This is Parvati, my Didi (sister in Nepali). She is a true mentor who guided me through my first two years living in Nepal as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer.
When I left for my sabbatical in October 2015, I was excited. I looked forward to reconnecting with old friends in Nepal, reflecting on my journey through life thus far, and re-energizing since we have so much happening at Boston Partners in Education all of the time. I am happy to report that I accomplished what I set out to do, and am looking forward to a wonderful 2016.
I’m not one to make resolutions in the new year, but there are a few things I’m determined to make happen in my role as Executive Director in 2016. I hope to be out in the community more, meeting people who should know about the work we do to support K-12 students and their teachers across Boston. I also want to support my fantastic staff better than ever, and inspire them to join me in my goal to make us the best nonprofit in Boston!
As you’ll see in our Fiscal Year 2015 annual report, 2014-2015 was a productive and successful year. We engaged 598 volunteer academic mentors who supported 3,008 K-12 students in 73 Boston Public Schools. Our students–thanks to the commitment of their teachers and academic mentors–read more books, passed tests, boosted attendance, increased self-confidence and improved their grades en route to on-time graduation. We raised over 1.2 million dollars and made crucial investments in people and in technology, which will help us meet our goals and achieve our mission throughout the coming year.
The future is bright for 2016…
All roads lead to a successful 2016 for Boston Partners in Education!
We are excited to be a part of Mayor Marty Walsh’s Mentoring Movement, helping to recruit 1,000 new mentors in 2015 and 2016 to serve youth in Boston. January 2016 is National Mentoring Month, and we want to engage at least 50 new volunteer academic mentors this month. If you aren’t already, think about joining us as an academic mentor supporting students in the Boston Public Schools. We want you!
Our School Volunteer Program is being re-visioned to meet the needs of our students, teachers and volunteers. Look out for the summer of 2016 when relaunch the program we were founded on in 1966.
Speaking of 1966, in September 2016, we will begin a year long celebration of our 50th Anniversary! What a remarkable milestone Boston Partners in Education will be reaching. If you were a student, a volunteer or a teacher involved with Boston Partners in Education (School Volunteers for Boston) in past years, please be in touch with us. We want to hear from you! E-mail our colleague Tim Pettus.
May 2016 be a fabulous year for all of us, especially for young people throughout Boston! Let’s act and be involved to ensure K-12 students are receiving the support and encouragement they need to reach their full potential.
Reuniting with Parvati and family in Satbariya, Nepal. I enjoyed meeting the next generation.