麻州總檢察官提醒大專院校移民學生的權益

AG HEALEY ISSUES ADVISORY TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ON RIGHTS OF IMMIGRANT STUDENTS ON CAMPUS

BOSTON – Following inquiries about the impact of federal immigration policies and executive orders on immigrant students at institutions of higher education, Attorney General Maura Healey today issued an advisory to public and private colleges and universities in Massachusetts on issues that may affect immigrant students. 

The advisory addresses questions and concerns, including ways to support immigrant students on campus, a potential increase of on-campus detention and deportation enforcement activities by federal immigration officers, and the ability of schools to protect information about students’ immigration status. 

                        

“Each year, thousands of dreamers and immigrant students graduate from high school and want to further their education,” AG Healey said. “Massachusetts schools should be safe places for learning. With this advisory, we hope to clarify the rights of students and public and private college and university officials so that all students can feel welcome on campus.”

“Attorney General Healey has been a forceful advocate and a great resource for Massachusetts students and colleges,” said Richard Doherty, President of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts. “Her early leadership in opposition to the initial travel ban, her work to protect DACA enrollees, her actions against predatory for-profit colleges and today’s guidance are all greatly appreciated by the higher education community.”

This follows an advisory the AG’s Office sent earlier this year reminding local public school districts of their obligation under state and federal law to provide all students with equal access to primary and secondary education, as well as guidance issued to health care providers and local public school districts on immigration enforcement and requests for information from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Today’s advisory specifically addresses policies affecting students who are grantees of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), undocumented, and those who have Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Under its current policies, ICE does not generally conduct enforcement activities such as surveillance, interviews, searches and arrests, at certain “sensitive locations,” which includes institutions of higher education (IHEs).

While the AG’s Office has no current information indicating that ICE will formally change its “sensitive location” policies, today’s advisory provides information to colleges and universities about developing protocols to use in the event that immigration officers request access to campus or seek to interview or take custody of a student, as well as proactive policies schools can adopt to support immigrant students.

The advisory also provides information about requests for information from ICE, and what protections are granted by federal privacy law and proactive steps that IHEs can take to protect students’ immigration information.

高丹尼參選國會議員 一個月籌款80萬5000元

高丹尼(Dan Koh)。(檔案照片，周菊子攝)

(Boston Orange 整理報導) 才宣佈參選國會議員妮基桑加(Niki Tsongas)的席位一個月，現年32歲的波士頓市長幕僚長高丹尼(Daniel Koh)已募得經費80萬50000元，聲勢震人。

麻州第3區國會議員妮基桑加已宣佈退休，不再競選連任，她空出來的席位在民主黨內已吸引不下五人跳進選戰。高丹尼之外，還有麻州參議員Barbara A. L’Italien和Eileen M. Donoghue，劍橋市議員Nadeem A. Mazen，以及前任國會議員Marty Meehan 的助理Lori A. Trahan。

高丹尼在這麼短時間內能籌得這麼高的競選經費，已使他成為民主黨候選人中民列前茅的重量級參選者。他的正式籌款報告，要10月15號才到繳交期，其中有5萬元是他自掏腰包的經費。

曾任民主黨國會競選委員會高層的民主黨顧問Jesse Ferguson 表示，那麼早就籌款有成，證明了高丹尼擁有足夠資源在接下來的日子裏和選民溝通，也證明高丹尼已得到足夠支持。

高丹尼目前是波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)的幕僚長，和好幾個富裕圈有良好關係。他是安多幅菲利浦學校(Phillips Academy Andover)，哈佛大學，哈佛大學商學院等名校的畢業生，當初在赫芬頓報(Huffington)工作時和創辦人Arianna Huffington合作密切，然後在擔任波士頓市長幕僚長期間，波士頓的業界及金融界鉅子也都熟知了他是誰。

從籌募競選經費的角度看，高丹尼在那麼短時間內籌得那麼多錢，都讓他令人刮目相看。2013年9月，有3個哈佛學位，曾在海軍服務的國會議員Seth W. Moulton，為挑戰當時的國會議員 John F. Tierney，在民主黨的黨內初選期間，籌得30萬元。他也和富裕圈聯繫緊密。

甘迺迪家族的政治幼苗，約瑟夫甘迺迪三世(Joe Kennedy III)在2012年參選國會議員時，正式宣布參選後，籌得的款項大約為50萬元。

根據選舉法，在每一次的選舉中，個人捐款額最高2,700元，所以初選加大選，可捐5,400元。高丹尼籌得的80萬5000元，全數註明是供初選用的經費。

 高丹尼的父親，韓裔後代高京柱(Howard Koh)，曾任美國助理衛生部部長，現為哈佛大學陳曾熙公衛學院及甘迺迪政府學院教授。他的母親Claudia A. Arrigg是眼科醫生，也是羅倫斯Arrigg眼耳診所合夥人，祖籍黎巴嫩。去年六月，他才和哈佛商管學院同學，現為Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr律師樓律師的Amy Sennett結婚。 他為參選這第3區國會議員席位，最近才搬回他生長的地方，和數名在地的重量級民主黨政治人物角逐。

國會議員第3區的範圍，包括從哈佛希爾(Haverhill)到溫辰頓(Winchendon)，沿著新罕布夏州邊界的土地，向南則到馬柏洛夫(Marlborough)及赫德遜(Hudson)。

妮基桑加的這席位，共和黨也有人參選，目前是上周宣佈參選的Pepperell汽車零件公司高管，Rich Green。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES $13 MILLION IN CLASSROOM FURNITURE UPGRADES FOR BPS SCHOOLS THROUGH BUILDBPS INVESTMENT

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES $13 MILLION IN CLASSROOM FURNITURE UPGRADES FOR BPS SCHOOLS THROUGH BUILDBPS INVESTMENT

BuildBPS' fund will equip schools with resources and tools to foster 21st century learning

BOSTON - Wednesday, October 4, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the first expenditures of his $1 billion BuildBPS initiative, a collective $13 million investment in every Boston Public Schools (BPS) building to provide immediate, tangible, short-term capital investments for the current school year. First announced by Mayor Walsh at the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, the funding is made available through the 21st Century Schools Fund, part of the BuildBPS 10-Year Educational and Facilities Master Plan, and will create more flexible learning spaces with comfortable, movable furniture and digital screens. "This immediate investment allows our schools to adapt to the ever-changing needs of 21st century teaching and learning," said Mayor Walsh. "As we prepare students to be competitive in the global economy, it is important that our instructional spaces are designed for innovation and collaboration." Every school in the district will receive an allocation from the fund. Principals and Headmasters provided input on the types of investments needed and had an opportunity to preview new classroom furniture in professional development sessions before the start of the new school year. They now will work with School Site Councils to select from a menu of items, including: adjustable desks that can be used for large groups, small teams, or individual learning; ergonomic chairs and stools; portable teacher lecterns; and movable storage units to encourage flexible learning environments. "The School Committee is appreciative of the work the BuildBPS team has done in thoroughly researching and understanding the needs of our schools," said Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael O'Neill. "This investment is another step toward ensuring our students and teachers have the tools they need to succeed." BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang said the investment will help transform classrooms into more interactive settings rather than relying on the centuries-old approach of teachers facing students seated in rows of stationary desks. "Innovative instruction is all about teaching in a variety of styles," Dr. Chang said. "The 21st Century Schools Fund provides teachers greater flexibility to meet the needs of all students in classrooms equipped for interaction and creativity." School allocations for the 21st Century Schools Fund were determined using a formula designed to ensure equitable distribution based on each school's enrollment, furniture condition, and level of student need. The final formula designates a base amount of $100 per student. That $100 was then multiplied by a multiplier based on each school's "furniture score" from the Learning Environment portion of the BuildBPS facility assessments, adding greater weight to schools with furniture in poor condition. Lastly, that total was multiplied by the number of weighted students at each school, leading to each school's total allocation. School leaders applauded the investments, including Walter Henderson, principal of the Mattapan Early Elementary School, a new school serving pre-K through grade 1 with programming focused on the Haitian-American community and trauma-sensitive practices. "As we open a new school, we are excited that our facility investments will create a fun learning environment for our students and allow us the flexibility to meet their individual needs," Henderson said. Traci Walker Griffith, principal of the Eliot K-8 Innovation School in the North End, recently received tables of alternating heights and movable desks that "nest" within one another, among other items. "We always say our classrooms have looked the same for the past 200 years. However, this is truly an opportunity to re-think how we design learning spaces with students always being at the center," said Walker Griffith. "Having different configurations in the classroom helps teachers facilitate learning while allowing students of all abilities the opportunity to learn in pairs, small groups, or a large group." In March, Mayor Walsh announced that BuildBPS will invest $1 billion over the next decade in school building construction, renovation, expansion, and repair projects. The City's Public Facilities Department and BPS Facilities Department have already invested in various BuildBPS projects including: Seven schools across the city received 3,000 new windows, and five schools received new roofs and boilers through Accelerated Repair Projects, funded in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), totaling nearly $39 million. Construction continued on the new $73 million Dearborn 6-12 STEM Academy near Dudley Square in Roxbury, scheduled to open in September 2018. After completing the successful major renovation of the Eliot School's North Bennett Street location in the North End, the City launched the $20 million second phase of the project for the Eliot Upper School on Commercial Street. The second phase of renovation for Another Course to College, in the former E. Greenwood building in Hyde Park, also began this summer. BuildBPS helped inform the final Imagine Boston 2030 plan, Boston's first citywide plan in over 50 years. Imagine Boston 2030 is a comprehensive vision to boost quality of life, equity and resilience in every neighborhood across the city. Both plans lay out a strategic framework to provide 21st century learning experiences and facilities for students. Today's announcement marks progress being made towards these goals. For more information on BuildBPS, please click here or visit the BuildBPS dashboard, a web-based data visualization tool.

朱雲漢與台大社科院代表團訪波交流

波士頓經文處長賴銘琪((左二)宴請台大社科院張佑宗副院長(左一起)、
台大政治系朱雲漢教授、台大政治系黃旻華教授。(經文處堤共)

(麻州訊)賴銘琪處長夫婦10月1日晚間款宴由台大政治系朱雲漢教授與台大社科院副院長兼政治系主任張佑宗教授所率領的訪問團。該團團員共計17名，涵蓋台大政治系、經濟系、國家發展研究所、東亞民主研究中心、中研院政治所及清華大學等臺灣知名學術機構。

賴處長致詞表示，能以台大政治系友身分在波士頓接待訪問團，尤其見到朱雲漢教授及多位政治系友，備感溫馨，歡迎國內學者常來此與本地知名學府進行交流。

朱雲漢教授代表訪問團感謝賴處長夫婦接待，續稱此行率領國內年輕精銳學者在哈佛大學舉辦兩場學術研討會，並以台大「東亞民主研究計畫」為基礎，發表相關研究成果。哈佛大學執全球學界牛耳，我國內青年學者能有機會來此交流觀摩，難能可貴。

該團於9月28日至10月3日訪問波士頓，並就東亞與中國大陸政治研究等議題與哈佛大學政府學系、費正清中心與亞洲中心等進行討論，成果豐碩。(波士頓經文處提供)

Boston City Council Votes to Authorize Community Choice Energy

Boston City Council Votes to Authorize Community Choice Energy

Authorization formerly begins process to develop plan, solicit bids, and receive public feedback

Boston - At the October 4th City Council meeting, the Boston City Council voted unanimously to authorize the City of Boston to adopt Community Choice Energy (CCE) with the goal of significantly ramping up the consumption of renewable energy across the city.

The order, which had been filed by Council President Michelle Wu and City Councilor Matt O’Malley, calls for an aggregation plan with a new default option that includes 5 percent more renewable energy sources than minimum state standards, as well as an opt-in option of 100 percent renewable energy.

Although the source of customers’ electricity would be greener, Boston residents would experience no disruption in their service and no change in how they experience billing. Eversource will still distribute energy to homes and businesses, and administer billing each month. In addition, as mandated for all municipal aggregation plans, Boston’s CCE plan will include an “opt-out” for any resident who wishes to remain on the Eversource basic plan.

“CCE is one of the strongest tools we have at the municipal level to reduce Boston’s carbon footprint,” said Council President Wu. “The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that we can achieve with this program are equivalent to taking 6,400 cars off of Boston streets. In addition to helping us to meet our climate goals, this program would also be a significant investment in the growing green energy economy. Jobs in wind and solar are growing at a rate 12 times faster than the overall economy, and this will help our region continue to tap into those opportunities. It’s truly a win-win for the environment and our economy. I look forward to the public process over the next months as we work out the details.”

“I am proud of the grassroots efforts of advocates such as the Boston Climate Action Network who conducted robust education and outreach in the City of Boston on this issue,” said Councilor and Chairman of the Environment and Sustainability Committee Matt O’Malley. “It is imperative that now more than ever, cities and towns lead on environmental initiatives such as CCE. This will further our goals in combating global climate change and reducing the production of greenhouse gas.”

The Sierra Club in Massachusetts praised the passage of this authorization order. “With this bold move today the Boston City Council has made it clear Boston is a leading city in the fight against climate change," said Emily Norton, Massachusetts Director for the Sierra Club. "Community choice energy means more local jobs, better public health, stable electricity prices, and more access to clean, renewable energy for all Bostonians. We are especially grateful to Council President Wu and Councilor O’Malley for their leadership pushing CCE forward.”

The legislative vote is the first step in the state’s process for municipalities to develop an electricity aggregation plan. The order now goes to Mayor Walsh for his signature and then for the Administration to begin due diligence in analyzing prices, soliciting bids from energy vendors, and conducting a full public process

TREASURER GOLDBERG AND ABCC CONDUCT OPERATION SAFE CAMPUS

TREASURER GOLDBERG AND ABCC CONDUCT OPERATION SAFE CAMPUS

Program Cracks Down on Underage Drinking on College Campuses

BOSTON – Massachusetts State Treasurer Deb Goldberg along with the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC) have launched Operation Safe Campus. The annual program is designed to specifically target underage drinking on college campuses.  This initiative begins each year when students return to colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth.

“Increased enforcement efforts save lives and prevent tragedies before they happen,” said Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who oversees the ABCC. “Operation Safe Campus helps to control underage drinking and acts as an effective deterrent to serving and selling to minors.”

The initiative primarily consists of enforcement in the parking lots and surrounding streets of specific liquor stores and bars that have historically had a severe problem with underage individuals purchasing alcoholic beverages through false identification or through adults buying alcoholic beverages for them.

The program focuses on front-line prevention, with investigators calling a teen’s parents when violations occur. ABCC officials say that most parents are unaware that their children are involved in the use of alcohol, and that the intervention is a powerful tool toward family involvement in addressing the problem of underage drinking.

"We want to draw attention to the dangers of alcohol abuse and underage drinking," said Jean Lorizio, chairperson of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission. "We are making people aware that underage drinking can have devastating consequences on them and the individuals they love."

In 2016 ABCC enhanced enforcement found 1027 minors in possession or transporting alcoholic beverages, 223 adults procuring alcohol for minors and 118 individuals in possession of false identification. Investigators confiscated approximately 399 cases of beer and 469 bottles of alcohol, preventing delivery to approximately 6286 underage individuals. 

Approximately 1,825 college students between the aged 18–24 die each year from alcohol-related injuries, including motor vehicle crashes; 696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking and 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report experiencing alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. In Massachusetts alone, the overall cost of alcohol abuse by youth is estimated at $1.4 billion.

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES BOSTON AWARDED $2.4 MILLION FROM SAMHSA TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HOUSING AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES BOSTON AWARDED $2.4 MILLION FROM SAMHSA TO INCREASE ACCESS TO HOUSING AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES

Cooperative Agreement to Benefit Homeless Individuals (CABHI) has been awarded to help Bostonians receive housing, treatment and recovery support services

BOSTON - Wednesday, October 4, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that the City of Boston has received a $2.4 million federal award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support Boston's continued work in ending chronic and veteran homelessness. The grant will serve 270 chronically homeless individuals by further increasing the City's capacity to house and provide treatment for homeless individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. Boston's funds from the $2.4 million SAMHSA grant will be distributed between the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) and the Pine Street Inn. "To best set up our residents for success with housing, we have a multi-faceted support system in place and provide them with the wraparound services necessary to get on their feet and stay on their feet," said Mayor Walsh. "Since 2014, the City of Boston has housed over 1,100 chronically homeless individuals and veterans, and thanks to SAMHSA and our partner the Pine Street Inn, I'm proud to say that we will be able to put a roof over the heads of another 270 chronically homeless individuals." This grant will support the Boston Cooperative Agreement to Benefit Homeless Individuals (CABHI) project during a three-year period. The funds will provide 270 chronically homeless individuals and homeless veterans with permanent housing; the behavioral health and other supports they need to stay in their new homes; and will improve their health and well-being through increasing access to employment, benefits and peer support. Participants will engage with a Citywide network of service providers, while the grant builds the capacity of the existing citywide infrastructure to achieve the goal of ending chronic homelessness in Boston. "Pine Street Inn is thrilled to be one of the recipients of the SAMHSA grant," said Pine Street Inn President & Executive Director Lyndia Downie. "We know that working in partnership with the Boston Public Health Commission and Boston Housing Authority, we will be able to provide critical support to those dealing with homelessness, mental illness and addiction, helping them to rebuild their lives." Through the participation of the Boston Housing Authority, participants in the CABHI initiative will be provided housing through a mix of public housing slots and mobile vouchers for subsidized housing. In addition, participants will receive intensive case management and will be connected to employment assistance, benefits assistance and behavioral health treatment, as well as to access to medical and other services. Taken together, this pairing of subsidized housing and supportive services, known as "permanent supportive housing," is one of the fundamental solutions outlined in Boston's Way Home, the City's plan to end veteran and chronic homelessness in Boston by 2018. The grant awarded to Boston is part of a $121 million nationwide award from SAMHSA to provide treatment and services for mental and substance use disorders. The grants will be administered as part of SAMHSA's Recovery Support Strategic Initiative, which aims to increase access to permanent housing for people with mental and/or substance use disorders and their families. "By bringing resources to organizations on the front lines of homelessness, we are giving communities the opportunity to change lives," said Dr. Kimberly Johnson, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at SAMHSA. In January 2016, Mayor Walsh announced Boston had ended chronic veteran homelessness; to date, nearly 850 homeless veterans have been housed. In 2016, the City scaled up its efforts to end chronic homelessness; since January of 2016, 391 chronically homeless individuals have been housed representing 2,300 years of homelessness ended. Boston's Way Home has redesigned the way Boston offers services to homeless individuals. Rather than counting on shelter as the solution to the issue, Boston has moved toward a housing-first model, where an individual's entrance into the shelter system is also their entrance to a path toward permanent, stable housing. Through investments in housing, technology and system redesign, Boston is on track to meet its goal of ending chronic homelessness by 2018. Today's announcement supports the initiatives of Imagine Boston 2030, Boston's Citywide plan, which will guide growth to support our dynamic economy and expand opportunity for all. The plan supports both the housing, and health and safety goals of the plan by providing wraparound services for people in need of housing and recovery services. To learn more, visit imagine.boston.gov. About the Boston Public Health Commission The Boston Public Health Commission, the country's oldest health department, is an independent public agency providing a wide range of health services and programs. It is governed by a seven-member board of health appointed by the Mayor of Boston. Public service and access to quality health care are the cornerstones of our mission - to protect, preserve, and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, particularly those who are most vulnerable. The Commission's more than 40 programs are grouped into six bureaus: Child, Adolescent & Family Health; Community Health Initiatives; Homeless Services; Infectious Disease; Recovery Services; and Emergency Medical Services. About Boston Housing Authority (BHA)  Boston Housing Authority (BHA) provides affordable housing to more than 58,000 residents in and around the City of Boston. Residents are assisted through a combination of public housing and federal and state voucher subsidy programs that provide a wide variety of housing opportunities. As the largest public housing authority in New England, the BHA houses close to 9 percent of the city's residents.  Our mission is to provide stable, quality affordable housing for low and moderate income persons; to deliver these services with integrity and mutual accountability; and to create living environments which serve as catalysts for the transformation from dependency to economic self-sufficiency. About Pine Street Inn (PSI) Founded in 1969 as an emergency shelter, Pine Street Inn began creating permanent housing with on-site support staff for homeless men and women in 1984. Today, Pine Street operates 41 housing locations with over 950 tenants throughout Greater Boston. Reaching more than 1,900 individuals daily, Pine Street provides permanent housing, job training, emergency shelter and street outreach, with a goal to help men and women reach their highest level of independence.

MAYOR WALSH, STUDENTS CELEBRATE NEW GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AT WASHINGTON IRVING MIDDLE SCHOOL

MAYOR WALSH, STUDENTS CELEBRATE NEW GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AT WASHINGTON IRVING MIDDLE SCHOOL

New design elements protect environment, serve as outdoor classroom and play area

BOSTON - Tuesday, October 3, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined students and staff of the Washington Irving Middle School in Roslindale, along with leaders from the Boston Public Schools and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, to unveil the school's new environmentally-friendly playscape, which integrates green infrastructure principles into the school's outdoor areas. "Boston has become a national and international leader when it comes to sustainability. Protecting our environment is a core value of everything we do -- from parks to transportation to how we design our schools," said Mayor Walsh. "The outdoor learning aspects of the Irving project is a first of its kind for the Commonwealth, and I congratulate both the Washington Irving School and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission on this cutting-edge project that is expanding learning opportunities for our students, and making our City more resilient." Today's announcement builds on the Administration's commitment to green infrastructure. In addition to the Washington Irving Middle School, four other Boston Public Schools will be participating in the green infrastructure initiative, a $1.5 million multi-year investment. The four other schools include: David A. Ellis Elementary School in Roxbury, Rafael Hernandez K-8 School in Roxbury, Jackson Mann/Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Allston and the Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers in the Fenway. The Hernandez School will be the next project, to be completed in October 2017. "At the Irving school, we focus on providing students with a safe and engaging learning environment.  We intentionally design learning experiences that allow students to make their thinking visible through explanation and demonstration of their reasoning," said Washington Irving Principal Carmen Davis. "This new green infrastructure redesign will allow us to accomplish our mission on a daily basis in our physical education and science classrooms. We are excited about the endless learning opportunities our students will have as a result of this project." The Irving School project is a collaboration between the Boston Public Schools (BPS) and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC), and incorporates elements of BWSC's green stormwater management best practices into BuildBPS, Boston's 10-year facilities and educational master plan. BWSC will work with each individual school selected to participate in the initiative to identify opportunities to add or improve green infrastructure. New features at the Washington Irving Middle School include:  A significant amount of green space that has transformed the look and feel of the school. The Washington Irving was previously surrounded by paved areas and bare ground.    The green infrastructure (GI) designs for this project include outdoor classroom and laboratory spaces so that students, teachers and community members can interact with the space and gain a better understanding of how stormwater is managed. Teachers in Boston will receive stormwater/GI curriculum that will allow them to better relay complex concepts using visual and physical aids.  Adjacent to the turf field is an outdoor classroom space containing an extensive bioretention area surrounded by boulders where students can sit, play and interact with nature. In addition, a designated bus lane was added to the rear parking lot of the Irving School. The parking lot has also been divided by two swalesthat collect stormwater: one is concrete, and the other is vegetated. The two different swales offer students a hands-on demonstration of "grey" versus "green" infrastructure, illustrating the most innovative ways to protect our environment.       "This project is truly a win-win for our students and our environment," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. "It has transformed an asphalt-covered lot, where buses once dropped off and picked up students, into a dynamic space with a turf field and track now used solely for students to safely play and exercise outdoors. The new athletic facility also gives the Washington Irving's sports teams a place to call their own." The green infrastructure of the Irving playground space helps reduce stormwater runoff that sends pollutants into our waterways, and the bioretention area, also called a rain garden, also serves as an outdoor space where students can learn about nature and ways to preserve it. "BWSC's goal through green infrastructure design is to protect and promote water quality in Boston's receiving waters, including Boston Harbor and the Charles, Neponset and Mystic Rivers. Green infrastructure projects like the one at the Washington Irving School are essential for Boston's future," said BWSC Executive Director Henry F. Vitale. "It's wonderful that our students are able to learn about protecting the environment in a setting where education can be both fun and interactive. BWSC is honored to be a part of Mayor Walsh's and BPS's initiative." "The green infrastructure redesign at the Washington Irving Middle School provides an excellent example of what the future of science education and sustainable building design look like," said Elisabeth Cianciola, aquatic scientist at the Charles River Watershed Association. "The Charles River Watershed Association is thrilled to have been a partner on this project and looks forward to seeing more projects like this in Boston and other communities around the river."' About Boston Public Schools The Boston Public Schools (BPS), the birthplace of public education in the United States, serves nearly 57,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in 125 schools. BPS is committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in a world-class system of innovative, welcoming schools. We partner with the community, families, and students to develop in every learner the knowledge, skill, and character to excel in college, career, and life. About the Boston Water and Sewer Commission Boston is home to New England's oldest and largest water, sewer and stormwater systems, which are owned, maintained and operated by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC). Established in 1977, BWSC provides potable water and sewer services to more than one million people per day. BWSC is also the leading organizer of We Are All Connected, a campaign to raise public awareness about the importance of protecting and preserving Boston's waterways. For more information please visit: www.bwsc.org.