Local Goals and Targets:

Opportunities to Learn and Grow

• Boston currently has universal, full-day, free kindergarten and also offers full-day pre-kindergarten for most children.  Boston is expanding “Play to Learn” groups, free weekly structured playtimes for parents and their children ages 1-3 held in Boston Public Schools elementary schools, to all Boston neighborhoods.
• Learning to read, reading to learn: by 2012, 80% of first graders will read at or above grade level.
• On track to graduate: by 2012, 90% of 10th graders will pass English Language Arts and Math as a part of their Competency Determination requirement.
• College ready: decrease the annual dropout rate for the Boston Public Schools to 3% or lower by 2012.  Increase college completion rates by 50% for the Boston Public Schools class of 2009; double college completion rates for the class of 2011.

Actions/Innovations:

School Readiness:

• Thrive in 5 is a citywide, comprehensive approach to school readiness.  The initiative is the result of a year-long planning process that included families, educators, health and human service providers, the private sector, and City departments.  Thrive in 5 will align the work of these sectors to ensure that all children from birth through 5 years old and their families receive the information, support, and services they need to be ready for sustained school success. 
  » Learn more about Thrive in Five
• Smart from the Start, a key component of Thrive in 5, is a family support and community engagement initiative that helps low-income children build the cognitive, language, physical, and social/emotional assets that facilitate school and life success.  The program also offers adult education and financial literacy, promoting not only healthy parenting, but also family stability. 
• The Talk, Read, Play Campaign is another early child development initiative in Boston.
  » Learn more about the Campaign 

Learning and Enrichment In and Out of School:

• The Community Learning Initiative integrates the work of three large city departments to better support Boston’s youth in reaching their full potential.  Through aligning the curricula and resources of Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Boston Public Schools and the Boston Public Libraries, the City is able to provide more children with enriching experiences that enhance their learning.  The initiative, which features partnerships with local organizations and institutions, now links schools, libraries, and community centers in five neighborhoods, with plans to expand to eight.
  » Learn more about the Community Learning Initiative
• Every summer, Mayor Menino dedicates public funds and raises private money to provide nearly 10,000 Boston young adults with summer jobs.  Employment at an early age not only provides needed income to Boston’s young adults, but also provides them with invaluable exposure to and experience in the workplace.
  » Learn more about Boston's summer jobs program
• Mayor Menino’s commitment to keep schools open beyond the final bell has proven enduring and catalytic.  In 10 years, the number of students who participate in afterschool programs has doubled.  Nonprofit partners now work closely with schools to offer extended learning and enrichment opportunities for thousands of students each day.  Mayor Menino has sustained his commitment by establishing Boston After School & Beyond, a public-private partnership dedicated to supporting, strengthening and expanding Boston’s out-of-school time sector.  Boston Beyond partners with the Boston Public Schools staff to build a system of supports for programs.  
  » Learn more about Boston After School & Beyond

A Safe Neighborhood to Call Home

• Continue to increase community trust, expand community partnerships, and promote community policing to further reduce violent crimes in the neighborhoods of Boston (Boston experienced a 10% reduction in crime in 2008).
• Through the Violence Intervention and Prevention program, increase resident participation in neighborhood coalitions by 50% and increase enrollment of middle school students in afterschool and summer programs by 30% in four selected high-crime neighborhoods.

Actions/Innovations:

• Mayor Menino's Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) initiative dedicates resources, assets and attention to the four neighborhoods of Boston most affected by violent crime, in an effort to reduce violence and to connect youth and families with services and opportunities.  Strategies include direct, door-to-door outreach, as well as neighborhood Peace Councils, which provide a forum for community engagement and problem solving.
  » Learn more about the Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative
• Now located in 14 neighborhoods throughout the City of Boston, the Boston Police Department’s Safe Street Teams provide a reassuring presence in neighborhoods through community policing:  walking the beat and focusing preventative measures to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in the areas they are assigned.  These teams focus on creating a clean, safe and orderly environment, increasing positive interaction with residents, and responding to the concerns of community members. 

A Healthy Lifestyle and Environment

• By 2012, decrease smoking rates among Boston public housing residents to 15%.
• By 2012, increase the availability of smoke free, multi-family affordable and public housing in Boston by 40%.
• Increase the number of health providers trained in medical interpretation as a means of overcoming health disparities related to linguistic and cultural barriers.
• By 2011, reduce the percentage of high school students who are overweight to 20%.

Actions/Innovations: 

• Boston Connects, a school-community-university partnership, provides health education and student support coordinators to 12 elementary schools.  The program uses evidence-based curricula to improve health/nutrition and social/emotional competencies among students.
  » Learn more about Boston Connects
• The Corner Stores Initiative is a campaign targeted to middle school students at school and in local convenience stores to encourage consumption of healthier beverages such as water, low-fat milk, and 100% juice.
  » Learn more about the Corner Stores Initiative
• Boston Steps is a five-year initiative to address obesity and chronic disease control funded through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The program, offered in schools, community centers, and YMCAs, promotes developing more active and healthier family habits.
  » Learn more about Boston Steps
• Located on Long Island in Boston Harbor, Camp Harbor View was opened by the Mayor in the summer of 2007.  It provides over 600 of Boston’s inner city youth, ages 11 – 14, with four weeks of active summer day camp.
• The Boston Food and Fitness Collaborative, formed in 2007, is a community-wide initiative funded by the WK Kellogg Foundation to improve access to healthy, local foods and improve the city’s walkability, bikability, and access to safe parks and playgrounds over the coming ten years. 
  » Learn more about the Boston Food and Fitness Collaborative

A Financially Fit Family in Which to Thrive

• Reverse the rise in homelessness through a targeted approach of prevention, placement, and production of permanent housing.
• Reduce long-term and family homelessness by 50% by 2012.
• Reclaim 500 units of bank-owned properties throughout the City’s neighborhoods, and save 1,000 homeowners from foreclosure by 2012.

Actions/Innovations:

• In 2008, the Mayor launched the Foreclosure Intervention Team to help individuals and neighborhoods manage the foreclosure crisis.  This program provides counseling for those facing foreclosure and buys and rehabilitates homes in areas facing high foreclosure rates.
  » Learn more about the Foreclosure Intervention Team
• Since first launching Leading the Way in 2000, the City of Boston has overseen the creation of more than 18,000 new units of housing, 5,000 of which have been affordable, and nearly 9,500 affordable units have been preserved. In total, over this ten-year period, Boston has benefited from upwards of $5 billion in private and public investment.
  » Learn more about Leading the Way
• Launched in the summer of 2008, the citywide Food and Fuel Campaign helps connect families with services they need to access healthy, affordable food and necessary heat and energy.  This program includes a major community summit, convening over 1,000 families, a major food drive launched around Election Day, and a series of community dinners that provide opportunities for creating networks, accessing information and connecting people to services.
  » Learn more about the Food and Fuel Campaign
• Launched in 2002 by the Mayor, Boston’s Earned Income Tax Credit campaign has grown to serve well over 10,000 people each year, putting over $15 million back in the in the pockets of Boston families.  Through this program, the City, with a diverse network of partners, provides free tax preparation combined with access to bank accounts, food stamps, savings bonds, health insurance information and credit counseling.
  » Learn more about the Boston EITC Campaign
• Through the Boston Department of Neighborhood Development’s Home Center, the City provides a range of financial literacy programs to make sure that families make their largest expenditure – the purchase of a home – armed with the best information possible.  The signature program of the Center – the Don’t Borrow Trouble campaign, begun in 1999 – has been replicated nationally.
  » Learn more about the Boston Home Center
• In 2003, the City of Boston pooled resources with more than a dozen private foundations to form SkillWorks, an innovative workforce development funding collaborative.  To date, SkillWorks has created ten new education and training partnerships, each with strong employer support, in fields such as healthcare, hospitality, building services and auto repair.
  » Learn more about SkillWorks