FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  March 30, 2004

CITY OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Office of the Mayor, Thomas M. Menino

Contact:
Press Office, 617 635-4461

MAYOR MENINO ANNOUNCES RECEIPT OF MAJOR GRANT TO FORM NEW ORGANIZATION FOR AFTER-SCHOOL SECTOR

March 30, 2004 – Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced the formation of a new organization that will combine public and private resources to strengthen and expand after-school opportunities for Boston’s students. The organization, to be launched with assistance from a $2.25 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, merges the Mayor’s 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative with Boston’s After-School for All Partnership, the $26 million partnership launched in March of 2001.

“During such challenging budget times, it is encouraging to see this innovative public-private partnership emerge to address the needs of Boston’s children and families,” Mayor Menino said. “Because of our city’s commitment, we are on track to reaching our goal of after-school for all children.”

The City of Boston and other corporate and foundation funding partners have pledged $500,000 per year for the next three years to match the $750,000 in annual funds from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The new non-profit will bring $3.75 million in funding for the after-school sector in Boston. The organization will focus on key gaps in the after-school sector, including resource development, communications, data and research, and strategic initiatives.

Boston’s After-School for All Partnership Chairman Chris Gabrieli thanked the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for its support and hailed the new non-profit as a critical next step toward expanding programming to all children.

“It is rewarding to see Boston recognized as a national leader in providing enriching programming during the critical after-school and summer time hours,” Gabrieli said. “We have so many civic leaders committed to this issue and we will build upon that momentum to enable even more children and families to benefit.”

The grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recognizes the significant progress Boston has made toward expanding after-school and summer programs for children and provides critical support to take Boston’s after-school sector to the next stage of development.

“We are pleased to award Boston this grant to strengthen their capacity to expand after-school programming. Our foundation believes that after-school programs offer multiple health benefits to youth,” said Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a national foundation focusing on health and health care. “When young people have opportunities for structured activities in their schools and communities, they have a better chance of avoiding drug use and violence, keeping fit, and excelling in school.”

Boston is recognized as a national leader in the after-school field, with student participation rates higher than that of other major urban centers. In the last five years the number of elementary and middle public school children participating in after-school programs has nearly doubled, with 7,500 more children participating. A recent parent survey revealed that the majority (51 percent) of Boston’s school children now participate in some form of after-school programming. This translates to 48,000 children ages 6-18 across the City.

This growth was made possible, in part, by the launch of the Boston 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative in 1998 and Mayor Menino’s commitment to open school buildings gratis to community organizations running after-school programs. Private corporate and foundation commitments, as well as funding through the Federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, have also significantly contributed to the growth.

History of the After-School Movement in Boston

Mayor Menino elevated the need for high quality after-school programming to one of his top priorities with the creation of the Boston 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative in 1998. This announcement was the culmination of many years of work by organization such as Parents United for Child Care and the 25-year history of the city’s community centers.

Mayor Menino convened the Task Force on After-School Time in June 1999, appointing business leader Chris Gabrieli to chair a task force involving representatives from the after-school, education, business, philanthropic, and religious sectors. Its May 2000 report, “Schools Alone Are Not Enough: Why Out-of-School Time is Critical to the Success of Our Children” called for the formation of a private funding collaborative to support the city’s work.

Boston’s After-School for All Partnership was launched in 2001. In the last two years alone the Partnership has dedicated $16.6 million to support the expansion and strengthening of after-school and summer programs. In addition to direct funding to programs, the Partnership has launched five new initiatives to expand programming, enhance learning opportunities for children within programs, and to build a statewide public policy and advocacy organization.

About Boston’s After-School for All Partnership

In March 2001, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Partnership Chair Chris Gabrieli, and a group of business and civic leaders launched the largest public/private partnership dedicated to serving children in Boston's history. The 15 philanthropic, education, business and government institutions involved in the Partnership have committed over $26 million in new funding over five years to expand, improve and sustain after-school programming. Members of the Partnership are: City of Boston, The Barr Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Fleet National Bank, Trustee of the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, FleetBoston Financial Foundation, Harvard University, The Hyams Foundation, Liberty Mutual Group, Massachusetts 2020, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, New Profit, Inc., The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Verizon, and Yawkey Foundation II.

For more information on the Partnership, please visit: www.afterschoolforall.org.

About the Boston 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative

Since 1998, the Mayor’s 2:00-to-6:00 Initiative has led the city’s efforts to open school buildings for after-school use, leverage state, federal and private resources, develop innovative training programs, build a professional development infrastructure, and communicate broadly the importance of after-school and summer programs to the healthy development of children and youth.

For more information on the Boston 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative, please visit: www.cityofboston.gov/2to6

About The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N. J., is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. It concentrates its grant making in four goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to quality health care at reasonable cost; to improve the quality of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.

For more information on The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, please visit: www.rwjf.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  March 17, 2004

Contact: 
Susan Kirwan, Massachusetts 2020, 617-723-6747, ext. 5                                                 

STATEWIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL INITIATIVE EXPANDS AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS TO SPRINGFIELD AND NEW BEDFORD
Each community granted $150,000 to support student success

March 17, 2004 – The City of Springfield and the City of New Bedford were selected to receive major new grants as part of the Middle School Initiative.  The Middle School Initiative is a statewide public-private partnership to expand the Citizen Schools after-school apprenticeship model to public schools across Massachusetts.

The Middle School Initiative will provide the Martin Luther King Community Center in Springfield and Positive Action Against Chemical Addiction (PAACA) in New Bedford each with $150,000 over three years. The grant is made possible by the generous support of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, the L.G. Balfour Foundation, of which Fleet Bank serves as trustee, and the Massachusetts 2020 Foundation. Local school departments, United Way organizations and other local funding partners will match the grant. In addition to the grant funding, the organizations will receive training, consulting, and curricular materials over two years.

The Citizen Schools model complements in-school learning with academic and project-based after-school curriculum for students in grades 5-8.  The after-school program offers: apprenticeships taught by community volunteers; explorations that expose students to their community; focused time for homework completion, writing and data projects; and team building activities. Citizen Schools is specifically designed to help students improve their skills in writing, public speaking, and data analysis, all core proficiencies they can rely on in school and for the rest of their lives. Real-life learning experiences help children grow as students, citizens and future leaders.

Citizen Schools began in Boston in 1995 and through the Middle School Initiative, has expanded to communities across Massachusetts. Other programs in Massachusetts are offered in Worcester, Framingham, Lowell and Malden. Nationally, Citizen Schools programs are offered in Houston, Texas; San Jose and Redwood City, California; Tuscan, Arizona; and New Brunswick, New Jersey.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  October 1, 2003

Contact:
Joe Ganley, Massachusetts 2020, 617-723-6747

BOSTON NEARLY DOUBLES PARTICIPATION IN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Partnership among Mayor, Civic Leaders, Program Providers Yields Large Gains:The Majority of Boston Students Now Participate in After-School Programming

Boston – According to results of a new survey released by Boston’s After-School for All Partnership, Boston has nearly doubled the number of children who participate in after-school programs over the last five years, and for the first time a majority (51%) of school children participate in some kind of after-school programming. 

The survey was funded under a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and its After School Project, a pilot demonstration effort to expand after-school programs for underserved children in Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco.

"After school programs offer multiple health benefits to youth,” says J. Michael McGinnis, MD, MPP, Senior Vice President, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “When young people have opportunities for structured activities in their schools and communities, they have a better chance of avoiding drug use and violence, keeping fit, and excelling in school.”

The findings come as Mayor Thomas M. Menino is set to announce today that Boston will receive additional funding for after-school programs from the Federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grant program. Mayor Menino will announce the grant at a 2:00 p.m. event at the Murphy School and Community Center in Dorchester.

“There is no question this is tremendous progress,” said Mayor Menino, who called for expanding after-school programs as one of his key objectives in his 1998 Inaugural Address and who helped bring together civic and philanthropic leaders to form Boston’s After-School for All Partnership in March of 2001. “This is the kind of accomplishment made possible when the public and private sectors work together to achieve common goals. After-school programs are absolutely critical to the success of our kids.”

In his 1998 Inaugural Address, Mayor Menino set a goal of expanding after-school programming for 3,000 children. Five years later, among public elementary- and middle- school students alone, Boston has expanded after-school programming to an additional 7,500 children.  

Chris Gabrieli, who chairs Boston’s After-School for All Partnership, a five-year $24 million funding commitment from 13 leading philanthropic, education, business and governmental institutions, praised the Mayor for his leadership in making after-school a priority. 

“When you have a Mayor who says after-school is going to be a priority, and you have the civic institutions that say ‘we’re going to work with you Mayor’ there is no limit to what you can achieve,” said Gabrieli.  “Children are doing better in school, our communities are safer, and our city is stronger because of the progress we have made in this important arena.”

In addition to the remarkable progress, the survey also revealed strong unmet demand for additional after-school programming. Of the 49% of parents whose children are not in an after-school program, two-thirds said they wanted their child in a program.

In terms of after-school as a public policy priority, 85% of those surveyed said after-school programs “are an essential public service and their funding should not be cut at all by the City, State, or Federal governments”, rejecting the argument that “after-school programs are an extra whose funding could be cut [during] a budget shortfall like the current one.”

The survey, which the Partnership will repeat annually to study the state of after-school programming in Boston, was conducted at the end of the 2002-2003 school year, the survey included a sample of 402 randomly selected parents with a demographic profile that represents a cross-section of the population.  It has a margin of error of + 5.0%.

Key Findings from the 2003 Parent Survey:

• In the last five years, Boston has nearly doubled the number of children attending after-school programs.
• Currently in Boston, 51% of school age children (approximately 48,000 children) participate in some kind of after-school program.
• 84% of respondents either had their child in after-school programming or wanted their child in programming.
• Of the 49% of parents whose children did not participate, 67% wanted their child to participate.
• Of parents with children in programs, 93% are satisfied with the program and 66% were very satisfied.
• More than eight in ten parents (85%) believe after-school programming is an essential public service whose funding should not be cut.

Key Drivers of This Progress Over the Last Five Years:

• In 1998, Mayor Menino makes after-school a top priority and launches the Boston 2:00-to-6:00 After-School Initiative.
• Boston selected as a demonstration site under the The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s After School Pilot Project.
• City opens 52 additional Boston public elementary and middle schools for extended hours, bringing the total number of extended-hours schools to 76.
• Boston’s After-School for All Partnership is formed: five-year, $24 million funding partnership.  In its first year alone, the Partnership invests over $ 8 million in 150 after-school programs.
• Federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grant program provides $9.2 million for after-school programs to Boston, over five years, opening 34 new sites.
• Many community-based organizations open new after-school programs; several larger providers more than double their capacity.
• Black Ministerial Alliance After-School Initiative launched: 10 churches open after-school programs.

Complete results of the survey are available at www.afterschoolforall.org.

About Boston’s After-School for All Partnership
In March 2001, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Partnership Chair Chris Gabrieli, and a group of business and civic leaders launched the largest public/private partnership dedicated to serving children in Boston's history. The 13 philanthropic, education, business and government institutions involved in the Partnership have committed over $24 million in new funding over five years to expand, improve and sustain after-school programming.   In the Partnership's first year alone, Partners invested over $8 million in over 150 after-school programs, impacting 2,500 children.  Members of the Partnership are: City of Boston, The Barr Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Fleet National Bank Trustee of the L.G. Balfour Foundation, FleetBoston Financial Foundation, Harvard University, The Hyams Foundation, Liberty Mutual Group, Massachusetts 2020, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, New Profit, Inc. United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and Verizon.

For more information on the Partnership, please visit: www.afterschoolforall.org.

About The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N.J., is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care.  It concentrates its grantmaking in four goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to quality health care at reasonable cost; to improve the quality of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 12, 2003

Contact:
Joe Ganley, Massachusetts 2020, 617-723-6747
Alison Gibbs, Fleet, 617-434-2489
Sharon Davis, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, 781-348-4257

LOWELL & MALDEN SELECTED FOR AFTER-SCHOOL GRANT
Each Community to Receive $300,000 for After-School Programming

BOSTON -- The City of Lowell and the City of Malden were selected to receive major new grants as part of the Middle School Initiative, an innovative after-school apprenticeship program for middle school students in public schools across Massachusetts.  The Middle School Initiative will provide Community Teamwork Inc. in Lowell and the Partnership for Community Schools in Malden each with $300,000 over three years, made possible by the generous support of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, the L.G. Balfour Foundation (Fleet National Bank, Trustee), the United Way of Merrimack Valley and Massachusetts 2020 Foundation. In addition to the grants the organizations will receive training, consulting, and curricular materials over two years.

Under the Middle School Initiative, the nationally recognized “Citizen Schools” after-school program model will expand from its Boston roots to public school systems throughout the commonwealth over the next several years.  The Citizen Schools model is unique in the way local adult volunteers teach students hands-on apprenticeships. The Middle School Initiative was launched in September 2002 with programs in Worcester and Framingham.

Lowell Mayor Rita M. Mercier and Malden Mayor Richard C. Howard received word of the grants in phone calls from Chris Gabrieli, Chairman of Massachusetts 2020 Foundation and the Keeping Kids on Track Statewide Campaign, which launched the Middle School Initiative.

The launch also comes at a time of growing consensus among K-12 education experts about the importance of providing children with extra learning opportunities beyond the traditional school day.  According to a survey of Bay State parents conducted by Massachusetts 2020 Foundation, “parents identified extra tutoring and after-school help as the most effective strategy for helping students develop the skills they need to succeed.  Nine out of 10 parents indicated that extra tutoring would help significantly, outpacing all other [education reform] choices.”

“All the data tell us that for kids to succeed schools alone are not enough,” said Gabrieli. “Lowell and Malden have built the infrastructure to really expand the hours that children are engaged in learning and development.  We are extremely excited that the Middle School Initiative will be expanding to these communities.”

The Middle School Initiative has generated more than $3 million in funding support to date from the private, foundation, and nonprofit sectors to start new programs across the state.  Among the largest supporters are the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, which has committed $1.4 million over five years, the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, which has committed $1 million over five years, and four United Way organizations together have committed $600,000.

“We are pleased to support the expansion of the Middle School Initiative to Lowell and Malden,” said Dr. Blenda Wilson, President and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. “We know that access to after-school programming is critical to children’s academic achievement.  The apprenticeship model of the Middle School Initiative complements what students learn in the classroom by demonstrating the real world value of their studies, and introducing students to an environment where those classroom skills immediately matter.”

“On behalf of the Balfour Foundation, Fleet is pleased to support the Middle School Initiative,” said Kerry H. Sullivan, of Fleet National Bank, Trustee for the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation. “We know that if we are serious about preparing our children for the demands of the 21^st Century, they must have access to quality learning and developmental opportunities after-school.  The Middle School Initiative is expanding a proven model for giving kids those opportunities, and we at Fleet are proud to be part of that effort.”

Communities interested in learning more about the Middle School Initiative should contact Susan Kirwan, Field Director, Massachusetts 2020, at 617-723-6747.

About the Keeping Kids on Track Statewide Campaign:  The Middle School Initiative is one project of the Keeping Kids on Track Statewide Campaign.  Through the Campaign, Massachusetts 2020 has partnered with five United Way organizations across the state to increase public and private commitments and expand children's after-school opportunities.  The Campaign seeks to ensure that all children have safe, productive learning and enrichment opportunities during out-of-school hours.  The Campaign's goals are threefold (1) to elevate out-of-school time to a top civic priority; (2) to leverage public and private resources to support children's and families' out-of-school needs, and (3) to organize civic and political leaders in a targeted number of communities in order to expand quality after-school and summer programming. For more information on the Keeping Kids on Track Statewide Campaign, visit www.kkot.org.

 About Massachusetts 2020 Foundation: Massachusetts 2020 Foundation is a non-profit initiative focused on expanding educational and economic opportunities for children and families across Massachusetts. Massachusetts 2020 Foundation’s initial focus is to expand after-school and summer learning opportunities for children. For more information on Massachusetts 2020, visit  www.mass2020.org.

About the Nellie Mae Education Foundation:  Established in 1998, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation provides grants and other support to education programs in New England that help improve academic achievement and access to higher education for low-income and underserved students.  The Foundation, located in Quincy, Mass., also funds research that examines critical educational opportunity issues that affect New England students, families, and adults, and convenes educators, policy makers and community members to discuss and influence pivotal education issues. Between 1998 and 2002, the Foundation distributed $33.8 million in grants and other support to more than 130 education programs in the six New England states. In 2003, the Foundation is expected to provide $10,930,000.

About Fleet: FleetBoston Financial is the seventh-largest financial holding company in the United States, with assets of $190 billion.  The company’s principal businesses, Personal Financial Services and Commercial Financial Services, offer a comprehensive array of innovative financial solutions to 20 million customers.  Through its Personal Financial Services franchise, Fleet offers retail banking, wealth management and investment services, nationwide brokerage, credit card and consumer lending
services.  These services are available through approximately 1,500 branches and more than 3,500 ATMs in the Northeast; through Fleet HomeLink^SM online banking, one of the nation’s leading online banking platforms; and through telephone banking.  Fleet is the leading small business services and commercial banking provider in the Northeast.  Fleet’s Commercial Financial Services division provides commercial lending, syndications, capital raising and advisory, leasing, cash management, asset-based finance, foreign exchange and interest rate derivatives to clients.  FleetBoston Financial is headquartered in Boston and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: FBF) and the Boston Stock Exchange (BSE: FBF).

About Citizen Schools: Since 1995 Citizen Schools has built a creative and effective learning model that addresses community needs while building student skills through hands-on experiential learning activities. This year, Citizen Schools launched a major national expansion, with the goal of strengthening the out-of-school time movement across the country. In fall 2002 Citizen Schools grew from a Boston flagship program that enrolled 1,200 children annually at 12 campuses, to four additional campuses in four cites: San Jose, CA; Houston, TX; and Worcester and Framingham, MA. By 2004 we plan to expand to 11 cities and 37 campuses. Citizen Schools envisions a day when most of the nation's 88,000 schools reopen after school, on weekends, and in the summer for experiential learning opportunities that powerfully link children and schools to the larger community. For more information on Citizen Schools visit www.citizenschools.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : February 20, 2003                                                                                            

Contact: Joe Ganley
617-723-6747, ext. 7 (Office)
617-290-3868 (Mobile)

The Best of Time, The Worst of Time
New Report Highlights the Importance of Children’s Time Spent Out of School 

BOSTON -- A new compilation of research on children confirms the critical need to look beyond  traditional investments in education if children’s academic success and healthy development is our goal.

The report: The Forgotten Eighty Percent: The Case For Making the Most of Children’s Time Out of School was released by the non-profit Massachusetts 2020 and highlights the fact that children spend only 20% of their waking hours in school.  How their time is spent out of school has critical implications for their future.

“Too often, we look at education only through the prism of the school day,” said Chris Gabrieli, Chairman of Massachusetts 2020.  “What the research tells us is that what children do for the other 80% of their time has an enormous impact on their cognitive and social development.”

The report which synthesizes an extensive body of research on children and their use of time reveals that children’s academic and social development can be significantly enhanced when they spend time in productive activities after-school and during the summer months.

“The data are clear. Children who participate in after-school and summer programs earn higher grades, are more excited about learning and exhibit more positive social and emotional behaviors”, said Dr. David Farbman, Research Director for Massachusetts 2020 and author of the report.

“If children have access to safe, productive activities after-school and in the summer, they will do better in school and be much less likely to engage in the risky habits of drinking and drugs, crime and sexual activity”, said Farbman.

The report comes at a time when advocates are attempting to convince legislators and policy-makers of the need for increased public investment in out-of-school time programming.  At a time when difficult budget cuts are being determined, it is important to understand that investing in after-school and summer programs is not only good social policy, but also a sound fiscal investment.

“Recent studies show that for every dollar invested in after-school programs, taxpayers can expect to reap several dollars in return”, explained Jennifer Davis, President of Massachusetts 2020.  Parents, policymakers and the philanthropic sector must work together to expand quality programming.  This is critical to build healthy families, safe communities and is the next frontier of education reform.  We will never close the achievement gap without providing children extra learning opportunities after school and over the summer.”

Massachusetts 2020 is a non-profit initiative focused on expanding educational and economic opportunities for children and families across Massachusetts. Founded in October 2000 by Chris Gabrieli, a civic and business entrepreneur and Jennifer Davis, former Executive Director of Boston’s 2:00-to-6:00 Initiative and Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Education, Massachusetts 2020’s initial focus is on expanding after-school and summer learning opportunities for children. The organization combines research and policy with field operations to build programs on the local level and inform the public and policy makers about the importance of out-of-school time. 

For more information about Massachusetts 2020, please visit: www.mass2020.org

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 6, 2003                                 

Contact: Joe Ganley
617-723-6747, ext. 7 (Office)
617-290-3868 (Mobile)

BOSTON’S AFTER-SCHOOL FOR ALL PARTNERSHIP INVESTS NEARLY $8 MILLION IN FIRST YEAR
Public private partnership funds 150 agencies in spite of down economy

BOSTON -- Boston’s After-School for All Partnership, a five-year funding partnership to support after-school programs, released its first annual report today, heralding nearly $8 million in direct investment supporting 150 agencies across the city.  The first-year funding was nearly double what the Partnership had anticipated, and it is therefore expected that the total five-year commitment will be greater than the $24 million announced when the Partnership was formed.  The Partnership, which includes the City of Boston, is the largest public-private partnership benefiting children in the City’s history.

“After-School programming is taking its rightful place among the important things we can do to help our children reach their full potential”, said Mayor Thomas M. Menino.  “By bringing together Boston’s public and private funders and by developing new, more effective ways for these funders to promote after-school programming, Boston’s After-School for All Partnership is making a major contribution to our city and its future.”

The partnership, which grew out of the recommendations of Menino’s 1999 Task Force on After-School Time, has three important goals for after-school time—serving more children in programs, enhancing children’s learning opportunities, and expanding public revenue sources. 

“We are extremely excited by the progress we have made, in both increasing the funding for after-school programs, and in targeting that funding to have the highest impact on kids”, said Chris Gabrieli, the Chairman of the Partnership.  “When this partnership was formed, we knew we had to do something for the thousands of children who were not able to participate in after-school programs that are critical to their education, personal development and safety.  This partnership is making a real difference for those kids.”

In addition to the $8 million in new funding, the Partnership also launched three ambitious initiatives, the Community After-School Initiative (CASI), the School Sites Initiative (SSI), and the Faith-Based After-School Initiative (FASI), to expand after-school programs at community-based organizations, schools, and churches respectively.  Each initiative was funded using pooled resources from groups of partners.  The Partnership also commissioned new research on improving children’s learning during after-school time, and will make the results available to after-school providers to help them enhance the impact of after-school and summer programming on children’s learning.

Launched in 2001, Boston’s After-School for All Partnership is a five-year, $24 million funding partnership to support after-school and summer programming for children in Boston. The current partners include: The City of Boston, The Barr Foundation, The Boston Foundation, FleetBoston Financial, Fleet National Bank Trustee of the L.G. Balfour Foundation, Harvard University, The Hyams Foundation, Inc., Liberty Mutual Group, Massachusetts 2020, Nellie Mae Educaation Foundation, New Profit, Inc., United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and Verizon Foundation.  

For the full text of the annual report, please visit:  http://www.afterschoolforall.org/about/annualreport.pdf

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 18, 2002

Contact: 
Susan Kirwan, Massachusetts 2020, 617-723-6747
Patty Donahue, Fleet, 617-434-6766
Sharon Davis, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, 781-348-4257

STATEWIDE AFTER-SCHOOL INITIATIVE LAUNCHED
 Key Education Groups, The Private Sector, Community Leaders,and School Officials Forge Unique Partnership

BOSTON -- Wednesday, September 18, 2002 -- With significant financial support the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, of which Fleet Bank serves as trustee, and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Massachusetts 2020 and the United Way will launch The Middle School Initiative, an innovative after-school apprenticeship program for middle school students in public schools across the commonwealth.  The simultaneous launch of the first Middle School Initiative classes in the state (in Framingham and Worcester) will take place at a kick-off ceremony at the “A.L.L.” School in Worcester at 3:00 pm today, Wednesday September 18, 2002.

The Middle School Initiative represents one of the most exciting public-private partnerships in K-12 education to be launched anywhere in the U.S.  Under the Middle School Initiative, the nationally recognized “Citizen Schools” after-school program will expand from its Boston roots to public school systems throughout the commonwealth over the next several years.  The Citizen Schools model is unique in the way local adult volunteers partner with students to offer hands-on apprenticeships.  Other communities mentioned as likely candidates for Middle School Initiative programs next school year include Springfield and Lowell.

The launch also comes at a time of growing consensus among K-12 education experts about the importance of providing children with extra learning opportunities beyond the traditional school day.  And according to a recent survey of Bay State parents conducted by Massachusetts 2020, “parents identified extra tutoring and after-school help as the most effective strategy for helping students develop skills they need to succeed.  Nine out of 10 parents indicated that extra tutoring would help significantly, outpacing all other [education reform] choices.”

A number of education leaders, students, and public and private officials will participate in today’s launch event, including:  Nellie Mae Education Foundation President & CEO Dr. Blenda Wilson, Fleet Regional President James Paulhus, Co-founders of Massachusetts 2020 Chris Gabrieli and Jennifer Davis, Paul Mina of the Massachusetts Association of United Ways, President of Citizen Schools Eric Schwarz, Worcester Mayor Tim Murray, and Worcester Superintendent James Caradonio.  YMCAs in both communities were selected as the local groups implementing the programs on-site, and they also will be represented at the event.
 
“There is no question that after-school learning can help boost student performance.  We know that access to quality after-school time is an important factor in high academic achievement,” noted Dr. Blenda Wilson of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.  She added, “Education that takes place through focused after-school apprenticeships tied to outcomes complements what students learn in the classroom.  The most effective way to demonstrate the real-world value and applicability of their studies is to introduce students to an environment where those classroom skills immediately matter.”

“On behalf of the Balfour Foundation, Fleet is pleased to partner with Massachuetts 2020, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and the United Way to prepare our children for the demands of the 21st century by expanding the availability of innovative out-of-classroom experiences,” added Fleet Regional President James Paulhus.  “Today’s launch is a perfect example of one of the many great things that can happen when the private and nonprofit sectors partner together for the community.”

“By introducing the Citizen Schools education model to their schools, today’s two participating communities, Framingham and Worcester, have become living examples of what ideas turned into action can accomplish on behalf of children.  We are doubly excited at the prospect of the Citizen Schools approach being duplicated elsewhere as the Middle School Initiative expands to other communities in years to come,” added Citizen Schools President Eric Schwarz.  “Our volunteers teach from the unique textbooks of their lives.  Citizens Schools helps turn kids into leaders everyday through the remarkable power of after-school apprenticeships taught by citizen volunteers.”

“An important message here is that local communities and the private sector are doing their share.  We are obviously hopeful that the public sector will make after-school programming a higher priority for the sake of our children.  As large and diverse a group as we have here today, we still cannot do it alone--not without strong state partners,” said Jennifer Davis, President of Massachusetts 2020.  She added, “Today’s launch is a reminder of what can be accomplished when leaders join forces to address a pressing need.  These leaders have done something hugely important for our children, families, and communities in our commonwealth.”

The Middle School Initiative has generated more than $3 million in funding support to date from the private, foundation, and nonprofit sectors.  Among the largest supporters are the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, which has committed $1.4 million over the next five years, and the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, which has committed $1 million over the next five years.  Investment management services for the Balfour Foundation are provided by Columbia Management Group, which is one of the top 30 asset managers in the world.  The Massachusetts 2020 Foundation, the United Way of Tri-County, the United Way of Central Massachusetts, and the United Way of Merrimack Valley, have together committed more than $500,000 in additional funds.

About the Keeping Kids on Track Statewide Campaign

The Middle School Initiative is one project of the Keeping Kids on Track Statewide Campaign.  Through the Campaign, Massachusetts 2020 has partnered with five United Way organizations across the state to increase public and private commitments and expand children's after-school opportunities.  The Campaign seeks to ensure that all children have safe, productive learning and enrichment opportunities during out-of-school hours.  The Campaign's goals are threefold (1) to elevate out-of-school time to a top civic priority; (2) to leverage public and private resources to support children's and families' out-of-school needs, and (3) to organize civic and political leaders in a targeted number of communities in order to expand quality after-school and summer programming.  For more information on the Keeping Kids on Track Statewide Campaign, visit www.kkot.org or www.mass2020.org.

About the Nellie Mae Education Foundation

Established in 1998, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation provides grants and other support to education programs in New England that help improve academic achievement and access to higher education for low-income and underserved students.  The Foundation, located in Quincy, Mass., also funds research that examines critical educational opportunity issues that affect New England students, families, and adults, and convenes educators, policy makers and community members to discuss and influence pivotal education issues. In 2002, the Foundation is expected to provide $10.8 million in grants and other support to organizations throughout New England.

About Fleet Bank

FleetBoston Financial is the seventh-largest financial holding company in the United States, with assets of $191 billion.  The company’s principal businesses, Personal Financial Services and Wholesale Banking, offer a comprehensive array of innovative financial solutions to 20 million customers.  Through its Personal Financial Services franchise, Fleet offers retail banking, wealth management and investment services, nationwide brokerage, credit card and consumer lending services.  These services are available through approximately 1,500 branches and more than 3,500 ATMs in the Northeast; through Fleet HomeLink, one of the nation’s leading online banking platforms, and through telephone banking.  Fleet’s Wholesale Banking division offers commercial banking, commercial finance, capital markets, and global processing services.  FleetBoston Financial is headquartered in Boston and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: FBF) and the Boston Stock Exchange (BSE: FBF). 

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