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Dear �鶹��Ƶ Greater Boston Community,

I am grateful for fall in New England – the magical beauty of it all makes it my favorite time of year.  At �鶹��Ƶ, the magic extends to the start of a new service year and the possibilities and hope that come with it. This fall, I am particularly grateful as I step into the role of Executive Director, where I get to work with passionate and talented partners, champions, and colleagues who inspire me every day. Thank you for your support and well wishes – I can’t wait to keep collaborating with all of you.

It is an energizing time to be at �鶹��Ƶ Greater Boston. We are in the third year of our local Strategic Plan, developed in partnership with our Site Board, to reset and refocus after the disruption that the pandemic created to our service in schools.  The plan centers on driving impact for the students we serve and enhancing the experience of our AmeriCorps members. Our investments have been paying off:

• For the last three years, 2 out of 3 students who received targeted academic support from a �鶹��Ƶ AmeriCorps member met growth goals and got back on track if they started the year behind. And over 90% of teachers agree that �鶹��Ƶ has a positive impact on students’ academic engagement.
• Our AmeriCorps members are reporting strong satisfaction with the training and development they receive. 89% agree that �鶹��Ƶ was a strong leadership development experience, and 87% agree that they have a better idea of their next steps.

With strong momentum to build upon, we are well-positioned to advance exciting strategic opportunities to further deepen our impact in the years ahead, including:

• Continuing to grow our Teaching Fellows Program. This offers a direct pathway to teaching for our AmeriCorps members who commit to a second year of service as they earn a master’s degree in education. Now in its 6^th year, we have graduated 44 teaching fellows; 86% are still teaching. The program is now recognized as a high-quality pipeline for our district partners.
• Creating new career pathways for our AmeriCorps members. We know our AmeriCorps members are building critical durable workforce skills that benefit employers. As such, we aim to ensure that their service experience positions them to more directly access a range of career pathways and economic mobility, in addition to our teaching pathway.
• Deepening our collaboration with Community Hub Schools in Boston. The Community Schools movement is a long-term strategy to actively engage the resources of each community around student and family success. We are proud to serve as a new Lead Partner, collaborating with Boston Public Schools and other Lead Partners to share in the ownership of the strategy, goals and outcomes of this important work.

We know there will be challenges ahead, including a volatile federal funding landscape that requires us to identify new revenue sources and ensure sustainability. I am confident that, together, we will continue to overcome obstacles and demonstrate what is possible when we invest in young people and create the conditions for their success.

There are so many reasons to be optimistic – starting with the 110 AmeriCorps members who are serving with us today. In a world that is increasingly divisive, they are choosing to work together across lines of difference.  And at a time when it is too easy to disengage and disconnect from school and one another, they are choosing the essential work of building relationships and connection – one student at a time.

When I came to �鶹��Ƶ for the first time in 1997, I was compelled by the unwavering sense of purpose to a shared mission and the strong community that defined it. I am proud – and grateful –  that so many years later, this still holds true.

Thank you for being a part of our community.

With gratitude,

Erika Alvarez Werner

Executive Director and Senior Vice President, �鶹��Ƶ Greater Boston