After over twenty years of creating unforgettable experiences, Boston Partners in Education (BPIE) has rebranded its signature Big Cheese Reads initiative as Pathfinders. Like Big Cheese Reads, Pathfinders will connect Boston’s corporate, civic, and community leaders with Boston Public Schools students, but with a more explicit emphasis on career exploration and opportunities.
On March 27, BPIE hosted the Pathfinders Launch Breakfast at the UMass Club in Boston. Members of our Board of Directors, past Big Cheese Readers, top donors, BPS staff, and volunteer mentors all gathered to celebrate the past and ring in a new future of programming for BPIE. During the event, we heard from educator Kelly Lewis from Blackstone Elementary, who hosted the inaugural Pathfinders visit earlier in March. Kelly spoke about the importance of illuminating career pathways and how engaging students where they are can create real success in the paths they choose later in life.
We also heard from former Big Cheese Reader and friend of BPIE Tom O’Brien. Tom is the CEO of HYM Investment Group and has been a longtime supporter of BPIE’s programs. He shared his experiences volunteering with Big Cheese Reads, highlighted former Mayor Menino’s support of the program, and how students light up when given a platform to ask questions and learn from local leaders.
Our team is committed to meeting the diverse needs of BPS classrooms. Pathfinders will connect students with the many different professions that make our great city what it is: a robust, multicultural place where everyone is welcome to learn and grow.
With a goal of increasing career awareness and pathways, Pathfinders will usher in a new era of outreach, while continuing the tradition of linking the business and civic community with the next generation of Bostonians.
If you are interested in volunteering as a Pathfinder, please fill out this form, and a member of our team will be in touch.