CITY OF BOSTON UNVEILS 'RAINING POETRY 2.0' IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MASS POETRY

CITY OF BOSTON UNVEILS 'RAINING POETRY 2.0' IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MASS POETRY

Second Round of Public Art Installations Reveal Invisible Poetry When it Rains

Example of a new Raining Poetry installation. Credit: Mass Poetry BOSTON - Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - The City of Boston's Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Mayor's Mural Crew, the Boston Art Commission and Mass Poetry, today unveiled "Raining Poetry 2.0," the second round of public art installations that reveal invisible poetry on the city's sidewalks during rainfall. Building on the success of the first installations that were unveiled in May, these four new installations are currently available for viewing in different locations across the city. "Since it was first announced in May, Raining Poetry has received an overwhelmingly positive response from the public who were thrilled to see more public art in their neighborhoods," said Mayor Walsh. "I am excited we are able to add more of these creative installations in new languages to our streets in Boston, adding to our collection of public art and catching the attention of passerby's in new and exciting ways." The project was initiated to showcase more public art in the city, as well as illustrate the local heritage of different Boston neighborhoods. In the first "Raining Poetry" installation, Boston Poet Laureate Danielle Georges selected the first four poems by poets with ties to Massachusetts. For the new round of installations, poems are in either English or Haitian Creole to reflect the neighborhoods where they reside. The new installations include: From Pwezi miste, pwezi late, 1328 Blue Hill Ave., Mattapan Untitled, 1961 Centre St., West Roxbury Untitled, Fields Corner, 1520 Dorchester Ave Let, 500 Columbia Road, Upham's Corner "We're thrilled at the response that the initial installation received, including requests from communities all across the world to make it rain poetry where they live," said Sara Siegel, Program Director for Mass Poetry. "Mass Poetry's mission is to bring poetry to the people and we are proud to be able to do so with such an innovative public art project." To ensure the installations display properly, the Mayor's Mural Crew uses biodegradable water-repellent spray that vanishes when dry, so the poems remain invisible until it rains. Once wet, the area around the poem darkens, exposing the poem to those passing by. "We hope innovative ideas like these help connect residents to their community by literally putting the city's art at their feet," said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture. "This an incredible opportunity to partner with Mass Poetry and the Boston Arts Commission, and we are so thankful for the hard work of the Mayor's Mural Crew in designing these installations and expanding our 'Concrete Library' of poetry." To date, the City's Mural Crew has installed eight poems at eight different locations. The previous four installations include: Dudley Square Café (Lower Roxbury), The Strand Theater (Uphams Corner, Dorchester), Adams Park (Roslindale) and Hyde Park Public Library (Hyde Park).    For more information about the Mayor's Mural crew, please visit here, and for more information about Mass Poetry, please visit here.

MAYOR WALSH CELEBRATES GRANARY RESTORATION AND IMPROVEMENTS ON BOSTON'S FREEDOM TRAIL

MAYOR WALSH CELEBRATES GRANARY RESTORATION AND IMPROVEMENTS ON BOSTON'S FREEDOM TRAIL

BOSTON - September 14, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh will today visit Boston's iconic Freedom Trail to celebrate the award-winning Granary Burying Ground restoration project and extensive improvements to the Freedom Trail, now in its 65th year.  At 12:30 p.m., Mayor Walsh will join Boston Parks Commissioner Chris Cook, Public Works Commissioner Michael Dennehy, City officials and Freedom Trail Foundation members to review the recent work completed along the Trail. "Boston's Freedom Trail is an important landmark for our City and region," said Mayor Walsh. "These improvement projects will make the Freedom Trail more accessible, and will help guide residents and visitors to Boston's popular historic treasures over the coming years." The Boston Parks and Recreation Department's Historic Burying Ground Initiative's project to restore the Granary Burying Ground grand entryway, dating back to 1840, included the removal of the entire 315-foot fence, requiring close inspection, removal of rust and paint and repainting. Fence pieces were recast and many pickets needed to be lengthened to re-anchor to the granite wall. Cracks in the granite wall and piers were repaired, and a chunk of missing granite wall was replaced as were brick shims under the granite wall. Once repainted and restored, the fence was reinstalled along the repaired granite wall. The final stage of the project included the cleaning of the impressive granite wall and gateway using specialized cleaning materials.   The year-long project, completed by landscape architect, Kyle Zick, and contractor, Woven Steel, received an annual Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award this year. Now in its 38th year, the preservation awards presented the awards to 12 other entities' projects throughout the Commonwealth.   Boston's Historic Burying Grounds Initiative received $41,000 from the Freedom Trail Foundation's Preservation Fund for the project.  The City of Boston's Historic Burying Grounds Initiative's capital improvement budget annual appropriation, the Fund for Parks and Recreation, and grants from the George B. Henderson Foundation and Freedom Trail Foundation's Preservation Fund covered the estimated $283,585 project construction costs.  Built in 1660, the Granary is Boston's and the Northeast's most visited historic burying ground with over one million annual visitors. The restored entryway helps to create an improved first impression to this historic site on the Freedom Trail. The Granary project, along with the Freedom Trail Foundation's $125,000 support of a $300,000 landscape restoration undertaking in 2011, helped to improve and maintain the heavily-trafficked historic site. The extensive improvements project to the physical Freedom Trail, completed by the Department of Public Works, included replacing all sections of sidewalk under City jurisdiction in need of repair and upgrading 30 pedestrian ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including the Tremont Street section in front of the Granary Burying Ground from Park Street to Beacon Street. In addition to the Tremont Street section, improvements have been completed on School Street in Downtown Boston and in the North End on Hanover Street from Cross Street to Richmond Street, Hull Street from Copp's Hill Burying Ground to Commercial Street, and Commercial Street from Hull Street to North Washington Street.   In 2015, the Department installed approximately 1,400 feet of new walking surface in over 60 locations from Boston Common to Bunker Hill.  As of August 2015, nearly 8 percent of the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, including sections of Hull Street and Hanover Street in the North End were replaced and more sidewalk replacements were underway, with a total project cost of $700,000. This maintenance work is in addition to the City's Connect Historic Boston project, which will fully reconstruct Joy Street, Commercial Street, Blackstone Block and Constitution Road. Connect Historic Boston is funded, in part, through the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program and is a result of a partnership between the City of Boston, the Federal Highway Administration and the National Parks Service to improve non-vehicular access to historic sites in the City. Over the course of the next two years, the $25 million project, managed by the Public Works Department, will add another 1,800 feet of new construction to the Freedom Trail. In 2014, the City replaced nearly 2,000 feet of the painted sections of the historic Freedom Trail in Charlestown, Downtown Crossing and the North End with a new thermoplastic treatment. The multi-colored strips have helped to eliminate time consuming, seasonal painting, reducing maintenance costs and improving historic site way-finding, and are expected to last up to eight years. "With over four million people enjoying the Freedom Trail and our great city's historic sites annually, the City of Boston's restoration of the Granary Burying Ground and Freedom Trail improvement efforts are commendable," said Freedom Trail Foundation Executive Director Suzanne Taylor. "The City of Boston's hard work has made a significant difference to the Granary's grand entryway, and will help residents and visitors navigate the Freedom Trail to experience each of the Trail's 16 sites year-round." In celebration of the Freedom Trail's 65th anniversary, the Freedom Trail Foundation will work to redesign the official Freedom Trail website, and create a Freedom Trail signage proposal in partnership with the City of Boston with planning support from a Tourism Cares grant. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile path that traces through Downtown Boston, the North End and Charlestown leading to 16 nationally significant sites. The Trail includes a variety of historic sites, including museums, meeting houses, churches, a ship, historic markers, parks and burying grounds, all telling the story of the American Revolution.

美國麻州中醫學會慶中秋談針灸穴道

圖由麻州中醫學會提供。

美國麻州中醫學會9月13日（週二）晚在波士頓市的聚福軒舉行中秋慶祝晚宴暨哈佛醫學院中醫藥論壇。香港浸會大學中醫藥學院碩士研究生導師彭增福博士應邀主講“靳三針療法及激痛點針灸療法”。

五十多名出席者盛讚演講精彩，其中有人還用茅塞頓開來形容聽講感受。哈佛大學教授李豫偉認為，彭增福的講談，說明了人體結構組織，包括筋膜對健康的影響極重要性，換言之，也就是經絡的重要性，讓人可以預見未來利用指壓來處理身體部位疼痛的巨大潛力。

美國麻州中醫學會會長張群豪，秘書長李志平指出，目前中醫師在美面對“干針”挑戰，當晚出席者也因此討論格外熱絡。該會將繼續舉辦相關活動，為中醫師的未來把關。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INITIATIVE

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE INITIATIVE

Boston selected by the World Economic Forum  as focus city for the future of mobility

BOSTON - Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Boston Transportation Department and the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, today announced the launch of a new program to explore autonomous technologies within the City of Boston. The collaboration will include a year-long engagement focused on creating policy recommendations and supporting on-street testing of autonomous vehicles, also known as self-driving vehicles, to advance the safety, access and sustainability goals identified by the public during the Go Boston 2030 transportation planning process. "Boston's collaboration with the World Economic Forum represents our commitment to creating a safe, reliable and equitable mobility plan for Boston's residents. We are focused on the future of our city and how we safely move people around while providing them with reliable mobility choices," said Mayor Walsh. "With our start-ups and educational institutions, Boston is a leader in technology, robotics and innovation. Together with our partners, we know the City of Boston is ready to lead the charge on this transformative technology." Boston was selected as the lead partner city for the World Economic Forum's City Challenge, an initiative designed to support cities in their efforts to prepare for the future of urban mobility. With the help of the Forum and its knowledge partner, The Boston Consulting Group, the City of Boston will develop a strategy for new mobility including autonomous driving, and develop a framework for the testing of autonomous vehicles on city streets. "Boston distinguished itself in the application process with its strong appetite and track record in civic innovation and some very thoughtful questions about the intersection of vehicle automation and shared mobility," said John Moavenzadeh, Head of Mobility Industries at the World Economic Forum. "Our advisory board, which is a cross-industry group of public and private sector experts, overwhelmingly felt that Boston provided the best opportunity for learning and advancement of new models of mobility. " Over the course of the next year City of Boston and Commonwealth of Massachusetts leaders will work with the World Economic Forum, The Boston Consulting Group, international cities and mobility industry leaders on developing policy goals and autonomous vehicle testing scenarios for Boston. The collaboration kicked-off in July with an advisory group meeting in Boston led by Mayor Walsh focused on exploring autonomous shared vehicle technology and will continue with a series of targeted focus groups being conducted in the coming weeks. "Shared, autonomous vehicles have the potential to fundamentally improve urban transportation by enhancing accessibility for the city's residents and increasing road safety. We are excited to be engaging with the City of Boston during the coming months on making this vision for urban mobility a reality," said Nikolaus Lang, Senior Partner at The Boston Consulting Group. This work with Boston builds on prior World Economic Forum research into Personal Mobility and Self-Driving Vehicles, conducted in 2015 in partnership with The Boston Consulting Group, and the Future of Cities. The results show that improving affordable transportation options could be the biggest factor contributing to individuals escaping poverty. Additionally, results indicate that autonomous vehicles, when shared, have the potential to take 60-70% of cars off the road. Because this would significant reduce crashes due to human error, it is projected that autonomous vehicles could reduce road fatalities by up to 90%. Furthermore, since autonomous vehicles would likely be electric, we would expect to reduce emissions from vehicles by 2-4%. While industry experts agree self-driving cars will be a significant presence on U.S. roads by 2030, complete regulations have not been put into place to prepare for them. Boston and World Economic Forum's partnership directly complements and draws upon the efforts of Go Boston 2030 and will include an autonomous vehicle pilot, which will be instrumental in guiding Boston and other cities through the process of integrating, and maximizing benefit from, new mobility technologies. About Go Boston 2030 The self-driving vehicle initiative is an early action project of Go Boston 2030, the City's transportation planning effort. The effort is being led by the Boston Transportation Department and the Mayor's Mobility Plan Advisory Committee. In addition to developing a long term strategic plan, Go Boston 2030 is identifying specific initiatives for immediate implementation. About World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

昆士市亞協服務中心行政主任將換新人

麻州昆士市亞協服務中心（QARI）13日發出通知，宣佈行政主任約翰波達（John Brother）即將卸任。董事會董事長Abby Nguyen-Burke表示，在覓得適當接任人選前，資深成人教育主任Robert Sheppard，以及財務主任Ophelia Liu將暫代其職。 Dear QARI Friends, Partners and Supporters, After 12 years, I will step down this fall as Executive Director of Quincy Asian Resources (QARI).  Serving at QARI has been an amazingly rewarding experience for me.  However, the time has come for my next challenge. I plan to explore new directions in a leadership, development or advocacy role while continuing to serve the community. I am grateful to the board of directors, staff members, government and community partners, funders, and volunteers—past and present—all of whom have helped to make my time at QARI fulfilling and successful as we built an organization to serve Quincy’s Asian community. We should all be proud that since 2004, we have grown QARI from its humble beginnings into the “go to place” for serving newcomers on the South Shore.  I will miss seeing the many people who come to QARI on a daily basis to learn, to get involved, to help others, and to contribute toward building a stronger community.  After starting with a pilot English class in 2005, we now have 185 students studying English in the largest program on the South Shore. Our information and referral services started in 2003 on Wednesday afternoons; we now serve community members throughout the week both at 1509 Hancock and out in the community.  12 high school students organized the first career conference “Discovering Unique Careers “in 2005, we now have more than 350 members of the QARI Youth ServiceCorps serving the community and finding their passion. A small after school tutoring program for immigrants started in 2007, we now have an amazing mentoring program pairing high school mentors with immigrant middle school students in two Quincy schools. I also have enjoyed the many community events and civic activities over the years, the opportunity to work with so many committed volunteers to plan and organize 25 festivals, 10 banquets (including a New Year Banquet), 3 candidate forums and of course many opportunities to gather to eat! All of this and more would not have happened without the energy and commitment of our volunteers, staff, partners and board.  I will always treasure the shared experiences and friendships of the last 12 years. While I am sad to be leaving QARI, I fully intend to stay involved in our community and look forward to great things from the organization and those it serves.  The Board will conduct the search for a new Executive Director and we have a strong team in place to ensure continuity in our services to the community. I will work closely with them during the transition.  I look forward to staying touch with all of you. John Brothers Executive Director

A Message from the Board of Directors On behalf of the board of directors, we’d like to thank John Brothers for his 12 years of leadership of QARI and for the contributions he's made to QARI and the Asian community in Quincy. We have a strong team in place to ensure continuity in our service to the community and a smooth transition. QARI looks to increase outreach services to the community through the formation of new partnerships and to build upon our existing partnerships with the City of Quincy on initiatives aimed at helping new immigrants, the Quincy Public Schools by engaging students and families of new immigrants, and offering more in depth and direct services. Our adult education department aims to offer more levels of classes and also engage in workforce development. In 2016, QARI’s Youth Department embarked on a strategic plan to engage more youth at the High School level and also to offer mentoring to other middle schools and engage the elementary school level through our continued partnership with Quincy Public Schools. The board of directors will commence its search for a new executive director who will embrace and extend the framework John has established. During this transitional period the board is happy to announce that Robert Sheppard, QARI’s Senior Adult Education Director and Ophelia Liu, QARI’s Finance Manager will both step up to be a part of the transition team, ensuring that QARI is well positioned for success while the search for a permanent executive director is carried out. During this period of transition, the board of directors would like to recognize those who champion and support QARI’s efforts, especially the many volunteers, partners, and colleagues who efforts are invaluable to the cause of improving the lives of Asian Americans and their families. We wish John continued success in his future endeavors! For those who wish to learn more about our transition plan please feel free to reach out to Robert Sheppard at rob@quincyasianresources.org. Abby Nguyen-Burke President

麻州亞美局獎學金申請期限延至 9/23

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Asian American Commission’s AAPI (Asian American & Pacific Islander) Scholarship

Recognizing the attribution of higher education to personal and professional success, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Asian American Commission (AAC) is pleased to establish an annual scholarship in the amount of $1000 for an incoming or current college student to use towards their higher education expenses.  We would like to consider candidates who have a passion for giving back to the community and who would like to continue his or her studies towards a career in human or social services and/or civic engagement in the state of Massachusetts.  Click below to apply!   Application deadline extended to Friday, September 23, 2016. Scholarship to be presented at the Commonwealth of MA Asian American Commission’s Young Leaders’ Symposium on Saturday, October 15, 2016 from 11:00 am – 2:30 pm at the Brookline Main Library.  Click here for details

CAPAC Chair Chu Questions Attorney General Lynch on Investigations Into Chinese American Scientists

CAPAC Chair Chu Questions Attorney General Lynch on Investigations Into Chinese American Scientists

Washington, D.C. – During a Congressional Progressive Caucus meeting today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), questioned Attorney General Loretta Lynch on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigations into Chinese American scientists who were wrongly accused of alleged espionage, as well as the Department’s implementation of its new implicit bias training. Rep. Chu released the following statement:

“I am grateful that Attorney General Lynch has once again come to Capitol Hill and I always appreciate the opportunity to speak with her on issues important to my constituents and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. It’s especially important that we get clarification into DOJ practices in the wake of high-profile arrests of Chinese American scientists like Professor Xiaoxing Xi. Even though the charges were dropped in these cases, the damage to reputations and careers has already been done, and many AAPI scientists and engineers live in fear that they could be targeted next.

“I have asked Attorney General Lynch in private and in Congressional hearings for greater clarity into what went wrong in these cases and why there appears to be an ongoing pattern and practice of Asian Americans being singled out by federal law enforcement and prosecutors. We in CAPAC have also called for an independent investigation into these cases. But so far, we have not received any answers. Our community deserves more than silence. At the very least, those whose lives were turned upside down by these DOJ investigations, only to have the charges dropped, deserve an apology.

“It is clear that changes need to be made. And I was encouraged by Attorney General Lynch’s commitment to implementing new Department-wide implicit bias training and her willingness to take input from the AAPI community. I am hopeful that this implicit bias training will help to ensure that an individual’s race, national origin, or language ability does not lead to wrongful profiling. Nobody should have to fear that they could be arrested at gunpoint in front of their family, as Professor Xi was, simply for e-mailing while Asian.”

Background:

On June 27, 2016, the Department of Justice announced new Department-wide implicit bias training for all of its law enforcement agents and prosecutors. The training will be administered to more than 23,000 agents employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),  Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), as well as the approximately 5,800 attorneys working in the 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. 

On May 13, 2016, CAPAC sent a letter to the DOJ Office of Inspector General demanding an independent investigation into whether race, ethnicity, or national origin played a part in recent cases in which Chinese Americans were suspected of espionage. The letter comes after similar requests were made in letters sent last May and November, as well as during a CAPAC meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch in November 2015. 

美國會議員趙美心辦公室發文表示，在國會進步黨團9月13日的會議中，身為國會亞太裔黨團主席的趙美心，質問美國總檢察長羅瑞塔林奇（Loretta Lynch），有關美國司法部調查華裔美國科學家被不當指控為間諜，以及該部門實施新的隱性偏見培訓。

趙美心發表了以下聲明。

“ 我很感謝總檢察長羅瑞塔林奇再次來到國會山莊。我也總是感謝有這機會和她談那些對我的選民，以及亞美太平洋島民社區來說很重要的事。在發生了諸如高調逮捕華裔美籍科學家郗小星等事件後，我們能在司法部做法上得到澄清，更是特別重要。儘管這些案件的控罪撤銷了，他們的名譽及事業卻已經受損害，許多亞太裔科學家及工程師也因此生活在他們可能是下一個目標的恐懼中。

我曾經私下，也在國會公聽會中要求總檢察長蘿瑞塔林奇澄清，這些案子哪裡出錯了，為什麼亞裔美人不斷被聯邦執法人員及檢察官挑出來的做法似乎已成模式。

我們亞太裔社區也要求獨立調查這些個案。但是迄今，我們沒得到任何回答。我們的社區應該得到不只是沈默以對。那些生活被司法部調查弄得天翻地覆，只是控罪被撤銷了的人，至少應該得到一聲道歉。

很顯然地，必須有些改變。總檢察官蘿瑞塔林奇承諾要設立新的，全部門性隱性偏見培訓，願意接受來自亞太社區意見，很讓我感到鼓舞。我希望這個隱性偏見培訓能夠有助於確保一名個人的種族，原有國籍，或語言能力，不會導致錯誤的刻板印象。沒有人應該要為他們可能在家人面前被槍指著的逮捕而恐懼，就像郗小星教授那樣，只不過是因為在亞洲時，發送了電郵。

背景：

2016年6月27日時，美國司法部宣佈，給全部門執法人員及檢察官 的一項新隱性偏見培訓。聯邦調查局（FBI），藥物執行局（DEA），菸酒武器爆炸物局（ATF），以及法警（USMS）等機構聘用的23,000多名員工，以及在遍佈全美94個美國總檢查辦公室工作的5800名律師，都將接受培訓。

2016年5月13日時，亞太裔黨團發信給司法部稽查長要求獨立調查，種族，族裔貨原國籍 等，在最近那些華裔美人被懷疑為間諜的案件中，是不是因素之一。在趙美心發出這封信之前，已有類似的要求信件，在去年5月、11月，以及亞太裔黨團去年11越和總檢察長蘿瑞塔林奇會晤時，都發出過。

MAYOR WALSH, BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS CELEBRATE MAJOR MILESTONE REACHED IN DEARBORN STEM ACADEMY CONSTRUCTION

MAYOR WALSH, BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS CELEBRATE MAJOR MILESTONE REACHED IN DEARBORN STEM ACADEMY CONSTRUCTION

Topping off marks first new City school in 15 years

BOSTON - Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the City of Boston's Public Facilities Department, and the Boston Public Schools (BPS) were joined by the Massachusetts School Building Authority and Gilbane Inc. to celebrate a major milestone in the construction of the Dearborn Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)  Academy, as the school hosted a topping off ceremony. The topping off ceremony of Boston's first STEM school marked the completion of the new building's structural steel. The project is slated to be completed in December 2017. "The topping off of the Dearborn STEM Academy is a major step forward in ensuring every Boston student has the resources and facilities they need to thrive," said Mayor Walsh. "This state-of-the-art facility paves the way for a strong future. As the first new school construction project the City has undertaken in 15 years, the Dearborn shows that Boston is committed to investing in our public education system. Countless students will benefit from the new Dearborn, and I thank all of our partners who are making this new school possible." The school is funded through Building a Better Boston, Mayor Walsh's $1.9 billion five-year capital plan. In addition, the $73 million project is utilizing state grant funds, and will be reimbursed upwards of  $37 million by the Massachusetts School Building Authority ("MSBA"). The design of the new school is based upon a project-based learning curriculum, with an emphasis on STEM education. There will be a Learning Commons on the ground floor that will include a state-of-the-art library/media center, educational classrooms, and science laboratories that will provide an ideal environment for 21st century learning.   "From day one, the Mayor, myself, and all respective partnering agencies have been committed to ensuring that these children have access to classrooms that are state-of-the-art learning spaces," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. "I extend my gratitude to all who made this possible. Upon its completion in December next year, the Dearborn building will not only be a school to students, but it will also be a home away from home, supporting the most effective school practices to guide every student to a pathway of success." "The Academy will ultimately serve a diverse, cross-representation of students, faculty, and staff and will stand as an educational platform to engage students in learning opportunities related to the construction trades," said Ryan E. Hutchins, Gilbane Senior Vice President. "There are so many people who are an integral part of this team who have embraced the challenges of this critical community project, with impressive results and milestones to date. In addition, in conjunction with the City of Boston Residents program and our joint commitment to a diverse workforce, we are proud to share that the current workforce on-site is comprised of 44% Boston residents, 50% minorities and 10.4% females." The new Dearborn will be four-story, 128,000 square foot new building. It is designed for 600 students in grades 6-12. The forward-thinking academic program envisioned by the Dearborn Community emphasizes project and problem-based teaching and learning, integrated (cross-discipline) curriculum development and delivery, team teaching and faculty/student collaboration. The design of the new school is based upon the project-based learning curriculum. The academic spaces are organized by cohort. Each cohort will include educational classrooms, science laboratories, and special education instructional space and has access to shared amenities including a Cohort Commons and a Cohort Office. A state-of-the-art library/media center is located on the main floor adjacent to the main entrance. Facilitative Learning Centers within the classrooms include control panels where teachers can energize integrated technology tools such as interactive electronic white boards. The school will have a 50-100 seat Band Room, 50-100 seat Chorus Room, and an 11,500 sf Health and Physical Education space which includes a full-size gymnasium and 2,500 square foot weight and dance/exercise rooms. The new Dearborn will prepare its students for the ever-evolving landscape of college, career and life opportunities. Dearborn students will graduate with the 21st century skills and will be prepared and motivated to serve as thoughtful, engaged citizens, who contribute to the health, vibrancy and development of their community.