Our Support Making a Difference
HOPE Program Gives Hope Page 4
Seniors Take the LEAP Page 5
Compass School Page 8
D EST I N Y V III Q 3 2019
WADE Institute Hosts Teachers at
“JAWSOME” SEMINAR Story on page 6
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National Grid Foundation’s
Board Member Moment
Carmen Fields NGF: What interests you most about National Grid Foundation? CF: Because of my experience working for nonprofit organizations (United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Dentaquest Foundation), I am particularly interested in best practices and growth of grass roots organizations. Service on the board provides an opportunity for me to learn about different models in New England and New York – large and small – new and old – and broaden my view of greater possibilities for solving some of our community’s most stubborn problems. I also appreciate the fellowship with fellow board members, some of whom I would not have made acquaintance were it not for my involvement with the board. NGF: What motivates you? CF: The opportunity to impact in some small way the task of improving lives. NGF: What other boards do you serve? CF: My board leadership experiences are varied. For ten years, I served as chair of the board of the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket. It is guardian of the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill—the oldest (1806) church
www.nationalgridfoundation.com
Destiny newsletter is a quarterly publication created to give you a glimpse into the stories of some of the organizations and programs National Grid Foundation supports. 2
Editor Creative Director Executive Director
Christine Berardi Pamela Focá Edward H. White Jr.
Destiny Newsletter Issue - VIII Q3 2019
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built by blacks that still stands. I was chair when the organization marked it’s 200th anniversary and completed renovation and re-opening of the edifice. Suffice to say, the celebration was glorious! For over 20 years, I was member of the board of directors of First Literacy a Boston based organization that promotes adult literacy. I believe adult literacy is as important as reading skills for children as it is the key to employment and improved job skills. My work as an officer in the Newton Chapter of Jack and Jill was a little more selfish, as it is a national service group that provides guidance and building leadership skill in children. Having grown up in Jack and Jill as a youth, I wanted to provide the same experience for my daughter and her peers as they grew and developed. It was particularly rewarding to be appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to be a member of the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership—a group that guides marketing for its tourism and business development interests. I am currently a member of the advisory Council for the Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, a Boston-based international group that, through essay writing encourages fifth grades to face fears and identify examples of courage in their individual lives. Finally, having been a board member and regional director for the National Association of Black Journalists, I maintain affiliation and serve on ad hoc committees as requested. During my KeySpan days, I had the pleasure of serving as Chair of the Communications Committee for American Gas Association, recognizing the techniques I employed in improving visibility for the corporation when I was Director of Media Relations/New England. NGF: How did you first become interested/involved with the Foundation? CF: I became a member of the Foundation board at the urging of Nick Stavropoulos, then president of KeySpan New England, and my boss, Barbara Kates-Garnick, PhD, who was Vice President for Community Relations at the time. After joining the board, I was encouraged by and greatly revered the board chair Basil Patterson. The memory of his guidance and leadership remains with me to this day. NGF: What is your vision for National Grid Foundation? CF: I hope that the day will come that the National Grid Foundation can create or partner with signature/exclusive programs that can be branded by the Foundation, and have visibility across the National Grid Foundation footprint.❧
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National Grid Foundation
Photo caption: Left to Right: Jamaal Eggleston, HOPE Work Readiness Instructor; Marcy Reed, Foundation Board Member; James, HOPE graduate; Ed White, Foundation Executive Director; and Irene Branche HOPE Chief Development and Evaluation Officer.
HOPE Program Gives Hope “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” – Christopher Reeve
The HOPE Program’s Technical Skills for Lower Income New Yorkers program provides job training and lifelong career support to those who face significant barriers to employment. One jobseeker, James, came to HOPE after experiencing incarceration and homelessness, and feared that his felony conviction would prevent him from entering the workforce. He said that the most valuable tool he gained while enrolled in the program was his set of basic computer skills. When James came to HOPE, he had never so much as turned on a computer before. But thanks to HOPE’s digital literacy curriculum, he now knows how to use email, create a resume, share files, and so much more: all of which are crucial skills for the job seeking process. Not only did James win the award for “most improved” in his digital literacy class, but he also got a maintenance job the day after he completed his training at HOPE, thanks to the skills he gained! “We are beyond appreciative of our longstanding partnership with the National Grid Foundation, which has evolved alongside our changing digital literacy programming. 4
James' Story
In addition to grants which allow us to train up to 300 New Yorkers annually in skills that open access to the workforce, the Foundation made an innovative grant to help us develop our first LinkedIn curriculum. And Ed and Marcy made James’ day by hearing his story and congratulating our newly-hired graduate,” said Irene Branche, Chief Development and Evaluation Officer.
“I’m no longer worried about my past. Instead, I’m focusing on opportunities for the future: to be a law-abiding citizen and to succeed. HOPE gave me confidence and skills that I wouldn’t trade for anything- skills that are taking me places I never thought I’d go.” — James When asked about how he has changed since arriving at HOPE, James said, “I’m no longer worried about my past. Instead, I’m focusing on opportunities for the future: to be a lawabiding citizen and to succeed. HOPE gave me confidence and skills that I wouldn’t trade for anything- skills that are taking me places I never thought I’d go.”❧ To learn more about how Brooklyn’s The HOPE Program empowers New Yorkers to build brighter futures, visit http://www.thehopeprogram.org.
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Seniors Take the LEAP “Knowledge is power.” – Francis Bacon The Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project empowers senior citizens through education, information and legal representation from the organization’s Senior Legal Education Assistance Program (Senior LEAP). The program has funded and significantly improved programming for the borough’s senior population. Recognizing this is important issue, National Grid Foundation has supported the Volunteer Lawyers Project’s (VLP) program and Brooklyn’s seniors for two decades. The numbers are impressive: the 20year partnership with VLP through Senior LEAP has served more than 25,000 seniors! “Since its inception in 1999, National Grid Foundation has been instrumental in the development of the VLP’s Senior LEAP. With a rising need for critical legal education and representation for the elderly in Brooklyn, NGF Senior LEAP has significantly expanded its delivery of services over the years to include community workshops, education and know your rights trainings, and high-quality representation to solve emergent problems and increase self-sufficiency and security among the vulnerable senior population throughout Brooklyn. The work and impact simply would not be possible without the generous support of the National Grid Foundation.” Heidi Lee Henderson, Executive Director.
Brooklyn has had the largest elderly population in New York City: over 338,000 Brooklynites are age 65 and older. About half of this population lives at or below the 200% Federal Poverty level. Senior citizens are vulnerable to social isolation and the threat of their ability to obtain and retain essential medical care and governmental benefits or to meet housing and food expenses. The goal of VLP’s National Grid Foundation’s Senior LEAP is to empower seniors by educating them about their legal rights and safety, by providing high-quality, compassionate legal pro bono representation. Through neighborhood-based and court-based clinics and seminars, attorneys educate, provide advice and counsel seniors in areas of grave concern: the threat of displacement, foreclosure and homelessness; overwhelming debt; end of life planning; and complex family situations including care of grandchildren, physical and mental health issues; and extreme vulnerability to financial scams and abuse. As a result of these critical services and National Grid Foundation’s sustaining generous support, Brooklyn’s seniors and communities have become stronger and better educated. ❧
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National Grid Foundation
By Deborah Drew
You’ve heard the saying “You’re going to need a bigger boat” mumbled by Police Chief Brody in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 movie, Jaws? Under the Summer STEM Professional Development Institutes for educators’ program at the WADE Institute for Science Education (formerly MITS, the Museum Institute for Teaching Science), more than 20 teachers set sail for a full day of shark study. On purpose! Fortunately, they did not need a bigger boat for the training that included part ocean adventure off the shore of Cape Cod exploring tracking equipment, observing seals and searching for sharks, and part classroom study that covered technology and shark dissection at the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy in Chatham, MA. While a great white did not make a cameo appearance that day, the participating teachers were focused on the continuing science education course that will help them develop the skills they need to actively engage their students in science and engineering practices and concepts. The National Grid Foundation has supported this program for two years, and it’s no fish story 6
that approximately 200 educators have returned to their K-12 classrooms and inspired new generations of scientists. According to the Institute -- which was founded in 1986 and is based in Quincy, MA -- its weeklong sessions focus on both science content and teaching skills, making them a unique form of professional development. This model is well received by teachers since not only are they improving their content knowledge, but they are also gaining the skills to effectively bring this knowledge into their classrooms and engage their students. This summer and early fall, the WADE Institute will offer four weeklong Institutes and will enroll up to 25 teaches in each one. The Institutes are held throughout Massachusetts
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Kevin Buckley, an 8th grade science teacher, Diamond Middle School in Lexington, MA. Wade Institute for Science Education gives teachers access to research facilities, technology centers, colleges and universities, nature centers and businesses among other resources. Educators learn and take part in hands-on, real-world experiments.
at various partner institutions (museums, science centers and other technology or cultural organizations). By providing teachers with the knowledge, skills and resources to provide effective STEM instruction, Wade Institute programs increase student interest and achievement in science, technology and engineering. The teachers served by the program will develop new skills, update their scientific knowledge and learn about educational resources in their own communities. Additionally, they experience data collection in a field setting and apply that knowledge to current theories; develop and implement an inquiry-based curriculum with their students; develop their own curricula/unit
outline and three investigations; and learn about and local field trip and classroom resources available from museums, nature centers, STEM professionals, science and technology centers, engineering firms and other organizations. “Teaching the teachers and providing them with tools they need to ultimately increase the number of students seeking STEM related education or technical training and entering STEM careers is a perfect end result for the Foundation,” said Ed White, Executive Director for the National Grid Foundation. “The WADE Institute is in lock step with our mission, creating solutions to today’s educational and environmental challenges and positively impacting and improving the lives of many. ❧ 7
National Grid Foundation
Local RI Students Find Social Responsibility & Sustainability at the ... By Deborah Drew
Nestled in a 20 – acre lot, off a small tree lined street in Kingston, RI, nearly 200 students from across the state have found their way to the Compass School, a high – performing K – 8 public charter school that has been educating future leaders through the dual lens of environmental sustainability and social responsibility for 16 years. The National Grid Foundation has funded the Compass School’s agricultural education efforts twice and is helping students navigate ecological responsibility along with traditional academics. 8
National Grid Foundation
At the award-winning school, which is extensively used as an outdoor classroom, every student can plant seedlings, cultivate and harvest produce; maintain a compost pile by recycling organic food wastes from school lunches; and address pest and disease problems encountered while caring for the garden; as well as learn how to preserve and prepare the foods they have grown. And, students are excited to be outside exploring nature while gaining knowledge of sustainable environmental systems through hands-on planting, harvesting, processing and eating in a holistic farm-to-table program. The school offers children a continuous, multiyear educational experience and an integrated, project-based curriculum that provides the foundation to develop everyone as a cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and reflective being. Students graduate knowing they are members of a global community, having developed an awareness of and practiced their personal, social and ecological responsibility. According to Compass School Director Brandee Lapisky, every child is challenged to become problem solvers, critical thinkers, and life-long learners. ❧ To learn more about the Compass School Visit: www.compassschool.org/
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National Grid Foundation
Coming Together for Earth Day Teaming up to give back: National Grid and National Grid Foundation employees joined forces to help make Long Island’s Freeport Recreational Center more beautiful this spring. The Rec Center had been battered by several storms including Hurricane Sandy and could use a helping hand. For an Earth Day event, employee volunteers gave back to the community and put in a full day’s work -- power-washing patios, pool areas and playgrounds; stained park benches; and planted flowers and shrubs. Mother Earth is smiling! ❧
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National Grid Foundation
Grant Application Process Made Easy!
Here are a few simple guidelines for all prospective non-profit organizations seeking a grant from National Grid Foundation: ● Go to www.nationalgridfoundation.com and click on the “Areas of Focus” and “Apply for a Grant” pages ● Confirm that your organization is in our grant-making territory (See Zip Code lists on Apply for a Grant page) ● Take the Eligibility Quiz. Once you have passed the quiz, you may submit your application. (When submitting information on the CyberGrant portal, it is important to remember your login name and Password. Please note: You will not be able to re-enter CyberGrants from National Grid Foundation website from this point.) If you have any questions, you may write to National Grid Foundation at www.info@nationalgridfoundation.com. No applications will be accepted through email. 11
“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” – Lady Bird Johnson