STORY NO.

04

Boston Partners in Education

Our plan

The goal of Boston Partners in Education's programming is to support student advancement and the work of Boston's public school teachers. They believe that with the commitment and involvement of the entire community, students in Boston will develop the skills, self-confidence and motivation to recognize and achieve their full potential.

What we did

Founded in 1966, Boston Partners in Education builds sustainable partnerships among students, volunteers, schools, and local organizations, all with a single goal: to give children who are struggling in school the tools necessary to become better learners. Their school volunteer organization recruits, trains, and places volunteers to work with students in grades kindergarten through twelve, one-on-one or in small groups, primarily during the school day. During the 2006-2007 academic year, Boston Partners in Education placed 763 volunteers in nearly 70 schools to work with more than 4,740 students. Boston Partners in Education's role as a link between schools and the community is crucial as they work together with the Boston Public Schools to close the achievement gap among the city's students. They do this by operating academic initiatives at every grade level with a particular focus on mathematics and literacy, and they use unique and individual approaches in the professional training and management of volunteers. They offer many programs that allow for different kinds of involvement. The Power Lunch Program brings mentor volunteers from Boston-area companies to meet with students in the first through third grades. Mentors come in during the students' lunchtime on a weekly basis throughout the school year to encourage the children's enthusiasm for literacy by reading aloud and engaging in conversation. The Big Cheese Reads Initiative brings Boston area senior executives and community leaders into middle schools once during the school year, has them read short selections, and give brief talks about how reading and learning have benefited their lives and careers.

Our results

Boston Partners in Education enhances the academic achievement and nurtures the personal growth of Boston's public school students by providing them with focused, individualized, in-school volunteer support. The Power Lunch Program has been very successful -- teachers noted improvements in attendance, eye contact, interaction with peers, self-esteem, behavior and academic performance. In addition, students showed increases in communication, enthusiasm for reading, and overall self-confidence as students and learners. The Big Cheese Reads Initiative has also been received very positively: since 2004, more than 120 corporate and community leaders have become involved in the program, including Mayor Thomas Menino, Regina Pisa, Governor Deval Patrick, Liz Walker and Keith Lockhart, among others.

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Mina Huh
Kensington, CA