Boston, MA – May 20, 2021 – The Rockland Trust-Blue Hills Charitable Foundation awarded $20,000 to Thompson Island Outward Bound Educational Center to support their programming. Their flagship program, Connections, which combines hands-on STEM with Outward Bound's character-building curriculum, will resume in-person learning with Boston Public School (BPS) middle school students this summer.
"Rockland Trust is honored to support Thompson Island's programming, especially Connections," said Robert Cozzone, Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President of Consumer & Business Banking at Rockland Trust, and Thompson Island Advisory Board Member. "By providing a safe and healthy learning environment for students, Thompson Island is helping children and young adults throughout Boston gain confidence and build a foundation which will help them achieve success in the classroom, workplace, and community."
Created collaboratively with BPS educators, Connections is a research-based middle school social-emotional and science curriculum that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Connections students focus on a set of academic and physical challenges that promote problem-solving, teamwork, and social and environmental responsibility. The program was developed to help close learning and opportunity gaps faced by Boston public middle school students in under-resourced neighborhoods. By the end of the summer, Thompson Island will have served over 1,000 students throughout the 2020/21 school year, which is 10% of the middle school student body of BPS.
Thompson Island’s work to reduce the learning gaps began 45 years ago, and its mission remains critical. In the 1970s, students from more affluent communities tested two grade levels above their lower-income peers. In early 2020, just before the pandemic, that gap had grown to four grade levels. A recent study conducted by McKinsey & Company has concluded that it will grow even wider due to the pandemic.
“We are grateful for Rockland Trust’s partnership. Their support will help ensure that more students in Boston have access to the kinds of high-quality, enriching educational opportunities all children need and deserve” said Arthur Pearson, President and CEO of Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center.
Most BPS students will not see the inside of a classroom until the 2021/2022 school year. The isolation of remote learning has taken a heavy toll on children throughout the country. Programs, like Connections, will continue to play a vital role in helping our youth overcome the impacts of the pandemic on their learning and well-being. Teachers have praised Thompson Island Outward Bound for being a vital part of helping students stay connected with their peers during remote learning and its ability to empower them to take leadership roles and challenge themselves to push past their comfort zones.
