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Our History
We first started doing intergenerational work in 1991, when we
brought middle school children to local nursing homes to develop
fun relationships with residents. We shifted focus in the late 1990’s
and began to engage healthy, active retirees as tutors and mentors.
By 2002 we had 40 volunteers helping nearly 500 children in public
schools and Boys and Girls Clubs. At that point our success began
to generate national attention, and we were awarded a four-year
expansion grant by the national Experience Corps program. We are
now Boston’s host to Experience Corps. Last year our 305 Experience
Corps volunteers contributed over 45,000 hours of service to 3,400
children.
Last year we were also designated as an approved provider of Supplemental
Educational Services (SES). SES is available for students in schools
which receive Title I funding but have not met or exceeded the goals
for Adequate Yearly Progress. As an SES provider, we have demonstrated:
effective programs, a sound financial record, curriculum and services
which meet district standards, and academic and social improvement
in the students we serve.
We have the breadth and depth to make a positive contribution in
the lives of thousands of children while utilizing the experience
of hundreds of older adults.
Who Benefits?
- Older adults are re-engaged in community life
through service that improves their health, introduces them to
new friends, and gives them an outlet for their experience;
- Children receive the attention they need to
succeed academically and socially;
- Communities are introduced to a “new”
resource, older adults, through which they can address their needs.
Critical Elements
- Intergenerational Relationships - We build
mutually beneficial relationships between older adults and children,
and our programs may involve other generations as well.
- Key Partnerships - We build partnerships that
advance our mission and make best use of shared resources. Our
partners include schools, after school programs, and other community-
based organizations.
- Quality Volunteer Opportunities - We provide
a ‘menu’ of meaningful volunteer opportunities that
include flexible time commitments, a variety of program options,
and numerous locations.
- Address Community Need - Our current programs
address critical community needs, and we are flexible enough to
respond to emerging needs identified by neighborhood leaders and
the philanthropic community.
- Tangible Results for Program Participants - All
of our programs have measurable results, both quantitative and
qualitative.
Recent Achievements
- 2005-06 school year
- First year that an Experience Corps volunteer led as a site
coordinator;
- 2006 - Completed a
four-year expansion, during which we increased our volunteer base
and number of children served from 40 volunteers serving 500 children
to over 300 volunteers serving more than 3,400 children;
- 2005 - Initiated partnership
with Boston Partners in Education to expand the number of older
adult volunteers serving as literacy and math tutors in public
schools;
- 2005 - Selected as
one of only four Champions in Action by Citizens Bank and New
England Cable News;
- 2004 - Piloted 2 new
programs with Boston Public Schools;
- 2003 - Only Massachusetts
organization to receive full AmeriCorps funding through the Massachusetts
Service Alliance;
- 2002 - Selected as
1 of 5 organizations in America to receive seed funding to expand
the Experience Corps program in our respective cities;
- 2002 - Honored as
an ideal model of senior service programming in an address by
the CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service;
- 2000 - Selected as
Daily Point of Light No. 1696 by the POL Foundation.
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