42,000 employees from 94 municipalities and public school districts will receive cybersecurity awareness training to better detect and avoid cyber threats.

Today, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and Secretary of Technology Services and Security Curt Wood joined legislative, municipal and public school officials to announce $250,000 in grants awarded to 94 municipalities and public school districts across the Commonwealth to provide critical cybersecurity awareness training for over 42,000 employees to better detect and avoid cyber threats. Lt. Governor Polito addressed the group of award recipients at Worcester City Hall to mark the end of October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

The number of employees for the school system in New Bedford that will receive training ar 341 for Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical School 3,300 for New Bedford Public Schools.

Employees in communities participating in the program will receive interactive online training in topics ranging from email security to USB device safety. Employees will also receive simulated phishing emails. Phishing is a growing threat in local government in which an attacker seeks to influence the employee to take an action that may be harmful to the organization, by masquerading as a trusted entity.

“Raising awareness of the challenges posed by cyber threats is an important strategy for the Commonwealth’s communities to best train and equip its employees with the tools needed to defend against cyber threats,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are pleased to collaborate with our partners in local government to understand how we can better protect our communities.”

“Cybersecurity is a critical issue for Massachusetts communities and schools who face cybersecurity threats but sometimes lack the resources to prepare for and combat them,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “These first-ever cybersecurity grant funds are a crucial tool to complement the over $9 million in funding for municipal IT infrastructure projects through the Community Compact program in providing Massachusetts communities and schools the resources and tools they need to combat cyber threats.”

The grant funding was included, in part in the Fiscal Year 2019 operating budget passed by the Legislature and matched by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security to ensure as many communities and schools could participate in the cybersecurity training as possible.

In June 2017, Governor Baker filed legislation through the Article 87 government restructuring process under the Massachusetts Constitution to establish the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security as the cabinet-level lead information technology organization in the Executive Branch.

The Executive Office of Technology Services and Security began deployment of annualized cybersecurity awareness training for Executive Branch employees to better detect and mitigate cyber threats at the state level in 2018. The training will be enhanced year-over-year to account for evolving trends in cyber threats.

In April 2019, Governor Baker filed a $1.1 billion bond bill that includes $600 million in information technology (IT) infrastructure funding. $140 million of the funds are dedicated to further enhance the cybersecurity of the Commonwealth’s digital assets including the standing up of a new Security Operations Center.

“Cyberattacks are an emerging and increasing threat to communities across the Commonwealth and the nation,” said Secretary of Technology Services and Security Curt Wood. “By strengthening our communities’ cybersecurity posture, we are preparing municipal and school employees to better detect and defend against cyber threats.”

“Failure to proactively defend against cybersecurity threats in today’s digital world puts both the city and its residents at risk,” said Worcester City Manager Ed Augustus. “This is why training city staff to follow best practices and to be vigilant in the prevention of online attacks is so critical. We are grateful that the State is taking this issue seriously and we will continue to work together to keep our community safe.”

“In the wake of growing concerns relative to data privacy, security and increased threats, we are taking action to improve the Commonwealth’s preparedness within the cyberspace,” said Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury), who served as Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Cyber Security Readiness. “These efforts complement a national conversation and need for resources to support cybersecurity readiness. I commend the Administration for taking an active role in working to better prepare our schools and municipalities for these very real threats.”

The Princeton Review recognized the university for its sustainability and refuse diversion efforts.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges according to the recently published, The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges: 2019 Edition. The Princeton Review surveys administrators at hundreds of four-year colleges about their institutions’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. The ranking, which began in 2010, has featured the university for eight straight years.

“This is the 8th year that UMass Dartmouth has made this list, and we couldn’t be prouder of this accomplishment and staying power,” said Jamie Jacquart, Assistant Director of Campus Sustainability and Residential Initiatives. “We have greatly expanded our refuse diversion efforts including food waste, coffee grounds, and even shredded paper. Every little bit that does not go into the landfill and can be used as an input for something else is great.”

As part of its efforts to create a robust ecosystem of sustainable initiatives, in the summer of 2019, the university launched the largest public battery storage system in Massachusetts. The 520 kW system, in combination with other measures, will reduce the electrical load from the grid during peak usage times. The new battery was the latest in a series of campus sustainability infrastructure upgrades, including a 1.6MWh Co-generation plant and 369 kW of solar photovoltaic panels.

In 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named UMass Dartmouth as the “College/University Partner of the Year” for the 2018 national WasteWise awards. The UMass Dartmouth Dining Services team was recognized for their proper management of purchasing and food production to minimize leftovers. Dining Services also donates unsold, prepared packaged foods weekly during the school year to local liturgical ministries serving the homeless. In 2017, Dining Services unveiled a new program called Meals with Dignity, in which student volunteers work to package meals made with wholesome, leftover food from the dining hall on a biweekly basis and to deliver meals to the on-campus food pantry.

“We salute and strongly recommend UMass Dartmouth to the many environmentally-minded students who want to study and live at a green college,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief.

Franek noted that college applicants and their parents are increasingly concerned about the environment and sustainability issues. Among the 11,900 teens and parents The Princeton Review surveyed earlier this year for its 2019 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 64% said that having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.

Bishop Stang High School is pleased to announce the Julie (Stockwell) Letourneau, for the position of Head Girls Basketball Coach. Bishop Stang Athletic Director Dennis Golden remarked, “We are thrilled to have Julie Letourneau head our Girls Basketball program. We believe Coach Letourneau will bring passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm to the program. She has a great basketball resume, and she has a true drive to excel. Coach Letourneau understands the mission of our school, and she has a clear understanding of the role that high school athletics plays in it. She is a positive person, and we look forward to our students having a great experience with her.“

Julie Letourneau is one of the most accomplished female athletes ever to compete for Rhode Island’s Ponaganset High School. A member of the Class of 1996, she helped the Chieftains capture four-straight Division I State Championships, and she finished with 1,080 career points.

Julie (Stockwell) Letourneau.

Julie received a basketball scholarship to Stonehill College, where she earned multiple Northeast-10 Conference and All-America honors, and helped her team advance to the NCAA National Tournament three times. She graduated from Stonehill, with a Bachelor of Arts, in 2000. Following her college experience, Letourneau played professionally in Europe for a year, leading her team to Luxembourg’s Division II national championship.

Letourneau also earned a Master of Arts from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA in 2008. She began teaching in the Southbridge (MA) school system in 2008, and she is currently a fourth-grade teacher in Mattapoisett, at the Old Hammondtown School. Coach Letourneau been involved in coaching youth basketball travel teams since 2013, both for Ponaganset, RI, and for Old Rochester. She has been the Director of the Hoops Basketball Camp in Mattapoisett, and she has been a volunteer coach with Mattapoisett Recreation.

Letourneau and her husband, Craig, have two children, Cameron and Aubrie.

When asked about her feelings concerning leading the Bishop Stang Girls Basketball Program, Letourneau said, “I am excited to have the opportunity to coach at Bishop Stang. One can really feel a sense of community here. I am excited to share my experience and knowledge of the game. I am also excited to try to make the high school basketball experience memorable both on and off of the court for the players.”

At New Bedford Guide we get quite a number of questions sent to our inbox daily. We are glad to help out since, if we don’t already know something, we know who to ask and it doesn’t take much effort to get an answer to someone.

One of the most common questions asked is one that generally revolves around who to contact about something a neighbor is doing or not doing, a lawn or property that is not being taken care of, a car that has been parked in one spot for months, or other similar community issues. In this case, the last one has come up:

“I have a question which I don’t know who to ask. Maybe you can help direct me. With the parking ban season rapidly approaching, there is a car which has been parked on the “legal” side since March. It has not moved, and no one, other than Traffic Commission personnel (to write tickets which are still under the wipers), has approached it. Any thoughts on who to contact to have this apparently abandoned vehicle removed?” – Nicholas

In most cases when it comes to these types of issues, your best bet is to let your ward’s city councilor know. If your ward city councilor doesn’t act, then try one of the five at-large city councilors. You can find a full list of the councilors, including maps of their ward so you can find out who your councilor is here

After virtually a decade of interacting with various city councilors, it is our experience that the vast majority are not only willing to “go to bat” for you but will eagerly do so. It is not unusual for people to contact us an hour or two after we recommend that they contact their ward’s councilor that they let us know that the issue was resolved.

Get to know your city councilor – not only for contacting them with issues, but remember them when it comes election time, so you aren’t just skipping that section of the ballot because you are unfamiliar with the candidates.

A Creative Courts mural for Carlos Pacheco Elementary School in the West End; high-flying kites and more for Festival Tipico de Guatemala in the North End; and even more Reggae On West Beach in the South End are just three ways Wicked Cool Places are springing up in every neighborhood in New Bedford this year.

Wicked Cool Places is the City of New Bedford’s grant program for creative placemaking. It supports the goals of the city’s first ever Arts and Culture Plan, adopted in 2018. Those goals include enhancing community development, arts entrepreneurship, and ongoing investment in the rich arts and culture of the city.

On Friday, Mayor Jon Mitchell, City officials and members of New Bedford Creative celebrated #ArtsMatterDay in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by announcing Wicked Cool Places grants totaling $82,000 for local arts and culture projects. In all, 13 projects will receive funding to burnish the city’s appeal as an arts destination and help fulfill the dreams of individual artists. Within 12 months, New Bedford Creative has awarded $132,000 to 25 projects impacting communities and neighborhoods throughout the city. This investment has leveraged an additional $460,000 for the city.

“Not only can we beautify our city with public art, but we can celebrate the community of artists who live and work here. New Bedford has a special relationship with the arts,” said Mayor Mitchell. “Our willingness to embrace and appreciate public art is an important aspect of our city’s identity.”

The City of New Bedford is undergoing a creative placemaking renaissance, supported by Wicked Cool Places and the Arts and Culture Plan, New Bedford Creative: Our Art, Our Culture, Our Future. It is funded by the city of New Bedford’s Arts, Culture and Tourism Fund, with additional support from Bristol County Savings Bank, MassDevelopment, Mass Cultural Council, and the in-kind support of the New Bedford Economic Development Council.

With direction from the New Bedford Creative Consortium, an all-volunteer group of arts leaders and patrons, and operating under the banner of New Bedford Creative (#NBCreative), the 13 projects selected by a task force of the group represent a vibrant cross-section of the artistic energy flowing through the city.

Margo Saulnier, Creative Strategist for New Bedford, said, “The ability to uplift entire neighborhoods through arts and culture placemaking projects like these is a significant step toward fulfilling the goals of the Arts and Culture Plan. It’s thrilling to watch it happen, and satisfying for every resident of New Bedford.”

Beyond the economic impact of this investment, Wicked Cool Places and New Bedford Creative are positioning New Bedford’s rich culture for a sustainable future which will distinguish the city for decades to come. Already recognized as one the most creative small cities in the nation by The Atlantic magazine, its artists, artisans, designers, writers, musicians, and more are boldly charting a future course for this historic seaport community.

As defined by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2010, creative placemaking refers to the process in which “partners from public, private, non-profit, and community sectors strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city, or region around arts and cultural activities.”

In New Bedford, the goal of Wicked Cool Places is to unite willing property and business owners, cultural and community groups, art and design specialists, and business and development experts to help transform New Bedford’s overlooked or undervalued places.

NewBedfordCreative.org, the organization’s website, states: We believe that there are a lot of Wicked Cool Places in New Bedford, and they are animated by elements that encourage human interaction, from temporary activities such as festivals or outdoor sculpture, to more permanent installations such as murals or lighting design.

“When the energy of arts and culture are a driving force, the possibilities are limitless.”

Pursuing unlimited possibility this coming year in New Bedford with Wicked Cool Places grant awards are the following outstanding projects:

• 3rd EyE Youth Empowerment for the “3rd EyE Open,” a youth-oriented and family-friendly annual cultural arts festival focusing on the positive energy of hip hop, and “3rd EyE On the Pride,” a monthly performance and mentoring opportunity for emerging young performers.

• In June of 2019, AHA! (Art, History, & Architecture) hosted its first-ever Pride-themed event in conjunction with LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and 2020 will continue this nationwide theme, a chance to recognize and celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ people in the city historically and today.

• Musician Jeff Angeley and Southcoast Lessons aims to expand its already successful New Bedford public programming from a 3 month “Open Season Series” to a 6-month program that includes monthly events for traditional string band instrumentalists and ukulelists.

• Coastal Foodshed is celebrating food and art on a monthly basis throughout the winter season at their Indoor New Bedford Farmers Markets. They will be hosting “Palate to Palette: Art at the Farmers Market,” a free event that will transform their market into an edible canvas. Using ingredients from the vendors as the medium, an artist will create an edible canvas, working with the public to build upon their own palates.

• The Community Economic Development Center (CEDC) for the “Festival Tipico de Guatemala,” a day-long celebration of Maya-K’iche Guatemalan arts and culture, featuring free performances of traditional Mayan marimba music, contemporary Guatemalan music and folkloric dance, plus craft demonstrations such as petate weaving, morral making, tortilla making, traditional kite making and flying, and activities for children.

• Fiber Optic Center will create a Jazz Wall mural, and highlight live music and outdoor concerts during street events. The mural will be created in a partnership with Superflat NB and the New Bedford Historical Society using local artists, placed on the five-story east-facing wall at 23 Centre Street, where live music is currently performed on Summer AHA! nights. The mural will depict several New Bedford musicians who achieved local and national prominence as musicians, composers, mentors, and teachers, including Paul Gonsalves, Rick Britto, Herbie King, Armstead Christian, Bobby Greene, Joli Gonsalves and Frank “Chico” Monteiro.

• Beatriz Oliveira for Hatch Street Studios Fall & Spring Open Studios & Arts Blog. Located in the city’s north end, Hatch Street Studios is the vibrant creative hub of more than 65 visual and performing artists. Today, dozens of artists create an array of diverse works in various mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture, fine furniture making and restoration, jewelry, fiber art, photography, and various types of performance arts from music to aerial arts.

• Artist Alexander Jardin for the Haskell Jardin Garden and Sculpture, a green-space making project at Allan C. Haskell Public Gardens, owned and maintained by The Trustees of Reservations. The project explores the merging of landscape design as contemporary fine art, and the installation acts as a metaphor for the jewel of a green-space within a dynamic, maritime rich, coastal-urban, environment.

• New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks! for Creative Courts, revitalizing a public basketball court at the Carlos Pacheco Elementary School. This transformative art mural-style court project is led by artist Maria Molteni, who engages with the community, covering a wide range of artistic genres as a point of inspiration and feedback for an impactful design that conveys basketball’s broad appeal and the democratic nature of a public court. The location of the basketball court coincides with programs and efforts offered by the Pacheco School and the City of New Bedford in surrounding neighborhoods, like Presidential Heights and Brickenwood Housing.

• New Bedford Folk Festival celebrates their 25th anniversary year in 2020. Currently presented and produced by the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center (The Z), the two day festival features 7 stages of nearly 100 folk artists, and over 70 craft vendors juried by festival staff. Thousands of people attend each year, and while some stages are ticketed, most of the festival is free and open to the public.

• Brooke Baptiste for Reggae On West Beach, a free community event that is inclusive, multigenerational, welcoming and family-friendly for all who attend, celebrating the many different styles of reggae, world music, modern, and more. The event takes place on West Beach in the South End of New Bedford on several Sundays throughout the summer from 3pm-7pm and features food trucks, local vendors, and free kids’ activities.

• South Coast LGBTQ Network is encouraging everyone to “Show Your Pride” during June, National Pride Month with the Pride Art Expo at Gallery X and “Art in the Park,” their 4th annual South Coast Pride all-inclusive community event in Buttonwood Park.

• Superflat NB is a creative placemaking, mural art project dedicated to beautifying New Bedford while flattening barriers to the arts. This project will create a gallery of murals along Purchase Street across from the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center. It will consist of an eclectic mix of imagery from talented local artists while preserving the art that exists. Showcasing a “postcard” style mural with the words “New Bedford” depicted in graphic lettering with each letter containing imagery painted by separate local artists. The existing TomBob “robot” will remain and be incorporated into the new mural.

List of Grant Recipients:

3rd EyE Youth Empowerment for 3rd EyE Open & 3rd EyE on the Pride: $11,300

AHA! (Art, History and Architecture) for June Pride: $2,700

Alexander Jardin for Haskell Jardin Garden & Sculpture: $5,000

Beatriz Oliveira for Hatch Street Studios Open Studios & Arts Blog: $5,000

Brooke Baptiste for Reggae on West Beach: $8,000

Community Economic Development Center for Festival Tipico de Guatemala: $3,000

Coastal Foodshed for Palate to Palette: Art at the Farmers Market: $8,500

Neal Weiss for Fiber Optic Center Jazz Wall Mural: $7,000

Jeff Angeley for Southcoast Lessons Open Season Series: $4,500

Zeiterion Performing Arts Center for New Bedford Folk Festival: $5,000

New Bedford Art Museum/ArtWorks! for Creative Courts” $15,000

SouthCoast LGBTQ Network for Pride Art Expo & Art in the Park: $2,000

Superflat New Bedford for postcard-style New Bedford mural: $5,000

The Baker-Polito Administration today awarded New Bedford High School $30,000 as part of the state’s Innovation Pathway Planning Grant program. The High School will use these funds to plan for the implementation of a marine program connected to the industry sectors of advanced manufacturing and the life sciences. The innovation pathway will be integrated into its Career Vocational Technical Education program. The award was announced as part of Governor Charlie Baker’s and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito’s recent visit to Lawrence High School in Lawrence. New Bedford High School was among 21 other high schools who were grant recipients.

Innovation Pathway Planning Grants are designed to support schools in the creation of a pathway of coursework and workplace experiences in a high demand industry. New Bedford High School will use funds to engage in a rigorous planning process that will involve staff, as well as industry partners to develop curriculum that will integrate vocational-technical training in marine manufacturing, and academic content focused on the life sciences, including marine biology.

Statewide district representatives from innovation pathway grant recipients celebrate their award with Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito at Lawrence High School. NBHS has been awarded $30,000 as part of the program.

Students will receive training for careers in the maritime industry and will obtain applicable skills in advanced manufacturing, welding and diesel engine technology. Additionally, each student will develop a career plan with targeted post-graduation goals and will have the opportunity to participate in an internship with a marine industry partner. According to MassHire Greater New Bedford’s Regional Blueprint, the maritime industry is identified as an emerging sector as a part of the South Coast’s Blue Economy.

“We are excited to begin the planning process for NBHS to have a viable marine program,” said Bernadette Coelho, headmaster of New Bedford High School. “Our students have excelled in our career training programs, and marine technology will provide them compelling new academic and vocational opportunities. We are proud to be one of a select few of high schools who have been awarded this planning grant and appreciate Governor Baker’s support of our students.”

The innovation pathway planning compliments New Bedford High School’s growth in career technical education and its commitment to fostering new vocational programming and supplementing its existing technical training offerings – all of which are designed to offer exciting and varied learning experiences. For example, this past spring, career vocational students constructed a 15-foot boat in concert with New Bedford’s Community Boating Center.

“Marine Technology is emerging as a high demand career area, and our planning grant will be targeted toward shaping a maritime program that will meet this demand”, said Christopher Cummings, Manager of New Bedford’s Career Vocational Technical Education program, who noted that the laboratory will support new linkages with post-secondary institutions to provide credentialing pathways in marine. “The city of New Bedford has a rich marine industry history dating back to the 19th century, and we intend to support its 21st-century revitalization by providing viable career pathways in the sector.”

New Bedford High School’s Career Vocational Technical Education program offers career pathway programs in Finance, Instructional Technology, Health Sciences, Engineering, Early Childhood Education, and Hospitality. For more information about Career and Technical Education at New Bedford High School, please contact Christopher Cummings, Manager of CVTE at 508 997 4511, ext. 20799

On October 22 and 23, 515 Fall River and 776 New Bedford students will attend the UMass Dartmouth Leduc Center for Civic Engagement Youth Summit in the Main Auditorium.

Participating schools from Fall River will visit on October 22 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and include Kuss, Morton, Talbot, Doran, Henry Lord.

Participating schools from New Bedford will visit on October 23 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and include Keith and Normandin.

Every year UMass Dartmouth brings all seventh-grade students from Fall River and New Bedford to campus for a College Positive Campus Tour lead by university students who share their journey to higher education. The following year, the now eighth-graders come back for the Youth Summit.

The Youth Summit looks to increase awareness and appreciation of the benefits and opportunities that higher education can create.

These events are made possible through funding from BayCoast Bank.

New Bedford Public Schools has opened seven Family Engagement Centers, located throughout the City of New Bedford school district. A public opening ceremony and reception for the new network of centers was held today at Hayden McFadden Elementary School. The event was attended by families, students, staff, community resource partners, school committee members, special guests and included a ribbon cutting with students. Speakers included Superintendent Thomas Anderson, Jariel Vergne, District Wraparound Manager, and Tammy Morgan, Hayden McFadden Principal.

The Family Engagement Center (FEC) program first began with pilot centers at Parker and Renaissance Schools. Today’s launch celebrates a total of seven Family Engagement Centers. The FECs will be located at New Bedford High School, Normandin MS, Keith MS, Roosevelt MS, Gomes/Renaissance, Hayden-McFadden and Jacobs Elementary Schools. FECs will provide multilingual services to families, referrals, parent workshops, computer access, family resources and support, as well as special activities and events for families of New Bedford Public Schools.

Jariel Vergne welcomed guests, noting that the new centers and the services they will provide to families is the culmination of two years of planning to create “an alternative access entryway and collaboration point for our schools. We really want to think about how we take family engagement at every single one of our schools to the next level, and this is one of the ways; by creating another entry point where we can work together – collaborate – partners, families and schools together, to really bring home that home/school partnership.”

Superintendent Anderson remarked “This is an amazing opportunity to further our work in educating and empowering and engaging all our families in their students’ growth and journey through school. This is what it is all about; we must tie everything back to the best interest of our students, always keeping our focus on you, our families and our children.”

Principal Morgan noted that her school’s hosting of a Family Engagement Center “will not just benefit our Hayden McFadden families, but will also serve as a community resource for all New Bedford Public School families living in the north end of our city. Our vision for Hayden McFadden Elementary School is much like the district vision for New Bedford Public Schools: Cultivating, nurturing, and strengthening the partnerships between home and school so our students can achieve the highest levels of success; academically, socially, and behaviorally.”

Thanking the resource organizations present, Principal Morgan recognized the many NBPS staff that worked to establish the Centers, including Jariel Vergne, Erin Duarte, Eliany Grace, Hayden McFadden Parent Support Specialist, and Jasmine Vega, Hayden McFadden wrap around manager. “We are one team working together: home, school and community: for the betterment of our children and there is nothing we will not do for our students to reach their highest potential,” she said.

Participating community resource organizations included: Boston Medical Center Health Net; Child and Family Services CSA Program; Greater New Bedford Women’s Center; New Bedford Public Schools; Northstar Learning Centers; P.A.C.E (People Acting in Community Endeavors)l Parent Information Network (P.I.N.); Shannon Outreach Program, New Bedford Police Department; and W.I.C (Women, Infants and Children).

Following the ribbon-cutting by the Hayden McFadden Student Ambassadors, a reception and light luncheon was provided by the Trinity Day Academy Culinary Program.

About NBPS Family Engagement Centers:

New Bedford Public Schools Family Engagement Centers’ mission is to empower and strengthen authentic home, school and community relationship to ensure student success. School staff will collaborate through our centers to work with families to try to meet their needs, in efforts to increase the student’s academic achievements.

Family Engagement Center Core Beliefs:

1. All families have dreams for their children and want the best for them.
2. All families have the capacity to support their children’s learning.
3. Families and school staff are equal partners.
4. The responsibility for cultivating and sustaining partnerships among school, home and community rest primarily with the educators.

Family Engagement Center locations and contacts:

• Hayden McFadden ES – FECHaydenMcFadden@newbedfordschools.org
• Irwin M. Jacobs ES – FECJacobs@newbedfordschools.org
• Keith MS – FECKeith@newbedfordschools.org
• Normandin MS – FECNormandin@newbedfordschools.org
• Renaissance ES – FECRenaissance@newbedfordschools.org
• Roosevelt MS – FECRoosevelt@newbedfordschools.org
• New Bedford High School – FECNBHS@newbedfordschools.org

The Bishop Stang High School Library was recently awarded a federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for $12,000 from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). LSTA is administered on the federal level by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in the Commonwealth by the MBLC.

With this award, Bishop Stang High School Library will implement its school library diversity project “People, Places, and Things: Celebrating Diversity at Bishop Stang High School.”

Supported by materials that reflect the diverse ethnicities and races of our school, “People, Places, and Things” will include three library programs throughout each of the next two academic years. The programs include: an Open Mic Night with world music, a Book Tasting of fiction with diverse characters, and a Human Library featuring diverse humans to interact with and experience.

To ensure cultural competency, school librarian/project director Ann O’Leary will collaborate with two community leaders, Lee Blake, president of the New Bedford Historical Society, and Helena DaSilva Hughes, executive director of the Immigrants’ Assistance Center. Lee Blake, the project consultant, is an award-winning community organizer and retired University of Massachusetts educator. Emike Okhipo, BSHS science teacher and Diversity Council advisor, will serve as assistant project director.

Emike Okhipo and Ann O’Leary with members of the Diversity Council at Bishop Stang High School

Bishop Stang High School announces that the following students have been named Commended Students in the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program:

• Kathleen C. Downey (Mattapoisett)
• Cameron T. Garde (Fairhaven)
• Quinn J. Sullivan (Westport)

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2020 competition by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“Those being named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding potential for academic success,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “These students represent a valuable national resource; recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation. We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”