BOSTON'S HIGHER GROUND INC

EDUCATION, SUPPORT FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS: IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, BOSTON'S HIGHER GROUND (HIGHER GROUND) CONTINUED WITH ITS AGREEMENT WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TO COORDINATE THE 14-MEMBER SURROUND CARE COALITION AND SUPPORTED CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVED BY TWO LOCAL SCHOOLS, DAVID A. ELLIS K-5, AND HIGGINSON LEWIS INCLUSION, AND THE NEARBY CRISPUS ATTUCKS CHILDREN'S CENER (CACC). COALITION MEMBERS INCLUDED THE BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS, BOSTON PARTNERS IN EDUCATION, CATHLEEN STONE ISLAND OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOL (FORMERLY THOMPSON ISLAND OUTWARD BOUND EDUCATION CENTER), CENTER FOR TEEN EMPOWERMENT, DOCWAYNE, FAMILIES FIRST PARENTING PROGRAMS, FILM MAKERS COLLABORATIVE, JFYNETWORKS, KEYSTEPS, MASS. ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN, ONEBEAD, PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION & RESILIENCE (PEAR), UNION CAPITAL BOSTON. IN ADDITION, HIGHER GROUND PLACED SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM LOCAL UNIVERSITIES TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. WE LAUNCHED THE FIRST YEAR OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SURROUND CARE COALITION WORK SUPPORTED BY THE SECOND 3-YEAR $1 MILLION GRANT FROM BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. HIGHER GROUND, WITH SUPPORT OF LOCAL SCHOOL LEADERS AND SURROUND CARE COALITION PARTNERS, SECURED FUNDS FROM BPS AND BOSTON AFTER SCHOOL AND BEYOND (BASB) AND IMPLEMENTED ITS FIFTH SUMMER LEARNING ACADEMY (SLA) AGAIN IN-PERSON AND HOSTED AT THE HIGGINSON LEWIS SCHOOL SCHOOL AND CONTINUED ITS IN-PERSON AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS HOSTED AT THE DAVID A. ELLIS SCHOOL. TOGETHER THE SUMMER LEARNING ACADEMY AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM SERVE AS EXTENDED DAY AND EXTENDED YEAR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE IN MOST NEED OF SUCH SUPPORT. WE CONTINUED TO PRIORITIZE STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS OR WERE RECENTLY HOUSED.IN FY 2024, HIGHER GROUND CONTINUED ITS MENTORING PROGRAM THAT PROVIDED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS WHO IN TURN SUPPORTED YOUNGER STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN THEIR ACADEMIC ENDEAVORS.

FAMILY-LED STABILITY INITIATIVE: IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, HIGHER GROUND CONTINUED TO PLAY A LEAD ROLE IN THE FAMILY-LED STABILITY INITIATIVE (FLSI) TO ADDRESS STUDENT HOMELESSNESS IN BOSTON SCHOOLS. HIGHER GROUND COORDINATED THE PROGRAM WITH AN AGREEMENT WITH BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS (BPS) ON BEHALF OF FOUR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND IN COLLABORATIONS WITH THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY (BHA) AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF HOUSING (MOH) SUPPORTING FAMILIES SERVED BY 13 SCHOOLS IN BOSTON'S ROXBURY, DORCHESTER AND MATTAPAN NEIGHBORHOODS. THE NONPROFIT PARTNERS IN ADDITION TO HIGHER GROUND ARE DUDLEY STREET NEIGHBORHOOD INITIATIVE (DSNI), PROJECT HOPE, AND NEW LEASE FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES. THE 13 PARTNER SCHOOLS INCLUDE THE BOSTON DAY AND EVENING ACADEMY, DAVID A. ELLIS, DUDLEY STREET NEIGHBORHOOD CHARTER SCHOOL, DEARBORN STEM ACADEMY, ELLISON PARKS EARLY EDUCATION CENTER, HAYNES EARLY EDUCATION CENTER, HENRY L. HIGGINSON INCLUSION, HIGGINSON LEWIS INCLUSION, MADISON PARK TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, O'BRYANT SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATH, ORCHARD GARDENS, RAFAEL HERNANDEZ, AND WILLIAM MONROE TROTTER. THE AGREEMENT WAS AMENDED IN JULY 2024 AND ADDED THREE SCHOOLS TO THE INITIATIVE, COMMUNITY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND HEALTH (CASH), HOLMES INNOVATION SCHOOL, AND LILLA G. FREDERICK PILOT MIDDLE SCHOOL.DURING FISCAL 2024, WE CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS WITH NETWORKS OF ORGANIZATIONS IN BOSTON AND GATEWAY COMMUNITIES IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS THAT HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN LAUNCHING THEIR OWN INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS STUDENT HOMELESSNESS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.