Volunteer wins award for education efforts

Corey Cronin of Novato has received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for work as a “citizen teacher” with the national nonprofit Citizen Schools.

The group partners with middle schools to provide academic support to children in low-income communities, in conjunction with AmeriCorps educators and the volunteer teachers.

Cronin was a silver award honoree, which recognizes volunteers who have taught three of the past four semesters. Across the country, 83 volunteers were recognized in this category.

Brookline residents win President’s Volunteer Service Awards

Alexandra Reynolds and Lauren Riley, both of Brookline, are among this year’s President’s Volunteer Service Awards silver award honorees.

Team Up for Literacy: Highlights from our year-end Intervisitation

ExpandED Schools recently hosted its final intervisitation of the school year at Renaissance School of the Arts (RSA) located in East Harlem.

Media Coverage, New York, NationaldanagooleyJune 19, 2017new york, renaissance school of the arts, expandED

Bridgewater State University Alumna Profile: Anay Baez, ’16

As an undergraduate, Anay Baez, ’16, enjoyed attending the annual New England LatinX Student Leadership Conference. This year, she was able to bring the event to her alma mater.

After-school programs are a lifeline for kids and parents

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION has announced its first full budget, which calls for the elimination of federal funding for after-school and summer programs for low-income communities, known as 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

This cut would have drastic effects for working families. Federal funding for after-school programming supports 1.1 million students nationwide. An overwhelming body of evidence says that these programs help to close the opportunity gap in education, increase student academic and behavioral outcomes, and reduce school absences.

Program helping 8th graders ease transition to high school

Every September, school is filled with big transitions. This includes students starting first grade or young adults heading off to college for the first time.

One that’s equally important is the jump to high school from eighth grade.

Massachusetts, Media CoveragedanagooleyMay 19, 2017fox25 news, 8ga, john hancock

Dell EMC Supports Boston After-School STEM Program

Big tech companies like Google have stepped up in recent years to help nonprofits and organizations provide underserved students with access to education infused with technology.

After-school science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs have seen success, so it’s a no-brainer that a tech giant like Dell EMC would put its support behind one.

Late last year, it was announced that Dell EMC would provide the nonprofit Citizen Schools with $100,000 to directly support hands-on STEM programs in Massachusetts.

Media CoverageWhitney BuckleyMay 15, 2017Dell, Google, Dell EMC, EMC, STEM

Colleen Heath Named ACEC Young Professional of the Year

BOSTON – CDM Smith is proud to congratulate Colleen Heath, PE, this year’s recipient of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Massachusetts (ACEC/MA) Young Professional of the Year Award. The award promotes the accomplishments of young, diverse and talented engineers by highlighting their professional contributions and the resulting impact on society. Heath accepted her award on Wednesday, March 15 at the ACEC/MA 2017 Engineering Excellence and Awards Gala.

Media CoveragedanagooleyApril 28, 2017CDM Smith, ACEC, Colleen Heath

Volunteer Program Connects Underserved Students with Practical Science

A memory popped up on my Facebook feed this morning of an event five years ago today at Neal Middle School in Durham.

Students gathered in the gym to make contact with astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Astronaut Nancy Currie was there to share her experiences living in space, and students asked questions of Expedition 30 Commander Dan Burbank and Flight Engineer Don Pettit aboard the station.

Media CoverageWhitney BuckleyApril 26, 2017tony rice, emc, cisco, biogen, Fidelity Investments, NASA

Boston Charter School Educator Named National Teacher of The Year

At Codman Academy Charter School in Dorchester, Sydney Chaffee likes to put the spotlight on her students during a weekly schoolwide assembly — having them write the scripts, act out the skits, and fully take charge of an event that is integral to the Codman’s identity.

But on Thursday morning, in the midst of school vacation week, it was Chaffee who stepped into the spotlight, with the announcement that she had been named National Teacher of the Year, making her the first Massachusetts educator to receive the top award in teaching.

Media Coverage, NationalWhitney BuckleyApril 20, 2017sydney chaffee, teacher of the year, codman academyComment

Mass. Educator Named National Teacher of the Year

SYDNEY CHAFFEE, a 9th grade humanities teacher at a Dorchester charter school, is not just a good teacher, she is, by at least one measure, the best one in the country.

Chaffee was named National Teacher of the Year on Thursday, the first time a Massachusetts educator has won the award in the 65 years that it has been given. The award is made by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

We Can all Be Champions for Environmental Sustainability: Pauline Vogl, Cisco

I’m a champion for environmental sustainability. As a member of Cisco’s Corporate Affairs team, I’m constantly looking for ways to be a global problem solver and positively impact people, society, and especially the planet. From employee initiatives like reducing paper cup usage to cross-functional teams like Make IT Green to this month’s Earth Aware activities, there are plenty of opportunities for employees to become champions for the planet.

A small school caught in the crossfire of AmeriCorps debate

Nativity Preparatory School in New Bedford, Mass., could lose vital funding for most of its teachers if the AmeriCorps program is slashed from the federal budget. But such a threat also exposes the challenge of providing a tuition-free, private school education for students from low-income families.

Massachusetts, Media Coverage, National, Policy & AdvocacydanagooleyApril 12, 2017New Bedford, AmeriCorps

Baker-Polito Administration Appoints STEM Advisory Council for 2017-2018

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito recently appointed 29 members to the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council. The STEM Advisory Council strives to expand access to quality STEM education for students across the Commonwealth.

City Year says Trump’s proposed cuts would devastate popular school programs

Clad in red jackets, khaki pants, and workboots, 265 City Year volunteers greet 10,000 students each morning at nearly two dozen Boston schools with cheers and clapping — a grand gesture to show they are welcome. Then the volunteers hit the phones and call those who didn’t show up.

Media Coverage, Massachusetts, NationaldanagooleyMarch 21, 2017boston globe, city year, budget cuts, AmeriCorps

My Love Letter to Teaching

For the past year and a half I've seen the challenges and rewards in my work with middle-school girls in the Brookline-based non-profit MEDIAGIRLS, teaching a ten-week after school program to help them combat sexist media messaging.

Media Coverage, NationaldanagooleyMarch 20, 2017MediaGirls, Boston University, Mentor

Practice Makes Progress: How Citizen Schools is Expanding the Minds of Teachers and Students

Mentoring inspires youth to discover their areas of passion and encourages them to pursue their interests in education. Citizen Schools shares how the concept of Growth Mindset is making a difference for the AmeriCorps Teaching Fellows who serve their students directly and the young scholars themselves.

Media Coverage, NationaldanagooleyMarch 17, 2017mentor.org

After-School Choice Matters Too

esident Trump revealed his first budget proposal to Congress yesterday, and it comes with a 13 percent cut to the Department of Education’s budget. One program the Administration proposes to eliminate completely is the $1.1 billion 21st Century Community Learning Centers program (21st CCLC), which provides grants to communities for out-of-school-time programs serving students in high-poverty and low-performing schools.

Nonprofits vs. Trump’s travel ban

Donald Trump’s revised travel ban takes effect Thursday — it blocks citizens of six (down from seven) predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States — but the revisions haven’t placated his opponents.

Media CoverageWhitney BuckleyMarch 14, 2017boston globe, trump, travel ban, emily mccann, eric schwarz, matt segneri

8th Grade Academy on WGHB Greater Boston

WGBH News' Adam Reilly (@reillyadam) reports on an innovative program which gets involved with middle schoolers early in order to ensure they're ready for the challenges of high school.

Media Coverage, Massachusetts, NationalWhitney BuckleyMarch 1, 2017wgbh, wgbh news, 8ga, Eigth Grade Academy, adam reilly, carolyn navikonisComment

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