing for community reintegration.  She was a founding member of Kulia Na Mamo, a community organization established to improve the quality of life for māhūwahine (transgender women), and served for 13 years as Director of Culture at Hālau Lōkahi Public Charter School in Honolulu.  Hina is the recipient of the National Education Association’s 2016 Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award.

Jenny Yang – Los Angeles, California Jenny Yang is a Los Angeles-based writer and standup comedian who produces a (mostly) female, Asian American standup comedy tour, Disoriented Comedy, and has been a writer and performer on the viral Buzzfeed videos that have amassed over 20 million combined views such as "Ways Our Asian Moms Say 'I Love You'" and the "Ask An Asian" video series. In 2015, Jenny produced the first-annual The Comedy Comedy Festival: A Comedy Festival, an Asian American comedy festival featuring the best emerging and veteran standup, sketch, improv, and writing talent. Drawing from her former career in politics, Jenny is a regular commentator on politics and pop culture with contributions featured on NPRSouthern California Public RadioThe GuardianNBC NewsBBC News,Al Jazeera America, and Pivot TV. She has been an actor and host in numerous digital projects including Comedy Central’s White Flight and AngryAsianMan.com Phil Yu's Angry Asian Americatalk show on ISAtv, a new media platform created by Far East Movement and Wong Fu Productions. Jenny was dubbed one of Los Angeles' "most fascinating people" of 2015 in LA Weekly's annual "People" issue, and a featured standup comic on Joan Rivers' 2013 Showtime documentary Why We Laugh: Funny Women.

麻大波士頓分校將頒榮譽法律博士學位表揚李素影

UMASS TO GIVE HONORARY DEGREE TO  SUZANNE LEE


Longtime community leader Suzanne Lee will receive an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts at UMass/Boston's spring commencement this year.

Suzanne Lee will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, Honoris Causa.
Educator and community leader Suzanne Lee has been organizing for equality, justice, and democracy for more than 40 years. Ms. Lee worked in the Boston Public Schools for 35 years, first as a teacher and later as a principal. She led a high-profile turnaround at the Baldwin School in Brighton, transforming a low-achieving and divided school into a national model for school improvement. She went on to head the Josiah Quincy Elementary School for 10 years. During her tenure there, the school was named one of the Best 100 Elementary Schools in Massachusetts. As a community leader, Ms. Lee helped immigrant mothers launch the first Chinese Parents Association and worked with unemployed garment workers to secure Boston’s first bilingual training programs. She also was a founding member of the Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association, and she served on the Massachusetts Advisory Council on Bilingual Education and on the English Language Learners Task Force for the Boston Public Schools.

Other recipients of honorary degrees include The Honorable Roderick L. Ireland, the first African American appointed tot he Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts; Susan Akello Mboya, president of the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation; and the late Honorable Louis Stokes, Congressman from Cleveland.

WHO: Longtime community leader and former principal Suzanne Lee
WHAT: Honorary Law Degree at UMass/Boston Commencement
WHEN: Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 3:00 pm
WHERE: UMass/Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd., Clark Athletic Center

Honorary Degree & Chancellor’s Medal Recipients

2016 Honorary Degree and Chancellor's Medal Recipients

We are pleased to announce that the following honorees will join us at our graduate commencement ceremony:
The Honorable Roderick L. Ireland, Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa
In 1997, Roderick L. Ireland became the first African American appointed to the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) in Massachusetts. In 2010, then-Governor Deval Patrick appointed him chief justice, making him the first African American to hold the position. In 1977, then-Governor Michael Dukakis appointed Mr. Ireland as a judge in Roxbury’s Boston Juvenile Court. He later served on the Massachusetts Appeals Court before his appointment to the SJC. In 2003, he was one of four justices to support the court’s landmark 2003 decision to legalize same-sex marriage. As chief justice, he has presided over several high-profile decisions, including a ruling that found it unconstitutional to sentence teenagers convicted of murder to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He retired in July 2014 after a 45-year legal career. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University.
Susan Akello Mboya, Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa
Susan A. Mboya is the group director of Eurasia, Africa Group (EAG) for women’s economic empowerment at Coca-Cola, and president of the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF). She leads the deployment of TCCAF initiatives and the 5by20 initiative, a global effort to economically empower 5 million women by the year 2020. Dr. Mboya has forged public-private partnerships with the IFC, USAID, Plan UK, DFID, Technoserve, MercyCorps, and others to help resource, fund, and provide technical expertise for the 5by20 program, raising over $116 million. To date, 5by20 has empowered more than 270,000 women in the more than 90 countries that make up the EAG. Dr. Mboya also is the founder of the Zawadi Africa Educational Fund, a 501c (3) nonprofit organization that provides young African women from disadvantaged backgrounds with scholarships at more than 65 universities in the United States and Canada.
At our undergraduate ceremony, we look forward to honoring:
Suzanne Lee, Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa
Educator and community leader Suzanne Lee has been organizing for equality, justice, and democracy for more than 40 years. Ms. Lee worked in the Boston Public Schools for 35 years, first as a teacher and later as a principal. She led a high-profile turnaround at the Baldwin School in Brighton, transforming a low-achieving and divided school into a national model for school improvement. She went on to head the Josiah Quincy Elementary School for 10 years. During her tenure there, the school was named one of the Best 100 Elementary Schools in Massachusetts. As a community leader, Ms. Lee helped immigrant mothers launch the first Chinese Parents Association and worked with unemployed garment workers to secure Boston’s first bilingual training programs. She also was a founding member of the Massachusetts Asian American Educators Association, and she served on the Massachusetts Advisory Council on Bilingual Education and on the English Language Learners Task Force for the Boston Public Schools.
The Honorable Louis Stokes (deceased), Doctor of Science,Honoris Causa
The late Congressman Louis Stokes, raised in Cleveland’s inner-city housing projects, rose to prominence as a lawyer and legislator, becoming a powerful figure in the fight for civil rights and social justice. In 1968, he ran for his district’s seat in the US House of Representatives, becoming the first African-American congressman from Ohio. He served 15 consecutive terms in the House before retiring in 1999. During his tenure he cofounded the Congressional Black Caucus and served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. As chairman of the Select Committee on Assassinations, he conducted hearings on the deaths of Martin Luther King, Jr., and President John F. Kennedy. As chairman of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (aka Ethics), he led the investigation into the ABSCAM corruption scandal. He also chaired the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and served on the Iran-Contra investigative committee. After he retired, Congressman Stokes resumed his work as a lawyer and served on the faculty at Case Western Reserve University. On August 18, 2015, he passed away at the age of 90.

State Officials Recognize 27 Programs for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education

State Officials Recognize 27 Programs for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education
2016 US Green Ribbon Schools Awardee Littleton Public Schools Also Recognized

BOSTON – May 2, 2016 – At a State House ceremony, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Matthew Beaton today honored 27 energy and environmental education programs as part of the 22nd Annual Secretary’s Awards for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education.

“These educators have gone beyond what is required to create programs that actively engage students in environmental and energy issues,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “It is vital we inspire young people to care about the well-being of the environment, and give them the tools necessary to help protect it.”

“The educators recognized today are inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards with hands-on learning programs.” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “These projects teach students how to make a difference in the world and immerse them in important issues like energy, recycling, conservation and wildlife,”

“I am proud to recognize Massachusetts students, teachers and nonprofits who are working to make a positive impact on their communities and our environment,” said EEA Secretary Beaton. “The programs honored today instill in our youth appreciation for our natural world and encourage them to create innovative solutions to our environmental challenges.”

Winners competed for $5,300 in awards, funded by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust with the intention to fund further environmental education initiatives at the schools. EEA solicited Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education Award nominations in early 2016. Schools and organizations that voluntarily incorporate environmental education into public or private school curricula are given priority.

 The project applications were scored by the Secretary's Advisory Group on Energy and Environmental Education, a group of environmental educators from state agencies, non-profits, industry and academia.

Secretary Beaton also recognized the U.S. Department of Education (USED) Green Ribbon Schools awardee from Massachusetts, Littleton Public Schools. The award honors schools that are exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff and providing effective environmental and sustainability education, which incorporates STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.

“We congratulate today's excellence in energy and environmental education award winners and thank all those who submitted nominations,” said Education Secretary Jim Peyser. “We also are pleased that Littleton Public Schools were recognition by the U.S. Department of Education for their leadership in working to promote a curriculum which highlights the importance of environmental learning opportunities.”

22nd Annual Secretary's Awards for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education

ANDOVER:              Sanborn Elementary “Food Rescue Initiative and Recycling Program,” Sanborn Zero-Waste Team and the children of Sanborn Elementary, K-5

BOSTON:                  Northeast Clean Energy Council “Workforce Development Program,” Kevin Doyle

BOURNE:                 Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School “Environmental Science and Technology Program,” Nolan Roy, Grades 9-12

DARTMOUTH:        Dartmouth High School “Science & Marine Science Program” and “Pop-up Oyster Project,” Margaret Brumsted, Grades 9-12

DEVENS:                  Francis Parker Charter School “Water and Forest Ecological Investigations,” Judy Gibson, Grades 7&8

HAVERHILL:          Dr. Paul Nettle Middle School, “Air Quality Study,” Angela McVey,
Grade 7

LINCOLN:                Massachusetts Audubon Society “All Person’s Trails Guidelines Project”

MANCHESTER:      Manchester Essex Regional High School’s “Green Team,” David Alger,  “Green Team Project Managers,” Grades 9-12 and Co-Vice President Sarah Reed and Isabella Hickey. 

MANSFIELD:          Quarters Middle School “Blandings Turtle Headstarting Program,” Jill Sheridan, Mary Chmielecki, Lauren Penta & Michael Ganshirt, Grade 8

MIDDLEBOROUGH:  Middleborough High School, “Shed and Garden Project” Futures Program, Grades 9-12

NEW BEDFORD:    Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School “ES&T Sustainability Club,” Environmental Science/Technology & EST Students, Grades 9-12

NORTHAMPTON:   Lander Grinspoon Academy “Solar Energy Video,” Becky Lederman, Grade 6

NORTHAMPTON:  Lander Grinspoon Academy “What’s the problem with trash, and what we can do about it?” Amy Meltzer, Andrea Olkin and the Kindergarten Class

OAK BLUFFS:         Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s MVironment Club’s “Engineering for Sustainability,” Grades 10-12

OAK BLUFFS:         Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School “Building a Usable Cell Phone Powered by Solar Power,” Katharine Roberts and Rose Engler, Grade 10

PEABODY:               Captain Samuel Brown School “Brown School Green Strides Project,” Grades K-5

PEABODY:               Captain Samuel Brown School “Outdoor Classroom,” Daniel Dyer, Eagle Scout, Troop 88Project, K-5

PITTSFIELD:           Herberg Middle School “21st Century Community Learning Center Program,” Meagan Ireland, Suzanne Jester and Karen Losardo, Grades 6 -8

SALEM:                    Salem Sound Coastwatch “Leading the Way to Healthier Sea & Shore Project,” Grades 9-12

SUDBURY:               Lincoln Sudbury High School “Design-Build-Test a Solar Hot Water Heater Project,”Chris Collins, Paul Shultz and Alex Wankowicz, Grades 9-12      

UPTON:                     Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School “From Local to Global: Hands-on Projects in Energy Efficiency,” Grades 9-12

WEST TISBURY:    Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School “Social and Environmental Resiliency Program,” Jonah Maidoff and Louis Hall – Grades 11 and 12

WEYMOUTH:          The New England Wildlife Center “Shut off the Lights, and Eat Your Peas Program,”Grades 5-6

WILBRAHAM:        Minnechaug Regional High School, “Green Team” Eco Club, Grades 9-12

WILLIAMSBURG:   Anne T. Dunphy School, “Korpita’s Kids Green Team,” Johanna Korpita, Grade 2

WINCHESTER:         McCall Middle School Greenhouse Club “Gaining through Sustaining at McCall’s Middle School Greenhouse,” Grades 6-8

WOBURN:                 Woburn Public Schools – All Elementary Schools “Change is Simple – Environmental Education Program,” Grades 3-5

Commonwealth Seminar application deadline 5/4


Commonwealth Seminar Update
May 2016
New MassCS Banner
Seminar Application 
Deadline Extended 
(Due: Wednesday, May 4th)
-------------------------- 

After a number of requests from interested Seminar participants, we are extending the deadline re: applications for our next Seminar session tothis Wednesday (May 4th)

The six sessions are scheduled for:
  • Thursday, May 12th - Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC); 60 Temple Place, Boston (5:30 - 8:15pm)
  • Thursday, May 19th - The State House - Room 222 (3:30 - 5:15pm)    
  • Thursday, May 26th - MAPC (5:30pm)
  • Thursday, June 2nd - MAPC (5:30pm)
  • Thursday, June 9th - MAPC (5:30pm)
  • Thursday, June 16th - The State House (3:00pm - 5:00pm)Graduation!
We strongly encourage Seminar participants to attend each class.


Why should you join the Commonwealth Seminar?

Angus McQuilken, of MA Life Sciences Center offers a seminar on Press & Media to the most recent Seminar class
The Education:
We provide our students a unique opportunity to meet & learn from top policymakers and leaders in their respective political fields.

During our six-week program, you'll spend one evening a week in interactive seminars with Administration officials, legislators, legislative aides, lobbying professionals, and media experts.
The Network:
Seminar alumni enjoy a Post Graduation Networking event at Scholar's Boston
With over 1,100 graduates since its inception, the Seminar is fertile ground for meeting & networking with professionals and activists with similar interests.  

Seminar graduates come from incredibly diverse backgrounds and are top & emerging leaders in their fields, communities and neighborhoods. 

You'll also have access to job opportunities through our revamped Commonwealth Jobs Section.
Members of the Commonwealth Seminar Class of 2015/16 at King's Bowling Alley in Boston
The Camaraderie: 
You'll have a great opportunity to strike up wonderful friendships with your classmates which you'll take with you long after the Seminar is over.

The most recent Seminar class has already hosted a gathering at King's Bowling (see photo) where folks came from as far as Fitchburg to catch up with their former classmates.
About the Commonwealth Seminar

The Commonwealth Seminar is a privately funded program with the mission of opening the doors of the State House. It is an intensive training program focused on teaching diverse leaders how the Massachusetts Legislature really works. Top state legislators, legislative staff, media members, and administration policymakers will introduce seminar participants to the Legislature and state government generally. By giving an insiders' view of the process, our goal is to encourage diverse leaders to become effective advocates and to pursue careers in public service.
Who Should Apply?
We are looking for leaders from communities of color and immigrant communities; and people working to directly benefit them. We place a high value on creating a seminar class that is diverse racially, ethnically, and geographically.
Successful candidates for the Commonwealth Seminar will have a basic understanding of state government and a clear desire to use the skills learned through the seminar to make positive change.
Acceptance to the seminar is decided through a competitive process. Commonwealth Seminar staff and advisers will make all final decisions about the makeup of the seminar.
More Information and Application
Please be prepared to make a compelling argument in the application about how you fit into the Commonwealth Seminar's target student profile. For more information, and to download an application, please visit the Commonwealth Seminar website

In This Issue
Application Deadline EXTENDED TO MAY 4TH
Why should you join the Seminar?
What is the Seminar?
Help Us Recruit! 
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Please forward this email to anyone who might be a good match for the Commonwealth Seminar! 
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AG HEALEY GIVES $315,000 TO ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

AG HEALEY GIVES $315,000 TO ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
Ten Organizations Across Massachusetts Selected; Funding is a Result of Settlements Including with ATM Owner and Operator Cardtronics, Inc.

BOSTON — As part of her commitment to breaking down barriers for those living with disabilities, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today that her office has selected 10 organizations across Massachusetts to receive $315,000 in grant funding to improve access and opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

“We must strive to do better to guarantee equal rights for everyone with a disability,” said AG Healey. “When people with disabilities cannot actively participate in our society, we lose the benefit of the special talents and gifts each person brings. This grant program provides the funding needed to develop creative projects that utilize technology and innovative design to improve the lives of families across our state.”

            The grant program is funded through a settlement with ATM owner and operator Cardtronics, Inc., resolving claims relating to the company’s failure to comply with a court order requiring it to make the company’s machines accessible to blind and visually impaired consumers.

Through the Innovating to Improve Access and Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities one-year grant program, the AG’s Office has awarded funding to:

·         Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable for the purchase of adaptive technology that will benefit students with physical and intellectual disabilities.
·         Rewarding Work Resources in Brookline for technology to integrate an automated job posting board into its existing website to improve the process for hiring personal care attendants and respite worker for elders, individuals with disabilities, and their families statewide.
·         Children’s Center for Communications/Beverly School for the Deaf for equipment to pilot a new model for the remote delivery of speech and language pathology services to children with special needs in Essex and Middlesex counties.
·         The National Braille Press, a Boston nonprofit braille publisher, for a new editor application for Microsoft Word with advanced word processing functions for a braille computer that would allow blind users to read specialized editing formats.
·         South Shore Educational Collaborative in Hingham for the purchase of equipment to create a 3D Printing Lab for use in an integrated STEM and Business Management course for students diagnosed with a wide range of disabilities. The course would cover essential math and science skills as well as business management skills, and would produce products intended to assist individuals with disabilities in Barnstable, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties.
·         Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown for a handicapped parking space finder application and related technology, which will allow handicapped drivers to more easily find parking spaces.
·         WGBH Educational Foundation in Boston to create and distribute a free high quality, easy to use video captioning tool that will produce caption files compatible with all major web browsers, online media players and social media.
·         Hillcrest Education, with sites in Great Barrington, North Adams, Pittsfield and Lenox, to purchase 20 iPads with assistive technology for nonverbal children with autism, allowing them to communicate more easily and improve their overall functioning capabilities.
·         Melmark New England in Andover to develop an application to teach students and teachers how to use The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), a form of augmentative and alternative communication for individuals with autism.
·         Advocates, Inc. in Framingham to redesign the Autism Alliance of MetroWest website in order to provide enhanced resources and support services for families caring for loved ones with autism in Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Worcester counties.

Experts on accessible technology from Yahoo, Apple IBM and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology assisted the AG’s Office in reviewing applications for the grant funding.

As part of her effort to protect the civil rights of all residents, AG Healey in July 2015 announced the formation of her office’s Disability Rights Advisory Committee to advise her and her staff on matters pertaining to inclusion, access, and equality for individuals with disabilities.

Vote Now for AARP’s Asian American & Pacific Islander Community Hero Award





WASHINGTON, D.C., May 2, 2016 – Vote now for AARP’s inaugural Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Hero Awards to acknowledge the hard-working staff and volunteers of non-profit organizations serving AAPIs age 50-plus. Visitfacebook.com/AARPAAPICommunity to cast your vote during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month until May 31, 2016 at 11pm ET. Three heroes and their organizations will each receive a $1,000 cash prize when the winners are announced in June.

“We’re thrilled with the caliber of all the nominees who were submitted for consideration by their colleagues, friends and family,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Leadership, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience Strategy. “Each and every one of the nominees provides invaluable service to our community.  Many have been serving for decades. We’re proud to recognize this outstanding group of individuals for their commitment to making a difference in the lives of older adults and ask that you vote now! We hope that by highlighting these community members we will inspire people to either volunteer or to work for our older adults.”

The ten AARP Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Hero Award finalists are:

The finalists were selected from the 77 submissions AARP received from around the country including California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, DC. The stellar nominees included executive directors, staff, and volunteers who work in healthcare, social services, education, technology, and the arts.

薩福克郡治安官辦公室徵實習生

NOW RECRUITING FOR SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM 
 
Do you know a junior or senior who goes to school in Suffolk County and may be interested in a career in law enforcement?

If so, why not send them the link posted below to let them know about this great paid opportunity to learn from law enforcement professionals while gaining valuable experience and transferable skills with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department? 

Please see our flyer for more details or visit our website 

DEADLINE TO APPLY: MAY 20, 2016.
Please take a moment to visit the website at: 

Learn more about some of the outreach, civic engagement and public safety initiatives of the Suffolk County Sheriff's Department.

More updates coming soon! Tell a friend!