NoteWorthy – 3/28/21

AROUND THE VALLEY

NECC & Whittier Early College Program Receives State Approval

Whittier Tech and Northern Essex Community College (NECC) have announced that their partnership has been given official designation as a Massachusetts Early College Program, which will take effect in the fall of 2021 and allow Whitter students to earn college credits at no cost.

The Massachusetts Early College Initiative was created in 2018 to give local students, especially first-generation collegegoers, access to college completion and career success.

Whittier students have been taking NECC courses since 2018, and there are currently 70 students enrolled in the program. With this new designation from the state and the benefit of free tuition, it’s anticipated that the number of students involved will increase significantly.

Marcy Yeager, executive director of NECC’s PK12 Partnerships, which administers the Early College program, says, “it’s not double the work; it’s double the credit. We are moving them toward degree completion.”

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data shows that high school graduates who participated in Early College programs are enrolling in college at a rate that is 20% higher than their high school peers. Additionally, their FAFSA completion rates are 25% higher than school peers.

The program also benefits underserved communities, with two-thirds of students enrolled in Early College programs identifying as Black or Latino.

Baker-Polito Administration Provides Weekly Dose Updates, $100 Million for Disproportionately Impacted Communities, Announces Homebound Vaccination Program

The Baker-Polito Administration announced the weekly distribution of COVID-19 vaccine doses to providers across Massachusetts. The commonwealth has received 330,000 first and second doses from the federal government as part of the state allocation of doses.

The administration also announced $100 million in funding for four communities, including Methuen, and the launch of a homebound vaccination program to build on efforts to ensure that all state residents have equitable access to the vaccine.

Lawrence Partnership Ushering in New Leadership 

The Lawrence Partnership, the collaboration of business and civic leaders committed to building an inclusive and resilient economy in Lawrence, officially announced a pair of long-planned leadership moves.

Derek Mitchell, the organization’s executive director since it was founded in 2014, announced that he will complete his term this summer. The board has initiated a search for a new executive director with experience in economic development and a background in business, public administration, community planning or a related field.

The transition was planned to coincide with the elevation of its new board chairperson, Lawrence attorney Wendy Estrella, who took over as chair in January. She replaced Marianne Paley Nadel. Lawrence attorney Socrates De La Cruz has been named board vice chair.

Merrimack Valley Hospice Clinical Hospice Director Gives Back by Volunteering to Administer the COVID-19 Vaccine

As a health care professional who has endured the personal and professional tolls of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Linda Miller is now giving back by volunteering to administer inoculations at Lowell General Hospital’s regional vaccination site at Cross River Center in Lowell. Miller is a Dracut resident and clinical hospice director at Merrimack Valley Hospice, a nonprofit agency of Lawrence-based Home Health Foundation.

According to Hoey, Cross River Center is currently providing approximately 2,000 shots per day, and has administered more than 50,000 doses since the vaccines were released.

National Research Project Bundles Interventions to Make More Aggressive Gains in Black Women’s Health

The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), in collaboration with AIDS United and the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at Boston University’s School of Social Work, have been tapped to lead a national, first-of-its-kind project to evaluate and disseminate bundled evidence-informed and trauma-informed interventions for Black women with HIV.

This work comes on the heels of a year defined by race-based inequities in health care, political and social unrest, and increased calls for racial and social justice. Furthermore, it includes a bundled intervention approach in recognition that multi-pronged strategies may more effectively address socio-cultural health determinants, expand utilization of services, and ultimately improve health outcomes for Black women.

According to the CDC, Black women represent 57 percent of all new HIV diagnoses among women. Black women also disproportionately experience violence, including intimate partner violence, at higher rates than other women, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

Irene O’Brien Honored After Nearly Two Decades of Service as North Andover Senior Center Executive Director

After nearly two decades of service as executive director of the North Andover Senior Center, Irene O’Brien will be retiring this year.

O’Brien, who previously served the towns of Salisbury, Newbury and Groveland, was recently celebrated for her service during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration hosted by state Sen. Diana DiZoglio at the Senior Center.

DiZoglio, fellow senator Bruce Tarr and state Reps. Christina Minicucci and Tram Nguyen presented O’Brien with proclamations from the legislature in honor of her service and accomplishments.

“In her role as executive director, Irene has been a tireless leader and advocate, helping countless older adults in the community by identifying their health, economic and social needs and working with them to improve their quality of life,” said DiZoglio. “She will be greatly missed but we wish her all the best in her retirement!”

Local Montessori Preschools Receives Haverhill Cultural Council Grant

Local Wildflower Montessori preschools Wisteria Montessori and Marigold Montessori have received funding from the Haverhill Cultural Council for six months of art curriculum and supplies to serve over thirty preschool age children. The curriculum is designed by Creative Haverhill, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “support Haverhill arts and culture, providing experiences and access at the intersection of art, culture, and community and to develop high-quality spaces as platforms for community and cultural expression.”

Marigold and Wisteria Montessori Schools are part of the Wildflower network, an ecosystem of decentralized Montessori micro-schools that support children, teachers, and parents. There will be an exhibit of original artwork created by the children of Wisteria and Marigold Montessori schools at a Boardwalk Block Party slated to take place this summer. The event will invite the public to enjoy a day of free, family-friendly programming. Activities may include interactive art projects, music and dance performances, food and an outdoor movie.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

MCC’s Caleb Chin wins 2021 Mass. Student Employee of the Year Award

A Middlesex Community College (MCC) Commonwealth Honors Program (CHP) student and computer science major, Chin was recognized for this achievement among two-year and four-year college students across the state. For the past five semesters, Chin has been working as a computer science supplemental instruction leader and peer tutor for MCC’s academic centers for enrichment. Through his work supporting students, he learns different subjects while further developing his communication and leadership skills. The experience has also taught him how to balance school with other responsibilities. From California and now living in Lowell, Chin started at MCC in the dual enrollment program to complete his studies as a home-schooled student. In his third semester at MCC, he enrolled as a full-time student and will graduate with an associate degree in Computer Science in May 2021.

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Check Out the Latest Episode of The 495 Podcast!

This week, The 495 goes COSMIC! We’re joined by physicist Noureddine Melikechi, a Dean at UMass Lowell and member of the Mars Science Laboratory, NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Mars space mission. We talk everything from the Mars rover to the folk music of Maghreb. Click here to listen.