哈佛大學錄取率今年創新低 4.5%

(Boston Orange)上哈佛更難啦!根據校方公布數據，哈佛大學的錄取率已低於5%了。

2022年畢業這班，共有42,000多人申請，只有1,962人得到入學許可，錄取率僅只4.5%。去年，哈佛大學共收到39,506份入學申請，錄取率5.2%。

哈佛校方拒絕證實該校學生報，The Harvard Crimson週三晚所報導，該校2022年班級的錄取率，創下該校有史以來最低紀錄。

根據哈佛校方的一份聲明，獲得入學許可的學生們，可等到五月一日再做是否入學的決定。

根據哈 佛校方說法，20.3%的獲錄取學生來自中等或低收入家庭，這些學生有資格申請”Pell 獎助金”。那是提供給低收入家庭的聯邦補助。今年這比率也創下紀錄。

全美，大約40%的大學部學生或有”Pell獎助金”。

根據哈佛校方，2022年級班錄取的學生中，約50.1%是女性。比去年的49.3%增加了，其中非洲裔學生約佔15.5%，亞裔佔22.7%，拉丁裔12.2%，美國土著2%，本土夏威夷人4%，國際學生12%。

該校網站指出，以2018-2019學年來說，就讀哈佛大學的費用，若不計財務支援和其他獎助，大約在71,650元到76,650元之間。

Donors Choose Funds 186 Boston Public Schools Classroom Projects

Donors Choose Funds 186 Boston Public Schools Classroom Projects

Crowdsourcing Website Funds $198K Worth of Projects

BOSTON — Wednesday, March 28, 2018 — Boston Public Schools’ (BPS) teachers got a special surprise today when they learned that all of the open BPS classroom projects on nonprofit crowdsourcing website DonorsChoose.org were instantly funded in full. Ripple, a San Francisco-based technology company, and its executives, announced that they donated $29 million to fund every classroom request on the site. As part of that surprise funding, 186 projects from 145 BPS teachers were funded, totaling $156,167. Combined with citizen and corporate donations already given, $198,731 in classroom supplies and resources were supported for BPS. "We are always grateful to organizations that contribute to the education and success of Boston Public School students," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. "This generous funding made possible by both DonorsChoose.org and Ripple will have a tangible impact on our students and the entire district. We are all very thankful for this generous support." This is the first time in the 18-year history of DonorsChoose.org that a donor has funded every project on the site. Stephen Colbert revealed the news on Tuesday’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the organization celebrated all of the funded teachers on social media using the hashtag #BestSchoolDay. "At Ripple, we care about giving back to our community, and we collectively value the importance of quality education in developing the next generation of leaders," said Monica Long, SVP of Marketing at Ripple. "We’re proud to work with DonorsChoose.org to support classroom needs across the country." "We are awestruck by the generosity of the Ripple team," said Charles Best, founder of DonorsChoose.org. "Our country’s teachers and school leaders work so hard to give their students the best education possible, and we’re excited to recognize and reward their efforts with #BestSchoolDay." Now that the projects have been funded, the team at DonorsChoose.org will purchase the requested materials and ship them to Boston Public School District schools. Among the projects funded in Boston were: Building Blocks for Creative Pre-K Kids for Colleen Mason’s class at East Boston Early Education Center. Warm Boots for All for Felicia Spencer’s class at Snowden International High School at Copley. Laptops for Little Learners for Adam Hughes’s class at Orchard Gardens K-8 Pilot School in Roxbury. "I am extremely excited to receive this unbelievable donation from the Ripple team," said Spencer. "Overnight, I met all four open fundraising goals that I had posted on DonorsChoose.org, including one which was just days away from expiring. I cannot thank Ripple enough for helping to provide my students with materials that will undoubtedly have a positive impact on their lives—both inside and outside the classroom." "These donations have changed the way I approach speech therapy. I've gone from making do, to dreaming big," said Thomas Shull, a speech-language therapist at both the Snowden and Josiah Quincy Upper School in Chinatown. "I want my students to have every opportunity to reach their potential. DonorsChoose.org has supported my classroom beyond measure." As new projects appear on DonorsChoose.org, donors can search for projects from the Boston Public Schools by visiting www.donorschoose.org, clicking “Find a classroom to support,” and typing in the local school or teacher name. Teachers can create a new project by visiting www.donorschoose.org/teachers.

史匹堡動漫科幻片"頭號玩家" 今日上映

飾演大刀(Daito)的森崎溫（Win Morisaki）(右)，和戲中年僅11歲，
飾演小刀(Shoto)的Philip Zhao。

             (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 史蒂芬.史匹柏的科幻冒險片”頭號玩家(Ready Player One)”，預定29日在全美正式上映，但27日晚在波士頓廣場AMC戲院試映後，今(28)日已掛牌在大波士頓的三家戲院上映，還有標準，IMAX3D，以及3D等三種版本，供觀眾選擇。

片中主角和大小刀。

這部由華納兄弟等公司製作、發行的影片，由美國著名作者及編劇Ernest Cline的同名小說改編，時間點設在2045年，整個地球因為人口過剩，腐敗，汙染等因素，變得有如廢墟，絕大多數人們為逃避現實，都活在容許自己變成任何型態，身份，稱為綠洲(OASIS)的虛擬宇宙中。

該同名小說曾高居紐約時報暢銷書榜超過100週。

影片海報

這個虛擬宇宙，是由一個在處理個人感情上有缺陷的科技奇才所設計的電子遊戲，並由IOI這家公司在實體世界中經營著。這名科技奇才本人逝去前，設計了一套遊戲中的遊戲，附有三個謎題，每得到一把鑰匙，可以得到一個謎題的解題線索，答對所有三道謎題的人，可以獲得綠洲的控制權。

在虛擬宇宙中的許多人，都為這遊戲瘋狂，不斷參加飆車競賽，以取得鑰匙，但五年過去，卻一直沒人能有進展。

電影主角Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan飾演)卻在遊戲中愛上一同參賽的女機車手後，得到靈感，取得第一把鑰匙，然後陸續和好友合作，經歷風險，取得鑰匙，最終是典型好萊塢式的圓滿結局。

總體而言，這部電影在劇情上並沒有任何張力，故事也並不引人入勝，有些情節的編排，讓人覺得此片想要警世，可是對白及表達，卻不能讓人感動，不過片中充斥特效，幾乎一半是動漫，許多場景美輪美奐，其中有許多內容取材自不同年代的流行文化，在人工智能橫行的現代，倒還是能引人思考人類與機器，或者人工智能的相處，將來到底會是個甚麼場景。

電影結尾，所有人都走出虛擬世界，在現實世界中對談，似乎也意味著人還是不能脫離現實而活。

這部片中拯救"綠洲”的五人，兩名白人，一名黑人，兩名亞裔，彷彿也帶有寓意。這兩名亞裔，一為日裔，飾演大刀(Daito)的森崎溫（Win Morisaki），一為在戲中年僅11歲的華裔，飾演小刀(Shoto)的Philip Zhao。

這部片在波士頓地區有AMC Loews Boston Common, Kerasotes Boston Show Place ICON，以及AMC South Bay Center 12等三家戲院上演。(所有圖片由公關公司提供)

後記: 根據研究公司ComScore Inc.的4月1日估計，這部片在復活節長假期間，拿下4120萬美元票房，成為當週票房冠軍。

文稿內容於4月3日小有修正。

COMPETITIVE ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER TO PAY $5 MILLION OVER CLAIMS OF DECEPTIVE SALES TACTICS, OVERCHARGING RESIDENTS

COMPETITIVE ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER TO PAY $5 MILLION OVER CLAIMS OF DECEPTIVE SALES TACTICS, OVERCHARGING RESIDENTS

Payment Includes Millions in Restitution to Electric Customers

BOSTON – Viridian Energy, LLC, a competitive electricity supplier in Massachusetts, has agreed to pay $5 million to settle allegations of deceptive marketing and sales tactics that lured residents into costly contracts with high electricity rates, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

In an assurance of discontinuance, filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, the AG’s Office alleges that Viridian Energy, through door-to-door sales, direct mail, and family-and-friend-based “network marketing” engaged in various deceptive and unfair sales tactics. The AG’s Office also alleges that consumers who switched to Viridian ultimately paid more for electricity than if they had stayed with their utility.

“This company sent salespeople to go door-to-door and trick residents into paying much more for their electricity,” AG Healey said. “Our settlement requires Viridian to pay back millions of dollars they owe customers for their deceptive tactics and false promises. We will continue to go after competitive electricity suppliers who violate our laws.”

According to the settlement, Viridian contracted with independent sales agents and instructed them to tell potential customers, including friends and family members, that signing up with the company would save them money over time. In fact, customers paid more than they would have if they had remained with their electric utility company’s basic service.

The AG’s Office also alleges that a third-party marketer hired by Viridian to market and sell its electricity supply door-to-door engaged in widespread misconduct, including falsely promising savings, falsely representing an affiliation with the customer’s utility company, switching customers to Viridian without authorization, and other aggressive marketing tactics. 

Under the terms of the settlement, Viridian will pay a total of $5 million, including $4.6 million to provide restitution to affected customers. The remainder of the payment will go toward: offsetting the cost of the office’s investigation of Viridian; creating a new fund for future enforcement cases the office brings against competitive electric suppliers; and the state’s General Fund.

Viridian also has agreed not to market its electricity supply door-to-door in Massachusetts for the next two years, in addition to making several other changes to its marketing practices.

The AG’s Office has received hundreds of residential consumer complaints concerning the unfair and deceptive conduct of competitive electricity supply companies. AG Healey offers the following tips for residential consumers:

·         Check bills: Consumers should check to make sure that they have not been switched to Viridian or any other supplier without their consent. Consumers still receive bills from their local electric company even if they have been switched to a competitive supplier.  Consumers can find out whether they have been switched to a competitive supplier by seeing if the name of a supplier appears in the “supply charges” or “generation charges” portion of their bill.  

·         Protect personal information: Consumers should treat their electricity account number like their credit card information. An agent has the ability to switch you without your consent if this person gets your name and account number from your electricity bill. 

·         Be cautious of sales tactics: Consumers should be aware that their electric company will not send representatives to consumers’ doors or call them on the phone to talk about electricity supply rates. If a representative contacts consumers about their electricity supply rates, this person most likely works for a competitive supplier.

·         Know your rights: Consumers should not let door-to-door sales persons into their home unless the consumer knows them personally. Consumers should contact local law enforcement authorities if the sales agent refuses to leave or the consumer believes that the sales agent poses a threat to the safety of the consumer or others.

The AG’s Office has returned millions of dollars to Massachusetts customers through its previous actions against competitive energy supplies. In January 2015, Just Energy agreed to pay $4 million in restitution to consumers for deceptive marketing and sales, entering consumers into agreements without their consent, and charging costly termination fees.

Any consumer or retailer with concerns about these deceptive marketing practices should file a complaint with the AG’s Office or call the consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400. Consumers with questions can also contact the Consumer Division of the Department of Public Utilities at (877) 886-5066. 

Viridian cooperated with the AG’s investigation.

This case is being handled by Deputy Division Chief Nathan Forster, Assistant Attorney General Joseph Dorfler, Investigator Kristen Salera, and Division Chief Rebecca Tepper and all of AG Healey’s Energy & Telecommunications Division, along with Energy and Environment Bureau Chief Melissa Hoffer.

紐英崙客家鄉親慶天穿日 賴銘琪提醒:男人要聽女人話

駐波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪，雲雯蓁夫婦(後左四，左三)和紐英崙
客家鄉親會會長周一男(後左五起)，舞蹈老師余嘯渝，以及
舞蹈班成員合影，(周菊子攝)

(Boston Orange 周菊子牛頓市報導) 紐英崙客家鄉親會的”天穿日”午餐慶祝會，今年跨入第七屆，不但客家舞蹈班團員個個搖身變成美嬌娘，美得令人驚艷，客家美食名聲遠傳引來的人潮，更逼使該會不得不在會場前後門入口貼出”謝絕現場報名”告示。

“天穿日”慶祝會由陳裕逢，宋玉琴擔任司儀。會長周一男不但為開場致詞，還特地準備書面資料，說明天穿日的正日是農曆一月廿日；客委會在2010年已把天穿日訂為”全國客家日”；天穿日的由來源於女媧娘娘，麻糬成為客家特色食品，因為那有助於女媧補天。

客家會長周一男(左)頒發義工獎給舞蹈老師余嘯渝(右)。(周菊子攝)

周一男在書面資料中還週到的印出”客家本色”歌詞，感謝所有贊助，支持，以及為活動服務的善心人士與義工。會上也特地頒發義工獎給長年指導客家舞蹈班的老師余嘯渝。

在余嘯渝的指導舞步，設計服裝，輔佐化妝，張桂英親自出馬做頭髮之下，客家舞蹈班的12名團員，這天一出場就讓人驚艷。他們隨著「客家採茶舞」、新疆舞「浪跡天涯」、「飄扇桐花情」，及「青春舞曲」等不同舞曲，一連換了四套衣服，展現客家風味，民俗情調，蹦跳熱辣的不同面貌，讓人不得不讚”客家妹仔”就是棒。

陳裕逢(左)，宋玉琴(右)擔任主持。(周菊子攝)

當天的到會嘉賓，包括駐波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪、副處長陳銘俊兩對夫婦，僑教中心主任歐宏偉，僑務委員蔣宗壬，以及來自紐約的美洲台灣客家聯合會會長開榮夫婦等人。

客家會會長夫人余國豪(左)和義工負責報到。(周菊子攝)

賴銘琪致詞時，侃言他在波士頓前後共待了九年半，波士頓有如他的第二個家，客家鄉親們也有如他的家人，如今12天後就將離任，心中十分不捨。

母親是客家人的賴銘琪，笑說客家男人不管多優秀，有兩個女人的話一定要聽，一是母親，一是妻子。他的妻子就是個具有客家美德的女人。過去三十年來，他們為工作，搬家超過15次，平時他出門上班，孩子還在睡，回到家，孩子已入睡，要不是有個具有客家美德的妻子，任勞任怨的撐起家裏一應大小事，他這個客家人之子，不可能當上處長，當上他即將調任的外交部非政府組織執行長。

會場座無虛席。(周菊子攝)

在慶祝天穿日的活動中，享用客家美食是一大重點。客家女婿許炳煌親手做的擂茶、花生芝蔴糖，鄭雪卿和曾政明做的客家菜包，炒米粉，鄭玉春和曾正泉做的客家麻糬、客家小炒、油飯，劉秀春做的烤蘆筍，余國豪，周一男做的酸筍、肉絲炒蔬菜，張桂英用月桂冠酒做的麻油素雞、炸豬排，陳裕逢，余媚鳳做的客家筍絲，邱西薔，劉悅慧做的燙芥蘭、福菜肉丸，宋玉琴做的紅豆年糕，還有蔡坤喜醫師捐的六隻烤鴨，蘇來富捐的煎餃，牛頓元極舞健身會捐的紅豆湯，長興豆腐捐的豆花等，在大廳後方一列排開，美不勝收。

客家舞蹈班青春裝扮亮相。(周菊子攝)

餘興節目部分，客家舞蹈班表演舞蹈之後，包括處長夫人雲雯蓁，紐約客家會長黃開榮，許炳煌，陳裕逢等許多人一一獻唱，陳裕逢和宋玉琴還主持了一段”客家諺語介紹”，抽獎時，抽獎主持人之一的蔡高進，從口袋拿出一疊85張摸彩券，惹得陳裕逢笑說這簡直是存心想搶獎品。不過新英格蘭台灣商會會長歐陽露這天運氣好，一連抽中兩個獎品，蘇來富也抽中一個大獎。                                   慶祝會最後在出席者全體大合唱”客家本色”，品味”唐山過台灣，無半點錢，剎猛打拼耕山耕田，…..世世代代就忑樣勤儉傳家，時代在進步，社會改變，是非善惡充滿人間，…….，永久不忘祖宗言，千年萬年”這些歌詞的客家精神中落幕。

許炳煌，曾秀梅做的花生糖，一下子就一掃而空了。(周菊子攝)

左起，曾建斗，曾政明，曾泰明等幾兄弟，都在現場幫忙。(周菊子攝)

美洲台灣客家聯合會會長黃開榮以客家話獻唱。(周菊子攝)

客家會長周一男(右)笑說，將來要用這張合照向豐田汽車衛斯理
代理創辦人柯乃南(左)申請贊助。(周菊子攝)

客家女婿許炳煌獻唱午夜夢迴與追夢兩首歌。(周菊子攝)

陳裕逢(右起)，蔡高近請林紀澤抽獎。(周菊子攝)

主持人陳裕逢(右)和經文處處長賴銘琪開玩笑。(周菊子攝)

客家會會長夫人余國豪(右)和北一女校友會創辦人趙小怡(左)
相識多年，這天卻難得合影。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙客家鄉親會元老級的張桂英(左)和客家老友徐世寬敘舊。
(周菊子攝)

于翔、徐鴻音樂會 3/31 喬登廳舉行

中華表演藝術基金會將在 2018年3月31日星期六晚上八點，在紐英崙音樂學院喬登廳 (Jordan Hall)舉辦由梅紐因國際小提琴比賽首獎得主于翔及年青作曲家兼鋼琴家徐鴻共同演出的一場音樂會。

于翔是當今被認為最有才華的小提琴家之一，2010年梅紐因國際小提琴比賽，他驚人的技術和出色的才華，贏得了一致的好評和觀眾的熱烈響應。那次比賽他不只贏得首獎，同時也獲得巴赫和觀眾獎。從此不斷受邀到世界各地演出。 于翔不止獲得了梅紐因大獎，他在邁克·希爾Michael Hill國際小提琴比賽及維尼亞夫斯基Wieniawski國際小提琴比賽裡最年輕的得主。2017年，他被著名的林肯中心室內音樂協會(Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center CMS Two) 選為演奏家之一。

于翔已經出現在全世界各城市著名音樂廳裡，舉辦過許多場音樂會;其中包括柏林，巴黎，北京，新加坡，上海，奧克蘭，芝加哥，匹茲堡和波士頓。他也常出現在許多世界著名的音樂節演出，其中包括在瑞士的韋爾比耶Verbier音樂節，在挪威的卑爾根Bergen藝術節和美國芝加哥的拉維尼亞Ravinia音樂節，並出席了在德國的克龍貝格Kronberg 學院和在紐約帕爾曼Perlman音樂節。他曾與上海交響樂團，奧克蘭愛樂樂團，匹茲堡和休斯頓交響樂團，慕尼黑室內樂團和奧斯陸愛樂樂團合作。

 

出生於內蒙古，于翔從小就展現出過人的音樂才能。不到兩歲時，還不會說話的于翔，就能夠把電視上聽來的歌曲不走調地唱出來。他對音樂節奏的分辨可以準確得和精密儀器一樣。于翔十一歲，考入上海音樂學院，師從鄭靑老師。于翔獲得了新英格蘭音樂學院學士碩士和頗負盛名且非常難以取得的藝術家文憑。師從Donald Weilerstein, Miriam Fried 及Kim Kashkashian。目前他是新英格蘭音樂學院預校的小提琴教師。

當晚與于翔同台演出的徐鴻，是一位獲獎無數的作曲家也是一位廣受好評的鋼琴家。他的作品已在阿斯彭Aspen音樂節，吉爾摩Gilmore國際鍵盤節和Tanglewood音樂中心各地演出。紐約時報和費城問詢報讚美他的作品。

徐鴻是2014年的吉爾摩Gilmore青年藝術家，2017年美國藝術與文學學院 (American Academy of Arts and Letters ) Charles Ives獎學金和2016年阿斯彭Hermitage獎的獲得者。 2017年，他被選為明尼蘇達樂團作曲家協會的七名參與者之一。他的作品一直獲得眾多榮譽，其中包括多項ASCAP Morton Gould青年作曲家獎和BMI William Schuman獎。徐鴻獲得柯蒂斯和茱莉亞音樂學院的學位，目前他是茱莉亞學院的博士研究員。

當晚曲目有:

莫扎特：E小調鋼琴和小提琴奏鳴曲作品 第21, K.304（K300c）

徐鴻：醚. 為于翔所作（世界首演）中國表演藝術基金會贊助委約

勃拉姆斯：D小調小提琴和鋼琴奏鳴曲第3號，作品108

貝多芬 ：F大調小提琴和鋼琴奏鳴曲第5號，作品 24，“春天”

薩拉薩蒂：卡門幻想曲，作品 25

票價$15-$50,一百張學生免費票（十四歲以上）請上網索取。六歲以下兒童請勿入場. 查詢請洽中華表演藝術基金會譚嘉陵，foundation@chineseperformingarts.net, 或網站購票: 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES GAINS TOWARDS A MORE EQUITABLE BOSTON AT BOSTON MUNICIPAL RESEARCH BUREAU MEETING

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES GAINS TOWARDS A MORE EQUITABLE BOSTON AT BOSTON MUNICIPAL RESEARCH BUREAU MEETING Boston sees success in shared growth across city; tackling inequity

BOSTON - Tuesday, March 27, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today addressed the Boston Municipal Research Bureau announcing both new initiatives and gains in the growth of Boston's innovative economy, while highlighting the city's work in reducing inequality. From advancing Boston's goal of ending homelessness, to striving to provide a quality education from pre-kindergarten through college,  to urging employers equip Boston's diverse workforce with critical tools and training, Mayor Walsh reaffirmed his commitment to shared growth and increased opportunity for every Bostonian, as laid out in Imagine Boston 2030, Boston's citywide plan that aims to guide our growth to support our economy and expand opportunity for all residents. "Boston will be at its best when all its residents have the support and opportunity they need to thrive," said Mayor Walsh. "We've been hard at work building an economy that works for everyone -- not just those at the top. While the work is not over, I'm proud that we've made progress in both building up our innovation economy and in reducing inequality. Establishing policies and a system that brings shared growth and success is critical for our city to reach its full potential. Our city is world-class because it works for the middle class." Citing a survey released by the Hyams Foundation, Mayor Walsh spoke on the importance of continuing Boston's partnership with the Foundation and prioritizing equity in City initiatives and policies. The survey, released this morning, demonstrates the majority of Boston voters recognize that racism both needs to be addressed in the city and that having race dialogues will help race relations in Boston a "fair amount or a great deal." The City has been partnering with the Hyams Foundation to bring a series of race dialogues to neighborhoods, as a continuation of the work started to acknowledge systemic racism and work toward racial equity in Boston. While Mayor Walsh emphasized Boston's commitment to tackling the realities of racism and income inequality in Boston, he also recognized the successes Boston has made in its fight against inequality. According to a new Brookings Institute report, inequality in Boston narrowed by 17 percent between 2014 and 2016. In addition, the report found average incomes at the lower end of the payscale grew by almost 19 percent since 2014. Mayor Walsh shared significant milestones reached in other key areas that deliver opportunity to  residents across all of Boston's neighborhoods, including: Affordable Housing Building on his commitment to increase affordable housing, Mayor Walsh announced Boston  has made significant strides in stabilizing the housing market, accommodating population growth, and increasing affordability, while also reaching 98 percent of the City's production goal of creating 53,000 units of affordable housing by 2030. Since the 2014 implementation of the City's housing plan, Housing A Changing City: Boston 2030, more than 17,000 new units of housing have been complete, with an additional 9,000 units currently under construction, and 26,000 units under review. Of the homes permitted, 19.2 percent have been set aside for low and moderate income families, and over 34 percent of Boston's rental units are restricted by income. In all, under Mayor Walsh's leadership, increased construction in Boston will supply the city's growing population with 52,000 new homes. In addition to creating new housing units in the City of Boston, Mayor Walsh is working with 14 neighboring cities and towns to create a regional housing plan. The plan will address the housing needs of the Metro Boston area, with a focus on housing production, diversity, cost, location, design and increasing stability for the region's residents. The partnership will create a regional work plan, which will establish a regional housing production goal, along with specific strategies to achieve that goal throughout the 14-community region. Within the plan, the City of Boston will set new targets that reflect the growing population. Workforce Development and Job Training Announced in his 2018 inauguration, Mayor Walsh introduced the new Boston Hires campaign to strengthen and diversify the talent pipeline in Boston and provide more opportunities for all. Working in partnership with nonprofit partners and private employers, Boston Hires will work towards ensuring 20,000 low-income Boston residents are trained and placed in good-paying jobs by 2022. To accomplish this, Mayor Walsh is leading by example by committing to train and place Boston residents and Boston Public Schools graduates in good paying city jobs through a new program specific to municipal work, City Academy. "Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) shares Mayor Walsh's commitment to assuring that Boston residents have access to good jobs that pay wages that help them support their families, offer benefits, and provide opportunities to move forward in a career," said Kevin Tabb, BIDMC's Chief Executive Officer. "We are delighted to be an Employer Champion in the Boston Hires initiative." "We are excited to be a part of the City of Boston's BostonHires Program," said Steve Trumble, President and CEO of American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC). "At ACCC, we believe in giving back to the communities where we live and work. We also understand the financial struggles facing many Americans. By joining BostonHires, we have the opportunity to offer unemployed and underemployed residents with quality jobs that provide a living wage and valuable benefits." During his speech, Mayor Walsh urged employers to get involved in Boston Hires and thanked Boston Medical Center, Beth Israel, American Consumer Credit Counseling, and East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, who have already made commitments to sponsor Boston residents and create opportunities for all. Education Understanding that education is the greatest equalizer, Mayor Walsh continues to significantly improve access to education and close achievement gaps. This upcoming school year, 976 more children will be enrolled in high-quality pre-kindergarten, compared to five years ago.The City of Boston has made strategic investments in its budgets to expand the district's nationally recognized early education programming within its public schools, and also partnered with community-based organizations throughout the city to provide similar high-quality seats in these early childhood settings. In working towards universal pre-Kindergarten (pre-K) for all children, Mayor Walsh has put forth a bill before the Massachusetts state legislature to fund universal pre-K using tourism taxes that are already being collected in Boston. In the meantime, the City of Boston officially began building its citywide universal pre-K system this fall and has hired the City's first universal pre-K Director, initiated a partnership with UMass Boston to train community-based educators to implement early learning curricula based on BPS' materials, and launched a pilot to connect community-based classrooms to the BPS school choice system so that parents can choose the pre-K setting that works best for their family. Boston's Way Home Mayor Walsh announced in his speech that Partners Healthcare, Suffolk, and Liberty Mutual have each given $1 million to the Boston's Way Home Fund, totaling $3 million to help Mayor Walsh's work to  ending chronic homelessness in the city of Boston. Announced in his second inaugural address, the Boston's Way Home Fundhas a set goal of raising $10 million over the course of four years, with funds being used to create 200 new units of supportive, sustainable, long-term housing for chronically homeless men and women. The fund was created in place of the traditional practice, where mayors and mayors-elect raise private funds for inauguration celebration costs. Instead, to mark his second inauguration, Mayor Walsh encouraged organizations and residents to learn more about the city's work to end chronic homelessness, and consider becoming involved in Boston's Way Home.    In Mayor Walsh's January 2016 State of the City, he 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, 425 chronically homeless individuals have been housed, representing more than 3,000 years of homelessness ended. Since its implementation, Boston's Way Home has also resulted in a complete redesign of 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. Creating new permanent supportive housing is an important component of Boston's Way Home, the City's plan to end chronic homelessness. Permanent supportive housing combines subsidized rental housing with individualized support services so that people with complex issues can receive the assistance they need to stay housed. The services are designed to build independent living skills and to connect people with services such as community-based health care, help with mental health issues, substance use counseling, and employment services. To view the Mayor's prepared remarks, click here.