邦克丘社區學院校長余慕潔獲白宮表揚

邦克丘社區學院校長余慕潔(右)(圖片擷自該校網站)

邦克丘社區學院校長余慕潔 9月30日在白宮獲表揚。
美國總統奧巴馬今年在全美選出11人，表揚他們推動改變，幫助缺乏資源者獲得上大專院校的機會。
獲表揚機構中，只有兩個是社區學院。

President Eddinger was honored at the White House on September 30, when President Obama named Eddinger one of the nation’s eleven “Champions of Change for College Opportunity.” View  the video and pictures of event

She and Bunker Hill Community College are recognized for their work in developing pathways and learning communities to help under-represented populations achieve college success. Only one other community college was recognized with this honor.

Champions of Change for College Opportunity are chosen for their leadership and tireless work to expand opportunity for students from all backgrounds to advance to and through college. President Eddinger was nominated by White House staff following her previous visits to the White House for a Higher Education summit hosted by President Obama.

Eddinger also served on a panel at the White House with Dr. Eloy Ortiz Oakley of Long Beach City College; Dr. Dan Porterfield, President, Franklin and Marshall College; Julia Price, Director, Albany Promise; Michael Holmes, COO, Inroads. Roberto J. Rodríguez, who serves in the White House Domestic Policy Council as Deputy Assistant to the President for Education, moderated the panel. “Her work is really around scaling up the reforms and opportunities to really help, to make sure those students are able to move through the college system and move into credit bearing coursework, and focus on college completion. Thank you so much, Pam, for your great work,” said Rodriguez.

Watch the video where President Eddinger takes part in a panel. Learn more about the Champions of Change for College Opportunity on the White House blog.

Recognizing College Opportunity “Champions of Change”

SEPTEMBER 27, 2016 AT 11:52 AM ET BY STEFANI JONES

TWITTER FACEBOOK EMAIL 

Summary: 

The White House will recognize eleven individuals from across the country as “White House Champions of Change for College Opportunity.”

October 1 is the first opportunity for students to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2017-2018 school year. This week, the White House is announcing changes to this year's process and previewing new tools that will ensure students are provided with timely information to access financial aid to attend a good-value school.

On Friday, eleven individuals from across the country will be honored at the White House on Friday as “Champions of Change for College Opportunity” who have done important work in their own communities to strengthen access to high-quality education.

President Barack Obama greets students in the Blue Room of the White House before delivering a statement on college affordability and interest rates on student loans, June 21, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

These individuals were selected by the White House for their leadership and tireless work to expand opportunity for students from all backgrounds to advance to and through college. These leaders know, like President Obama, that expanding opportunity for more students to enroll and succeed in college is necessary to strong communities and a strong economy. This is especially true for disadvantaged students and those in low-income households.

Over the last seven and a half years, the President has made historic progress on college opportunity – doubling investments in college scholarships through Pell Grants and tax credits, simplifying the free application for federal student aid, calling on Congress to keep student loans affordable by keeping interest rates low, creating better debt repayment options like the President’s Pay as You Earn plan, and promoting innovation and competition to bring down college costs and improve the quality of education.

Through the President and First Lady’s Call-to-Action on College Opportunity since 2014, hundreds of schools, nonprofits, foundations, businesses, counselors, and other organizations have reported that they have already helped students access more than $5 billion in financial aid, enrolling 1 million more students in college, and setting 10 million more students on track to complete on time within the decade.

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 Friday, September 30, at 9:00 AM ET. Follow the conversation at #WHChamps and #CollegeOpportunity. 

Here are the individuals who will be recognized at the White House on Friday:

Kim Cook – Washington, District of Columbia

Kim Cook is the Executive Director of the National College Access Network, where she leads its efforts to help states, nonprofit organizations, schools, higher education institutions, philanthropists, and the business community provide better college access and persistence support to low-income and underrepresented students. She has worked in the higher education and college access field for her entire professional career, including experience in undergraduate admissions, administration of a last-dollar scholarship program, and a succession of responsibilities at NCAN. As a Pell Grant recipient herself, she has a passion for the success of students underrepresented in higher education.  Kim holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Pace University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Law, Economics and Government from The American University.

Pam Eddinger – Boston, Massachusetts

Pam Eddinger, PhD, is the president of Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) in Boston. BHCC is an urban 2-year public institution serving 19,000 learners annually.   With 95% of entering students testing below college level in math and 45% in English, the College is scaling up reforms in developmental education to ensure retention and on-time completion. Compression and acceleration strategies for math and English take students to college level work in a year.  Companion programs such as career-focused early college pathways and intensive Learn and Earn internship programs add to the overall retention/completion strategy.  The Massachusetts community colleges educate one out of two undergraduates in the Commonwealth.  In light of the workforce development needs in the next decade, the increase in retention and degree completion of BHCC students, and their placement into high-wage, middle-skills jobs will be critical to the growth of the local economy.

Michael T. Holmes – New Rochelle, New York

Michael T. Holmes serves as Chief Operating Officer for INROADS Inc., whose mission is to develop and place talented underserved college youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership. Founded in Chicago in 1970, INROADS has positively impacted the lives of over 200,000 culturally diverse high school and college students. Michael previously worked in college admissions, financial aid, campus recruiting and talent development, and has mentored, coached and provided college, career and personal advice to young people in communities throughout the nation.  Michael has also held Board of Director roles within the Danbury NAACP, Young Life and Danbury Pathways Mentoring Programs and has also conducted numerous workshops and been a motivational speaker for Junior Achievement, A Better Chance, Urban League, The Hord Foundation and SayYes Danbury. 

Dana A. Hubbard – Springfield, Virginia

Dana A. Hubbard serves as the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) Coordinator at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, Virginia. The AVID program works to help students in the middle become college and career ready and provide them with the necessary skills to achieve academic success. In her six years as AVID coordinator she has helped to double the size of the program and has created a program that welcomes all students and motivates them to follow their dreams of going to college. In the last three years, 100% of the graduating AVID seniors have gained admittance to and enrolled in college, and all are on track to graduate on time. Dana also teaches Biology and serves as the Head Field Hockey coach at West Potomac High School.

Nicole Hurd – Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Nicole Hurd, PhD is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the College Advising Corps (CAC), headquartered in Chapel Hill. Nicole has led CAC from a pilot project in Virginia to the largest college access program in the country, placing hundreds of near peer advisers in high schools from coast-to-coast. In the 2016-2017 school year, CAC's 600 advisers will assist over 180,000 low-income, first generation, and underrepresented students in navigating the path to college. Under her leadership, CAC has launched innovative virtual advising work and has received numerous accolades, including a $10 million investment which was announced at the White House College Opportunity Summit and the 2012 National Service Impact Award from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

A’Dorian Murray-Thomas – Newark, New Jersey

A’Dorian Murray-Thomas is a recent college graduate and the Founder and Executive Director of SHE Wins Inc., a Newark-based leadership program for girls ages 10-15 years old who have been affected by violence. Before founding SHE Wins, A'Dorian designed and co-facilitated "SSEP", a free SAT preparation and self-empowerment program that served students from over fifteen different high schools in the Newark area. A'Dorian's organization has provided mentorship, academic, and emotional supports for nearly 50 girls, and has impacted the lives of nearly 1,000 people in the city of Newark through community service projects. The SHE Wins college readiness track also allows scholars to participate in coding programs that increase exposure to STEM fields, attend national leadership conferences, visit college campuses, and enroll in the SHE Wins after-school program. A’Dorian is a 2016 graduate of Swarthmore College and holds a B.A. in Political Science and Educational Studies. She is also an alumna of the KIPP: TEAM Academy in Newark and the Northfield Mount Hermon School. 

Eloy Ortiz Oakley – Long Beach, California

Eloy Ortiz Oakley has served as President of Long Beach City College for nearly 10 years and is the co-founder of the nationally-recognized Long Beach College Promise. He serves as the co-chair of the Education Leadership Committee of the College Promise Campaign. Earlier this year he was selected as Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and will begin the role in December. He has been actively working with leaders in California to establish the California College Promise. In 2014, Eloy was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to the University of California Board of Regents. He is a product of a California community college.

Jin Park – Flushing, New York

Jin Park is the founder and director of HigherDreams and a junior at Harvard University. As a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient applying to college, Jin experienced the daunting challenges that many undocumented students face while applying to and funding their college education. Driven by his experiences, Jin founded HigherDreams, a nonprofit that seeks to help the 65,000 undocumented high school graduates reach their potential. HigherDreams has worked to consolidate resources for applying to college from the perspective of an undocumented student, and is currently doing direct outreach to high schools in Boston and NYC to make higher education more accessible for low-income and undocumented students. At Harvard, Jin is the campus coordinator of the "Define American" movement, which seeks to elevate the conversation surrounding immigration through storytelling, and also directs Harvard's "Chinatown Citizenship," a naturalization assistance program for immigrants in the greater Boston area.

Daniel R. Porterfield– Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Daniel R. Porterfield, Ph.D. has served as president of Franklin & Marshall College since 2011. Under his leadership, Franklin & Marshall has developed a distinctive student talent strategy built upon a significant increase in their need-based financial aid budget. Through his work, Franklin & Marshall has seen record application numbers and an increase in the academic profile, diversity, and selectivity of incoming classes. In addition, lower-income and first-generation students at F&M consistently achieve the same average GPA as the student body as a whole and maintaining higher retention and graduation rates. Porterfield sits on the boards of the College Board and the Lenfest College Scholarship Foundation. He has received awards for his work from the KIPP and “I Have A Dream” foundations and in 2016 was named one of the “Sixteen Most Innovative People in Higher Education” by Washington Monthly. Prior to leading Franklin & Marshall, Porterfield served as a Senior Vice President at his alma mater, Georgetown University. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and a Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities and earned his Ph.D. at The City University of New York Graduate Center.

Juliette Price – Albany, New York

Juliette serves as the director of The Albany Promise, a cross-sector collective impact partnership in Albany, NY that facilitates the improvement of educational outcomes for the city’s most vulnerable students using a shared vision, collective action, and rigorous continuous improvement. The partnership focuses its efforts on six key outcome areas including kindergarten readiness, third grade reading, eighth grade math, high school graduation, post-secondary enrollment, and post-secondary completion, and is a part of the national StriveTogether network of cities across the nation leading the field of collective impact. The Albany Promise convenes over 100 institutions to engage in systems change to create a new civic infrastructure to best serve children and families, with a special focus on eliminating racial disparities.

Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell - Atlanta, Georgia

Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. is the 10th president of Spelman College.  Dr. Campbell previously served as the Dean of the Tisch School of Arts at NYU for two decades. As president, Dr. Campbell leads an institution that is a global leader in the education of women of African descent, with more than 2,100 students from 41 states and 15 foreign countries and with a graduation rate of 76%. Over 79% of Spelman students receive financial aid and nearly half of enrolled students receive Pell Grants. Spelman is also leading work examining innovative strategies that may positively impact student learning as a 2015 U.S. Department of Education First in the World grantee.

UPDATE: This post has been updated to reflect the cancellation of the President's event at Annandale High School and a change in time for the Champions of Change event. The Champions of Change event will take place at 9:00 AM ET on Friday, September 30. The event will be live streamed on the White House website at www.whitehouse.gov/live.

邦克丘社區學院獲聯邦撥款170萬元

U.S. Department of Education Awards $1.7M AANAPISI Grant to Bunker Hill Community College

BOSTON, September 29, 2016—Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) has received a $1.7 million grant from the United States Department of Education’s Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) program, created to expand the capacity of educational institutions to serve these populations as well as low-income individuals. The funds, to be awarded over five years, will impact the College’s large and growing population of Asian American and low-income English language learners.

BHCC anticipates that the grant will deliver significant positive outcomes on enrollment, achievement, retention and completion rates through the funding of comprehensive alignment and acceleration of the College’s English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum, targeted success coaching and a substantive infusion of global learning enhanced by culturally-responsive pedagogy  across key courses in the general education curriculum.

“I am extraordinarily proud that, during its first year of eligibility, BHCC has received a prestigious AANAPISI grant,” said BHCC President Pam Eddinger. “Through this funding, BHCC will be able to implement a range of activities that will support and advance the academic success of Asian American and low-income students.”

The AANAPISI grant will make it possible for the College to implement a multi-pronged approach to improve retention and outcomes for Asian American and low-income students by reforming BHCC’s assessment and placement processes; redesigning the ESL program through a Learning Communities structure with embedded lab supports; providing wrap-around support through a robust coaching model with improved technological tools; and expanding a global learning initiative across the general education curriculum. The reform of the ESL curriculum will not only increase access, but propel students beyond the most critical barrier to their success: college-level English

美国大选在即 加州华裔名人呼吁保持制衡和监督力量

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全美中华青年联合会 www.aacyf.org     微信号：Richard3132

美国大选在即 加州华裔名人呼吁要保持制衡和监督力量

美国南加州华裔知名社会活动家、草根政治组织圣盖博谷林肯俱乐部主席何美湄10月2日下午，邀请多位参选的民选官员与选民见面，强调华裔要积极参加当地的政治运作，在今年的11月大选投票时，要考虑保持加州的政党制衡和监督力量。 近两百名社会各界人士参加了当天的集会。

何美湄和夫婿夏乐柏参议员（Bob Huff）表示：2014年的选举，华人社区真的是非常努力的参与政治的运作，因为影响华裔的SCA5法案唤醒了我们。

他们指出，政治的运作是一条长远之路，不是一年两年的工作，同时也绝对无法只靠游行提高我们的社会地位。今年的选举因为总统选举的原因，为联邦及州级选举投下许多难以捉摸的变数。

共和党在加州众议院有6个席位及参议院两个席位十分危急。今年的选举如果失利，类似SCA5的修宪案及AB1726法案会陆续出台，一个失去平衡的政府基本上是很可能对我们社区不利的。

国会众议院外交事务委员会主席Ed Royce，参选加州参议员的张玲玲，参选加州众议员的陈立德，竞选连任的加州众议员David Hadley，以及参选尔湾市市长的陈钢等都在发言中表示，一方面希望华裔选民尽快登记成为选民，另一方面更承诺要倾听华人的诉求，并为华人的权益发声。

当天的集会也得到了华人社区知名的草根政治组织金橙俱乐部的支持， 现场到处可见身穿橙色制服的金橙俱乐部义工。金橙俱乐部的魏广平表示，华裔现在最重要的是行动，他们的义工不仅为候选人助选逐户上门拜票，同时不分地域发动大量的义工打电话给登记选民，为候选人助选。

魏广平经营高科技大数据公司，2014年的助选，有近半年时间都没有接触公司的业务，今年他表示也会在大选前一个月全职投入助选义工活动，华人要意识到4年一次大选的重要性，在各级议会的党派相互制衡和监督，对于少数族裔的华人来说，至关重要。

来自南加州华裔社区的刘玉发、颜利平、朱冰峰、任向东、朱俊英、高威森、李平、刘志啸等应邀出席了当天的活动。（AACYF洛杉矶讯）

Catholic institutions around the world announce they are divesting from fossil fuel extraction, marking the largest faith-based divestment announcement

Catholic institutions around the world announce they are divesting from fossil fuel extraction, marking the largest faith-based divestment announcement

GLOBAL -- Today, on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Catholic institutions and communities from all over the world celebrated the culmination of the month-long Season of Creation with the largest joint announcement of their decision to divest from fossil fuels.

The Catholic communities committing to switch the management of their finances away from fossil fuel extraction include: The Jesuits in English Canada; the Federation of Christian Organisations for the International Voluntary Service (FOCSIV) in Italy; the Presentation Society of Australia and Papua New Guinea; SSM Health in the United States; the Diocese of the Holy Spirit of Umuarama in the Brazilian state of Paraná; the Missionary Society of St. Columban, based in Hong Kong and with a global presence in 14 countries; and the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco – Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Milan and Naples (Italy).

Commitments range from divesting from coal, as is the case of the US healthcare institution SSM, to redirecting the divested funds into clean, renewable energy investments, as FOCSIV has announced. As for the Brazilian Diocese of Umuarama, it is both the first diocese and the first Latin American institution to commit to divest from fossil fuels; the Diocese is taking steps to become low-carbon and is part of COESUS, a coalition fighting fracking in Latin America.

The fossil fuel divestment movement was acknowledged during the presentation of Pope Francis’s message on the World Day of Prayer for Creation by Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, when he pointed out that Pope Francis suggests that “social pressure—including from boycotting certain products—can force businesses to consider their environmental footprint and patterns of production. The same logic animates the fossil fuel divestment movement.”

Major Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican organizations came together betweenSeptember 1st (World Day of Prayer for Creation) and October 4th to observe the Season of Creation, calling on the 2.2 billion Christians worldwide to pray and take action to care for the Earth.

The urgent need to stop all new fossil fuel infrastructure was highlighted by a recent report which found that the potential carbon emissions from the oil, gas and coal in the world’s currently operating fields and mines would increase our planet’s temperature beyond 2°C by the end of this century, and even with no coal, the reserves in oil and gas fields alone would cause warming beyond 1.5ºC.

The campaign to divest from fossil fuels is the fastest growing divestment campaign in history, according to a report by the University of Oxford. Up to date, nearly 600 institutions worth over $3.4 trillion globally have announced divestment commitments.

This is the latest in a row of recent announcements involving faith communities and climate change. Earlier this month, it was announced that over 3,000 UK churches had switched or planned to move to green energy in 2016; Morocco, where COP22 will gather this December, will give 600 mosques agreen makeover by March 2019:  in September, the Indian government asked ashrams to invest in solar power; and just last week the Anglican Church of Southern Africa passed a motion during its provincial Synod to divest from fossil fuels.

NEW BEDFORD MAN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND WAGE THEFT FOR FORCED LABOR, THREATS AGAINST COUPLE

NEW BEDFORD MAN CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND WAGE THEFT FOR FORCED LABOR, THREATS AGAINST COUPLE

Also Faces Larceny and Assault Charges; Couple Worked for Defendant’s Cleaning Company in Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod

            NEW BEDFORD – A New Bedford man has been charged with human trafficking, larceny, assault, and wage theft in connection with forcing a couple to work for his cleaning company and threatening them, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Donny Sousa, age 38, was indicted last week by a Bristol County Grand Jury on the charges of Trafficking of Person for Forced Service (2 counts), Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (2 counts), Possession of a Firearm, Motor Vehicle Insurance Fraud, Larceny over $250, Non-Payment of Wages (2 counts), Failure to Provide a Suitable Paystub (2 counts), Employer Failure to Pay Minimum Wage (2 counts), and Untimely Payment of Wages (2 counts). Sousa will be arraigned in Bristol Superior Court at a later date.

“This defendant allegedly forced this couple to work for him for more than a hundred hours each week without paying them legal wages,” said AG Healey. “Human trafficking and wage theft are crimes that our office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute to protect residents from unfair and abusive conduct.”

The AG’s Human Trafficking and Fair Labor Divisions began an investigation into this matter after a referral from Greater Boston Legal Services. The investigation was conducted as part of a collaborative cross-bureau effort on labor trafficking cases.

            The investigation revealed that Sousa allegedly recruited a couple from Brazil to travel to the United States with their young son to work for his cleaning company, DMS Cleaning Services, based out of New Bedford. Sousa allegedly promised the victims $3,000 each a month to work for him.

            The couple arrived in the United States in December 2014 and Sousa had them begin work within hours of stepping off the plane. The AG’s Office alleges that the couple worked 12 to 15 hour shifts, seven days a week, cleaning between seven and 12 commercial properties each night. The businesses included banks, car dealerships, stores, and restaurants in locations such as Bridgewater, Fall River, Bourne, Hyannis, Dennis and Marshfield.

From the time they arrived in December 2014 to when they fled in March 2015, the victims were only paid $3,600 in total and they only had three days off during that time period. The AG’s Office alleges that Sousa still owes the couple more than $10,000 each in unpaid wages.

After the couple repeatedly asked for the rest of their wages, Sousa allegedly produced and threatened them with a handgun and refused to pay them the wages they were owed. Subsequent investigation revealed Sousa does not have a license to carry a firearm or an FID card.

Sousa also allegedly made a number of other illegal wage and hour deductions from their pay including deductions for equipment, meals, and a cell phone. 

The AG’s Office further alleges that while returning home from a cleaning job, the couple got in a car accident while driving Sousa’s vehicle. Sousa allegedly deducted $1,400 from the wages owed to them for damage to the leased vehicle and also filed a false insurance claim listing himself as the driver at the time of the accident.

After the victims fled, they applied for and were granted a one year restraining order against Sousa in New Bedford District Court. 

This is another example of AG Healey’s work on behalf of vulnerable populations. Most recently in May, a couple from Qatar paid $3,000 to resolve allegations that they failed to properly pay a live-in employee for childcare services in violation of the state’s wage and hour and domestic worker laws.

The AG’s Human Trafficking Division focuses on policy, prevention and prosecution and includes a team of specialized prosecutors, victim advocates and Massachusetts State Police troopers who handle high impact, multi-jurisdictional human trafficking investigations and prosecutions across the state. Through the Human Trafficking Division, the AG’s Office has charged more than 25 individuals in connection with human trafficking since the law was passed.

The AG’s Fair Labor Division enforces the laws regulating the payment of wages, including prevailing wage, minimum wage, and overtime laws. Workers who believe that their rights have been violated are encouraged to call the Office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465 or visit the Attorney General’s Workplace Rights website www.mass.gov/ago/fairlabor.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Snook of AG Healey’s Human Trafficking Division and Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Cotter and Inspector Jennifer Pak of the AG’s Fair Labor Division and with assistance from Victim Witness Advocate Rebecca Auld of the AG’s Victim Witness Services Division.

波士頓華埠一路燈突然倒塌

波士頓華埠巡邏隊員謝中之報告，星期一， 10/03， 下午八點半左右，在唐人街興盛糕點店舖前面的一條燈柱，不知是何原因，突然向店舖方向倒下，架在牆上，僥幸不是倒在玻璃上，沒有傷人，消防員接報，把燈柱移下，放在路旁，警方亦派出警車在旁守望，等待市政府前來處理。

波士頓公佈十名駐市藝術家 無華裔

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES TEN ARTISTS SELECTED FOR BOSTON ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

BOSTON - Monday, October 3, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, and Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) today announced the ten artists selected for the City of Boston's second year of artists-­in-­residence program, Boston AIR. This second year of the Boston AIR program helps fulfill a commitment made in Boston Creates, the city'scultural plan, and expands the size of the artist cohort, increases the length of the residencies, and grounds each residency at BCYF through their community centers and core citywide initiatives, such as the BCYF Streetworker Program, youth summer programs, and leadership development for young women. "Arts and culture form the building blocks that make our city thrive. They encourage us to engage with each other and connect to the larger community," said Mayor Walsh. "Boston AIR brings this creative practice into the work of our city departments. I am excited to announce the new Boston Artists in Residence and look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have on BCYF." Recognizing and supporting artists' essential contribution in creating and maintaining a thriving, healthy and innovative city is a stated goal in the Boston Creates plan launched earlier this summer. Boston AIR is one initiative as part of the plan that will integrate creative thinking into the work of municipal departments and planning efforts. Through Boston AIR, artists are supported as agents of reflection, collaboration, and activism, whether through process-oriented practice, direct community engagement, or as leaders of system-wide change projects at BCYF and other City agencies. The ten selected artists are invited to study and expand their own civic and social practice, alongside a parallel cohort from 10 BCYF community centers and other City employees who will explore methods to incorporate artistic social practice into government and community work. Both the artist and City cohorts will share examples of their work, attend master workshops and lectures by guest artists, and have opportunities to exchange ideas and co-design proposals.   The ten selected artists, each with firsthand knowledge of the cultures and communities of Boston, were chosen by a selection committee consisting of current Boston AIR participants, local arts professionals, BCYF leadership, and City staff. The artists are: Salvador Jimenez-Flores, an interdisciplinary artist born and raised in Jalisco, México. Jiménez­-Flores is currently participating in a two year-­long artist residency at the Harvard Ceramics Program, Office of the Arts at Harvard University. He is also a Resident Teaching Artist at Urbano Project and instructor at both Wheelock College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Harvard Ceramics Program, Office of the Arts at Harvard University. Maria Molteni, a multimedia artist, educator, and organizer who has lived and worked in Boston for the past 15 years. From fiber to found-object sculpture, puppetry to pedagogy, movement to publication, she employs tactile and tactical processes to encourage participation over spectatorship. Lina Giraldo, a Colombia-born, Boston-based artist, she explores the questions of being Latino in the US. This is why for over 15 years her work has been focused on creating messages where she depicts the fragility of our environment, immigration concerns, and community equality. Jennifer De Leon has worked as a teacher in Boston Public Schools, a public speaker, a college access counselor in Roxbury, a GrubStreet Creative Writing instructor, and most recently, as the Associates of the Boston Public Library Writer­-in-­Residence. She currently teaches at Emerson and Berklee and is working on two novels and an essay collection. Marjorie Saintil­-Belizaire is a Haitian-­American mixed media artist who lives and creates in Mattapan. Her work is driven by her fascination of color and the physicality of texture. With art degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Boston University, she believes the making of art is an ongoing experiment in an ongoing process. Cornell Coley, M.Ed. is an experienced drummer, dancer, teacher, and public performance artist whose influences include the traditions of West and Central Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil. Also a trained HealthRHYTHMS facilitator and certified by the Drum Circle Facilitators Guild, he works in community-building, education, and therapy. Charles Coe is an author and poet. His poetry and prose has appeared in a number of literary reviews and anthologies and has published two books of poetry. He is in the second year of a three-year term as an Artist Fellow for the St. Botolph Club, an organization that supports arts and the humanities in Greater Boston. Ann Hirsch is a public artist, sculptor and educator creates site-specific works that integrate historical and contemporary practices. Ann gained wide recognition with a sculpture on the plaza of Boston City Hall dedicated to the legacy of human rights activist and basketball champion Bill Russell. She teaches at Rhode Island School of Design. John A. Walsh tells stories with and pictures. John is the co-author and illustrator of the graphic novel The Bad Times, a story of love and friendship set during the Irish Famine. His graphic narratives often explore the intersection of racism, religious bigotry, and immigration.  Rashin Fahandej is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose projects include feature documentaries, video-sound installations, photo, sculpture, and painting. Fahandej is currently a research fellow at the MIT Open Documentary Lab where she is researching new forms of documentary filmmaking and developing a transmedia project based on the narratives and stories in the city of Boston. Each artist will be awarded a $22,500 stipend for a nine-month-long residency to develop and test ways that creative approaches can meaningfully impact the work of the public sector and society at large. Each artist will be paired with one of ten designated BCYF community centers and provided a studio space at that center. "When we began the Boston Artists in Residence program, we hoped that by embedding the artists in City Departments  it would bring creative thought to municipal problem solving and project implementation," said Julie Burros, Chief of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston. "The work of our first three Artists in Residence exceeded our expectations. This time, we hope to have the same impact on the work being done by Boston Centers for Youth & Families." The mission of Boston Centers for Youth & Families is to enhance the quality of life of Boston's residents by partnering with various organizations to offer a wide range of comprehensive programs and activities according to neighborhood needs and interests. BCYF's ACES programming framework (arts, civic  and community engagement, education, and sports and fitness) is designed to provide access to these programs at every BCYF center. Through Boston AIR, BCYF hopes to expand their arts and civic engagement programs. The residencies will be grounded in the following community centers: BCYF Roslindale Community Center, Roslindale BCYF Blackstone Community Center, South End BCYF Perkins Community Center, Dorchester BCYF Mattahunt Community Center, Mattapan BCYF Quincy Community Center, Chinatown BCYF Curley Community Center, South Boston BCYF Tobin Community Center, Mission Hill BCYF Vine Street Community Center, Roxbury BCYF Curtis Hall Community Center, Jamaica Plain BCYF Hyde Park Community Center, Hyde Park "There are so many benefits to being exposed to art at a young age," said William Morales, Commissioner of Boston Centers for Youth & Families. "We are honored to host these talented people in our community centers and look forward to seeing how their projects will help enhance the work that we do here at BCYF." Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) The Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture's mission is to support artists, the cultural sector, and to promote access to the arts for all. The office houses the Boston Cultural Council, the Boston Art Commission, the Mayor's Mural Crew,and the Poet Laureate program. Responsibilities include leading the City's cultural plan, Boston Creates; managing the Boston Artist-in-Residence program; curating exhibitions in City Hall; and operating the historic Strand Theater in Dorchester. For more information, please visit here. About the Boston Creates Cultural Plan The cultural plan was created out of a year-long community engagement effort designed to help local government identify cultural needs, opportunities, and resources and to prioritize, coordinate, and align public and private resources to strengthen cultural vitality over the long term.  The full cultural plan can be found online on the website. Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) The mission of Boston Centers for Youth & Families is to enhance the quality of life of Boston's residents by partnering with various organizations to offer a wide range of comprehensive programs and activities according to neighborhood needs and interests. BCYF operates 36 community centers which offer affordable programs ranging from after school, teen and girls-only programs to youth employment, violence prevention and intervention, senior activities, and recreation. For more information, please visit here.

Baker-Polito Administration Highlights Progress on Regulatory Reform Initiative

Baker-Polito Administration Highlights Progress on Regulatory Reform Initiative

Quarantine time aligned with national recommendations to improve lives for shelter animals, increase space

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and Administration and Finance Secretary Kristen Lepore joined the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) today to highlight significant changes in state regulations as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s extensive regulatory review process, including improving the lives of shelter animals and increasing space and flexibility for animal shelters.

“When we first began this review, our commitment was to providing exceptional service and making the Commonwealth a more efficient, competitive and safer place to live, work and raise our families,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The streamlining of regulations to improve accountability to our citizens, municipalities, businesses, non-profits, healthcare providers and educational institutions was an extensive process. We are pleased to work with stakeholders like the Animal Rescue League to allow them to more efficiently do their job, serving more animals in need, and allowing them to recover humanely.”

Consistent with national recommendations, the changes reduced quarantine periods for unvaccinated dogs and cats possibly exposed to rabies from six months to four months, allowing The Animal Rescue League and other animal shelters across the state to save and find homes for more animals in need. The changes were made as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s extensive regulatory reform review announced by Executive Order shortly after taking office, involving over 131 listening sessions and 1,000 stakeholder comments on roughly 1,700 Executive Branch regulations, the vast majority of which have been created since 1970.

“This administration has devoted itself to better serving our Commonwealth’s cities and towns,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, “This comprehensive review of over 1,700 regulations, in addition to municipal reform legislation enacted earlier this year, will ease restrictions and make it easier for them to do their jobs and serve their constituents.”

Executive Branch agencies collaborated across Secretariats and with outside stakeholders to review each regulation, with the goals of easing regulatory burden through simplification or consolidation, rescinding outdated and unnecessary regulations, aligning with federal requirements when appropriate and establishing a regulatory code the speaks using one voice. During the review process, agencies were required to identify when each regulation would be reviewed again and establish a process to avoid the duplication of regulations in the future.

“The Baker-Polito Administration has made making Massachusetts a better place to live a key goal since taking office,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Kristen Lepore. “This thorough review of our onerous regulatory environment will dramatically improve the business climate of Massachusetts as well as improve the quality of life for non-profits that do great work like the Animal Rescue League.”

Like many animal shelters in the Commonwealth, The Animal Rescue League of Boston, has limited quarantine space, and physical capacity limits require difficult decisions to made about the euthanizing of animals suspected to have rabies. Earlier this year, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians issued new recommendations in the 2016 Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention advising reducing quarantine periods to four months due to evidence animals in isolation for an extended period of six months can become stressed and depressed, even with regular human socialization.

"I'm very pleased that Secretary Beaton and the Department of Agricultural Resources were able to work with Administration and Finance to make our Massachusetts regulations consistent with the most​ up to date veterinary science," said Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux.  "Pet owners and their animals now will be able to resume normal activity significantly sooner with no adverse effect on public health."

"We applaud Governor Baker and his team for taking swift action ensuring the humane treatment of animals and providing greater access to shelter space for more animals in need,” said Mary Nee, President of the Animal Rescue League of Boston. These newly revised regulations prove that Massachusetts takes animal welfare standards seriously and is willing to lead the country in adopting the National Association of Veterinary and Public Health recommendations.”

“Our shelter staff and veterinarians are eager to comply with these new common sense regulations.  While rabies is a serious public health concern, science proves that excessive quarantine for animals is not necessary and is potentially harmful to otherwise healthy animals,” said Dr. Edward Schettino, Vice President of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services. “With these new changes, we look forward to getting our current feline, Mischief, off quarantine and into a new home soon.”

Governor Baker’s Executive Order 562, signed March 31, 2015, initiated the first extensive top-to-bottom review of all state regulations enforced by the Executive Department since the Weld-Cellucci administration in 1996 when Governor Baker was the Secretary of Administration and Finance.

The government agencies that conducted the review had to demonstrate that: there is a clearly identified need for governmental intervention that is best addressed by the agency and not another agency or governmental body; the costs of the regulation do not exceed the benefits; the regulation does not exceed federal requirements or duplicate local requirements; there are not any less intrusive or restrictive alternatives; the regulation does not unduly and adversely affect Massachusetts citizens and customers of the Commonwealth, or the competitive environment in Massachusetts; there is a formal process in place for measuring the effectiveness of the regulation; and, the regulation is time-limited or provides for regular review. To assist in this process, A&F created a database to collect information on every regulation.