Boston teachers volunteer in the Dominican Republic this summer

Teachers at the Young Women's Summer Leadership Program

This summer nine Boston Public Schools teachers are spending four weeks in the Dominican Republic teaching English, health, reading, math and leadership skills to young girls through the Mariposa Foundation's Young Women's Summer Leadership Program. The BPS teachers come from several different schools, including the Blackstone Elementary, Ohrenberger K-8, Frederick Pilot Middle, Harbor Middle, Boston Latin Academy, and Boston Adult Technical Academy (BATA). The group also includes one retired teacher from Madison Park High School. They are among 22 educators -- some from other parts of the U.S. and others local volunteers from Cabarete, DR -- who are participating in the program this summer.

Teachers help students measure the perimeter of their desks.

In addition to teaching, BPS teachers help to create individual education plans and personal profiles of each girl so that their progress can be tracked throughout their adolescence.  Working together with a group of parents and leaders from the Cabarete Community, the teachers are part of an experiential education program that teaches young girls leadership qualities and marketable skills - setting them off on the right path to become active leaders for social change in their communities. Follow the program's progress on the teachers' blog.

Founded in 2009, the Mariposa DR Foundation is a US 501c3, community-run organization that provides sustainable and creative solutions to end extreme poverty, especially empowering girls and women to achieve their full potential. The organization serves Dominican and Haitian children and families, providing them with the tools they need to become active community leaders for social change.

Photos courtesy of the Mariposa Project.

Two BPS teachers travel to Malaysia to present at international conference on Chinese explorer Zheng He

Two Boston Public Schools teachers are traveling to Melaka, Malaysia to present at an international conference on the Chinese explorer Zheng He. Alicia Carroll and Lucy Montgomery will speak about their children's book, Malindi's Journey: An African Giraffe Encounters China. Malindi's Journey tells the story of the giraffe's journey from Malindi (Swahili coast) to China, to be presented to the Yong-Le Emperor by Zheng He. Following the conference, Ms. Carroll and Ms. Montgomery will travel to Singapore and Nanjing, visiting cultural and historical sites and learning more about Zheng He. Their three-week trip is funded by a Fund for Teachers grant, and you can read more about it on their blog.

News from the schools

Here is a roundup of recent events and news from around the Boston Public Schools:

Thanks to a $13K generous donation from Old Mutual Asset Management Foundation, Monument High School's Mu Alpha Theta (M.A.T.) mathematics honor society was able to take a field trip to Chicago, Illinois, recently. The trip to Chicago gave the students the chance to explore another city rich in history, culture, diversity, food, music, and architecture and also exposed students to the role of mathematics in architecture and engineering, as well as logistical planning (budget, itinerary, and fundraising). Photo: Mu Alpha Theta Students.

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Boston AIDS Walk, AIDS Action is recognizing 25 community heroes. Boston Public Schools Student Support Coordinator Phil Robinson is among them. Mr. Robinson has raised many thousands of dollars to end the AIDS epidemic by participating in each and every AIDS Walk Boston.

Fox 25 visited the Trotter Elementary School in Dorchester recently for a story about Playworks, the national nonprofit organization that provides structured recess programming for schools.

Nora Tsoutsis, an English teacher at John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science in Roxbury, was recently named by the National Math and Science Initiative as one of 18 teachers to receive its first annual All American Teacher of the Year Award. The awards, which recognize outstanding math, science, and English teachers for remarkable contributions to their students and to the teaching profession, are presented to teachers in each state participating in NMSI’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP).

Students travel to New Orleans over April vacation to help with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts

In collaboration with Gulf Coast Volunteers for the Long Haul, 12 students from six Boston Public Schools will travel to New Orleans over spring recess next week to help with ongoing relief efforts related to Hurricane Katrina.

The students are all mentors in the LEAH project, which provides high school students with mentoring and leadership opportunities in out-of-school-time programs.

The students, along with four staff, will stay in Algiers for the week and volunteer in the wards of New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana. They will also visit McMain High School to dialogue with New Orleans Public Schools students, visit Dillard University, and experience the unique food, music, and culture of the city. Throughout the trip, LEAH mentors will post updates on Facebook and Twitter as “Leah Leaders” and write daily blogs at http://leahneworleans.chipin.com. They leave on Sunday, April 18 and return to Boston on Saturday, April 24. The trip is sponsored in part by Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.

BPS teacher takes a year to travel the world

Teacher Lillian Marshall taught at Charlestown High School for five years before taking a leave of absence this school year to travel around the world to volunteer, teach and write. After some time in Asia and Europe, for the past two months she has been in Ghana, West Africa, running a student writing project and international penpal exchange. Follow Ms. Marshall's adventures on her daily travel blog, "Around the World L", and make sure to check out the Student Life Stories Project, which contains nearly two dozen stories written by Ghanaian students about an important or influential event in their life, allowing readers around the world a sneak peek into the individual students' life experiences.

Photo: Ghanaian students view their published works online for the first time (courtesy of Lillian Marshall).

Students spend school vacation in Ghana

Eight Boston students spent February vacation in Ghana as part of the Another Course to College / Achimota School Exchange program. The Boston students spent the week learning about the culture, history, people and geography of Ghana, including touring World Heritage sites, participating in workshops on batik cloth, tie dye and kente weaving, exploring rain forests, staying with host families, and attending school with Ghanaian students. A group of students from Ghana will travel to Boston in late May as the second part of the exchange.