Digital Commons Network^™

Research And Education In Parallel: Scientific Outreach Through On-Site Experiments At The Museum Of Science Boston Living Laboratory, Vivian Ciaramitaro, Hiu-Mei Chow

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Our world is multisensory, as is our perception of it: we see lips move while we listen to what is being said, we smell food as we taste it, we touch a surface as we feel its texture as we look at. Cross-modal sensory processing, the way information from our different senses interacts and influences our conscious perceptual experience is ubiquitous in everyday life, yet, it is not well understood, compared to unimodal sensory processing, processing information from a single sensory system. One of our research goals is to standardize a set of computer-generated stimuli and procedures to study sound-shape …

Success Boston: College Completion Initiative, Liliana Mickle

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Success Boston provides intensive coaching support and wraparound services to Boston Public Schools students and graduates to ensure they are Getting Ready, Getting In, and Getting Through college so they are equipped to lead productive lives after graduation.

Study Of Sexual Exploitation In Boston, Megan Klein-Hattori, Jackie Lageson, Julianne Siegfriedt, Kate Price

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

This project helps policymakers target resources and implement policies to facilitate the exit of prostituted individuals from sexual exploitation, and to deter those who facilitate the sale of sex and those who buy sex (“Johns”) from engaging in this exploitive behavior. This study interviews members of the Boston Police Department, survivors of sexual exploitation, Johns, and facilitators of the sale of sex. Boston is aiming to decrease demand for prostituted individuals by 20% over the next two years, and this research is the first step in that initiative.

Center For Social Policy: Reshaping Poverty Policy For And With Families And Communities, Julia Tripp, Mary Coonan, Priyanka Kabir, Susie Devins

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Center for Social Policy is a research and evaluation think tank of choice for policy makers, funders, and business leaders focused on the root causes of poverty. Our research and evaluation work helps organizations adapt to changing needs in a changing world. Our recommendations and technical assistance lead to community-driven systems change and improved program and business practices.

Mapping Boston's Assets To Improve Livability For Older Adults: Boston's Age Friendly Community Initiative; And Building Bonds To Last A Lifetime: Creating Community Among Beverly’S Aging Population, Bernard A. Steinman, Abigail Butt, Ceara Somerville, Hayley Gleason

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Boston Age Friendly Community Initiative is working with the City of Boston to document a comprehensive and inclusive baseline assessment of needs within domains that influence health and quality of life of older adults. In a separate project, UMass Boston worked with the City of Beverly Council on Aging and Senior Center to develop a database that would allow the Senior Center to locate and contact both new and long-time resident seniors in the hopes of building a better relationship with them.

Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Partnership, Aimee D'Avignon, Amy Cook, Colleen Regal, Felicia Wilczenski

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Partnership has enrolled students with disabilities from local public high schools for the past 6 semesters, since the Fall of 2012. These students audit courses that match their personal interests or career goals in order to experience a fully inclusive higher educational setting.

Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network: Boston Regional Office And Minority Business Center, Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network, Boston Regional Office & Minority Business Center

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Hosted by the College of Management, we are part of a statewide business assistance program providing FREE one-on-one counsel to entrepreneurs, seeking help with business growth, financing, loan assistance, strategic marketing and operational analysis. Our services are available to the public and members of the University of Massachusetts Boston community, including students, faculty, and staff. We also offer workshops on a variety of topics targeted to the needs of small business.

Community Engagement And Research Section, Umass Center For Clinical And Translational Science, University Of Massachusetts Center For Clinical And Translational Science

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The UMCCTS Community Engagement and Research Section works to improve health in Massachusetts by fostering community engaged research among UMass researchers and community partners. We do this through conferences, pilot funding opportunities, webinars, training, consultation, linking researchers with community partners, and an email discussion group (listserv).

Resilient Communities/Resilient Families, Center For Social Policy, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Center for Social Policy (CSP) serves as a strategic learning and evaluation partner to The Boston Foundation (TBF). TBF’s investment and people and place-based initiatives seek to make sustainable, positive change through community and economic development in neighborhoods along the Fairmount-Indigo transit line in Boston. As part of the Resilient Communities/Resilient Families (RC/RF), CSP with Mattapan United and Millennium 10 (in Codman Square/Four Corners) to identify community priorities for neighborhood change. From 2013-2015, the Center team is evaluating these neighborhood change efforts, as well as other initiatives aimed at increasing economic well-being for neighborhood residents.

Admission Guaranteed Program At Umass Boston, Academic Support Services And Undergraduate Studies, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Every student, whether low-income, first-generation, with a disability, or at high risk for academic failure, will develop the skills, knowledge, and motivation to successfully enroll in and complete postsecondary education.

Indigenous Women, Mother Tongues, And Nation Building In New England: A Tribal Policy Leadership Series, Amy Den Ouden, Chris Bobel

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

In collaboration with the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project (WLRP), Indigenous women educators and leaders, the Dept. of Women’s and Gender Studies is redesigning WOST/WGS 270, Native American Women in North America, to incorporate a lecture series on nation building and a semester-long community engagement project fostering student leadership in a research and policy formation project focused on legislating and funding a Native American language education law in Massachusetts.

Mass. Memories Road Show Heads To Wayland, Allston-Brighton, The West End, And Umass Boston, Carolyn Goldstein, University Archives & Special Collections, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Mass. Memories Road Show is an event-based public history project that digitizes personal photographs and stories shared by the people of Massachusetts. We work with local communities to organize free public events where every-one is invited to bring photographs to be scanned and included in the archives at UMass Boston. The goal of the Road Show is not only to document local history, but to build and strengthen connections within the communities of Massachusetts.

Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (Gbmp): People Based Productivity For Bottom Line Results, Bruce Hamilton, Lela Glikes

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Based at the University of Massachusetts Boston campus, GBMP is a not for profit corporation founded in 1994 to help businesses keep and grow good jobs, compete in today’s global economy, and contribute to a strengthening and vibrant economy in Massachusetts and surrounding communities through the training of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement principles and real-world practice.

Eeos 406: Git Data Collection And Field Methods, Helenmary Hotz

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

As part of EEOS 406 course work, students located and mapped distributions of an invasive plant, Spotted knapweed, on Nantucket for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Once established, the plant continues to spread to surrounding habitat and outcompetes native species. Prior to their field work, Dr. Sarah Oktay (NFS) and Kelly Omand (NCF) briefed the students on the history of the species on Nantucket. Kelly assigned the location for data collection to further support ongoing NCF research of the species.

Pathways To Political Leadership For Women Of Color Leaders, Center For Women In Politics And Public Policy, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Women's Pipeline For Change

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

This research partnership was formed to better understand what motivates and sustains−as well as prevents−Asian American women, Latinas, and African American women from achieving greater rates of political leadership in Massachusetts. Five women of color leaders became research fellows and explored pressing issues such as family and cultural expectations, financial resources and fundraising, and the potential for compromised values. After two years of training, data collection, and analysis, online resources were developed and are now hosted on UMass Boston’s website.

Educational Engagement In Boston’S Vietnamese Community: Asian American Studies Program Student-Faculty-Alumni Engagement With Teachers, Students, And Families Of The Mather School (Bps) In Dorchester, Asian American Studies Program, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Founded in 1639, the Mather Elementary School in Dorchester is the oldest public elementary school in the US. In 2012, nearly 40% of Mather students were Vietnamese American from immigrant households. The Mather School’s Vietnamese Structured English Immersion (SEI) program is the largest in Boston. In 1993, Ngoc-lan (Loni) Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee student in education and Asian American Studies at UMass Boston, was hired as a 4th grade bilingual teacher. Many of Lan’s students later attended UMass Boston where they reconnected educationally with the importance of Vietnamese American identity, community, and empowerment in AsAmSt courses. In 2007, Lan visited …

Reinforcing The Safety Net: A Collaborative Survey With The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, Heather Macindoe, Lindsay Morgia, Erynn Herman

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The more than 35,000 nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts employ 20% of the state’s workforce and serve as a vital part of the social safety net. Many of these organizations face challenges concerning fiscal sustainability. Funding often covers current services with little surplus to address organizational capacity issues. Successful public-nonprofit partnerships are key to building a resilient nonprofit sector. This study contributes to the nonprofit sector’s knowledge of how best to engage with policymakers at the state and local level.

The Campus Kitchen At Umass Boston Student-Powered Hunger Relief In Boston, Office Of Student Leadership And Community Engagement, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Walter Denney Youth Center, Housing Opportunities Unlimited, St. Peter's Teen Center, John Winthrop Elementary, Project Alerta, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Camp Shriver, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Inc., Sodexo

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Campus Kitchen at the University of Massachusetts Boston (CKUMB) is a part of The Campus Kitchens Project. (CKP), a national network of student volunteers, works to rescue excess food to create meals for those in need. CKUMB opened in 2010 to provide meals for the Dorchester community. By taking the initiative to run a community kitchen, students develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills, along with a commitment to serve their community, that they will carry with them into future careers.

The Parent Mediation Program – A Pathway To Cooperative Parenting, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Department Of Revenue Cse Division, Ma Community Mediation Centers

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Parent Mediation Program was established in 2008 as a state-local collaboration to raise awareness of mediation as a viable option for creating workable parenting plans and to mediate parenting issues for never-married, separated, divorced or separating parents across the state. The program aims to annually provide direct educational services to around 250-300 disputing parents, about 170-220 of whom will also receive mediation services.

Providing Staff And Program Development For Boston-Area Adult Basic Education Programs, Adult Literacy Resource Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston, System For Adult Basic Education Support (Sabes), College Of Education And Human Development, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Adult Literacy Resource Institute (part of UMass Boston since 1983, and 100% grant-funded) serves as the Greater Boston Regional Support Center for SABES, the state’s System for Adult Basic Education Support. We provide staff and program development services to adult basic education programs in the Boston area, especially the approximately 40 programs in the region (most located at community-based organizations) that are funded by the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and that offer ESOL, basic literacy and numeracy, high school equivalency preparation, and other classes (including family literacy, civics education, career pathways, and college transition).

Working Conditions Of Brazilian Housecleaners In Massachusetts: A Joint Research Project Of The Umass Boston-Brazilian Immigrant Center Partnership, Tim Sieber, Natalicia Tracy, Eduardo Siqueira

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Research Questions: What are the working and living conditions of Brazilian housecleaners in the major Brazilian communities of Massachusetts? What working conditions do they perceive to be the most problematic in their work life?

A domestic worker is a person who works within their employer’s household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping. Globally there are over 52.6 million domestic workers, 2.5 million in the United States and over 100,000 in Massachusetts.

Domestic work is the most common …

Higher Order Teaching: University Of Massachusetts Boston, Institute For Community Inclusion And Lowell Public Schools, Lisa Van Thiel

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Higher Order Teaching (HOT) partnership builds upon and extends the Lowell Public School’s Birth to Three Alignment grant. One of five pilot sites across the Commonwealth, the Lowell Alignment grant brings together a 15 member Leadership Alignment Team comprised of two, Level 3 & Level 4 public school principals, the District’s Early Childhood Department, and the City’s 7 center based programs, 5 family child care systems, and Head Start to build a common language around alignment, the common core, standards-based curriculum, and to set alignment goals and benchmarks. HOT addresses a widespread need throughout the City to aggressively address …

Chelsea Achieves In Mathematics: University Of Massachusetts Institute For Community Inclusion, Chelsea Public Schools And Capic Head Start Funded By The Board Of Higher Education Improving Teacher Quality, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Partners: Chelsea Achieves in Mathematics (CAM) is a partnership between the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB) and Chelsea Public Schools, Early Learning Center (ELC) and Capic Head Start (CHS). CAM will provide 15 hours of professional development on mathematics to early educators for PDP/CEU each year.

Principal Objectives: CAM will increase early educators’ content knowledge in mathematics and application of pedagogy into practice. CAM will integrate the Building Blocks Mathematics (BBM) into the Opening the World of Learning (OWL) Curriculum framework. The merging of two scientifically based research curriculum will improve teachers’ effectiveness and student outcomes in mathematics, language, and …

Massachusetts Municipal Performance Management Program (Mpmp), Michael Ward

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The mission of the MPMP is to make the ongoing, systematic use of data, measures, and goals a permanent feature of Massachusetts municipal government, and to accelerate the sharing of ideas among Massachusetts municipalities.

Through a team of highly-skilled Performance Management Analysts, each working directly with a portfolio of cities and towns, the MPMP provides on-the-ground support to Massachusetts municipalities on all aspects of data and analysis.

Evaluating Needs Of Older Adults In Massachusetts Communities, Hayley P. Gleason, Caitlin Coyle, Bernard A. Steinman, Ceara R. Somerville, Jan Mutchler

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Throughout Massachusetts, the ongoing demographic shift toward an older population has required most cities and towns to reevaluate the adequacy of services and programs for older adults. By 2030, the vast majority of municipalities in Massachusetts will have unprecedented proportions of people age 60 or over.

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The CMC Grant Program was established in FY 2013 to distribute state operational funding to qualified community mediation centers serving primarily low income citizens. Mediation services are provided through trained volunteers for a wide-range of family, neighborhood and community conflicts referred through courts, public agencies, local businesses, organizations and individuals. Centers deliver training, conduct outreach and education, and actively engage community members on their boards and through local partnerships.

Thrive In 5 – Boston Initiative, Center For Social Policy, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Center for Social Policy (CSP) is the external evaluator of Thrive in 5 Boston. Thrive in 5 is transforming Boston into a city that values and proactively nurtures young children’s school readiness – because when our youngest children thrive, we all prosper. Thrive in 5 envisions a city where families, educators, providers, business leaders, and communities come together with the knowledge, skills, and resources to prepare children for success in school and beyond. The center is helping to identify, implement, and evaluate community interventions designed to increase Boston children’s readiness for success in school at kindergarten age.

The Tech Apprentice Internship Program: Engaging Youth In It, Felicia Vargas, Olu Ibrahim, Neil Sullivan, Deborah Boisvert

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Tech Apprentice program was designed to provide Boston Public School (BPS) students work-based learning opportunities within information technology (IT) departments across a diverse array of industries for seven-week, paid summer internships. A robust technology internship program encourages BPS students to pursue IT-related post-secondary degrees. Tech Apprentice has expanded from 25 student placements in the first summer to 123 who were employed in 2012, and the program has placed over 600 students in internships since the program launched in 2006. 98% of graduates attend colleges and 78% are pursuing an IT-related degree.

Planning For The Growing Older Population: Conducting Community Needs Assessments, Caitlin Coyle, Hayley Gravette, Jan Mutchler, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Goals and Objectives: To describe the aging population of each community; To investigate the needs, interests and opinions of mature residents relating to their aging needs for age-related services in their respective communities; To provide recommendations to community partners and their stakeholders about how to create strong communities for older adults, based on needs assessment results; Generate reports and other documents to be used by the Department of Elder Services, other town offices, organizations that provide services, advocates, and community members.

Admission Guaranteed Program (Agp) At Umass Boston, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Jeremiah E. Burke High School, Boston Green Academy, Dorchester Academy

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Initiated in 1989, the Admission Guaranteed Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston guarantees admission to the university for students enrolled at partner high schools. Through AGP, students who take courses in the required subject areas and meet specific program criteria are assured admission to the university in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Science and Mathematics.