Success Boston and Boston Public Schools teach College Knowledge this October with College Month

Success Boston and Boston Public Schools teach College Knowledge this October with College Month

BOSTON – College is a family choice, and college planning begins in Kindergarten. These two themes will guide a City of Boston initiative, College Month, from September 27 through October 31. While College Month 2014 may target Boston high school students across the City, Success Boston and Boston Public Schools plan to spark early college awareness in students and families of the state’s largest school district.

Boston Public Schools and the City of Boston launched College Month in 2006 to promote Get Ready for College Day activities for BPS eighth graders, as well as the distribution of a newly-developed BPS College and Career Guide. Eight years later, College Month is sustained by BPS and the community partnerships of the Success Boston College Completion Initiative. Success Boston, launched in 2008, is a partnership of the Office of Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the Boston Public Schools, the Boston Foundation, the University of Massachusetts-Boston, Boston Private Industry Council (PIC), and more than 50 higher education and nonprofit institutions. The initiative is working to double – to 70% – the six-year college completion rate of BPS graduates.

College Month is a multi-pronged college readiness strategy that combines the collective ways teachers, community organizations, and higher education institutions are talking with BPS students about their futures. “College Month is entirely student-facing,” said BPS High School Network Superintendent Mary Skipper. “It puts students face-to-face with the reality that college planning begins now – no matter which grade you are in.”

College Month 2014 will begin with a College and Career Fair on September 27 at the Madison Park Technical/Vocational High School in Roxbury. The Fair’s sponsors, BPS and Boston Scholar Athletes, expect more than 800 students and parents to connect with 90 colleges and universities from across New England and as far away as Georgia.

Then, on the night of October 1 at the Boston School Committee meeting, School Committee members will kick off October by showing their alma-mater pride in honor of the City and District tradition.

Each week in College Month will highlight a “college knowledge” theme. Students across elementary, middle, and high schools will participate in age-appropriate college awareness.

Week 1: Empowering Students and Families through Financial Aid: uAspire, a non-profit Success Boston member dedicated to helping students apply for and receive financial aid, will reach nearly 1,000 students during College Month through its Afford College 101 Workshops. Adam Reinke of uAspire wants families to know that financial aid is an accessible process. “The workshops empower young people for whom finances must play an important factor,” Reinke said. uAspire is available free of charge to help all students and families with college affordability needs or questions. Last year, College Month financial aid lessons reached as early as first grade, where students saved pennies to learn decision making and to start individual college savings.

Week 2: Ensuring Student and Family Planning and Preparation: The Boston Scholar Athletes, a non-profit organization partnering with A-List Education to offer SAT preparation in 18 BPS high schools, will host College Admissions Awareness week. Along with college and university open houses, and scholarship and college essay strategies, Boston Scholar Athletes expects that College Month will help students and families think about the benchmarks of college planning before sophomore year, such as PSAT and SAT testing. Boston Scholar Athletes will launch its scholarship during Admissions week and hold Tweet Chats along with other non-profits to engage students via social media.

To support students’ college planning, BPS has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA), and the Department of Higher Education to launch an online post-secondary planning portal, Your Plan for the Future (YPFF), available at 22 high schools in its pilot year. Each student will have access to individual college readiness data and a wealth of information, tutorials, and application tracking through YPFF. 

Week 3: Bringing BPS Alumni Home: University of Massachusetts-Boston student and BPS graduate Jean Charles is one of 1,800 students supported by transitional coaching models through Success Boston. A Success Boston Student Leadership Committee member, Charles developed an alumni engagement strategy with the National College Advising Corps. Placing recent college graduates as college advisors in 15 BPS high schools this September, the National College Advising Corps’ Boston Chapter and BPS alumni leaders will reach nearly 8,000 students during Alumni Engagement week.

According to Charles, a graduate of the John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science, BPS alumni bring a powerful message of college success. “BPS graduates represent different languages, cultures, and high schools,” he said. “That diversity translates well into college and career success. There are BPS graduates everywhere doing amazing things. I want to share that and help promote the great opportunities that college offers. There’s an entire network of people out there who can help every high school student build a future.”

Week 4: Connecting College and Career Readiness: Boston Private Industry Council (PIC), also a Success Boston member, will distribute student take-away cards with degree attainment and total lifetime earnings, and “hot jobs” in sciences, technology and healthcare. According to PIC’s Josh Bruno, teachers used the cards last year in math lessons to conceptualize the value of a college education and career options. Students in early grades will meet with professionals across industries to understand connections between college and career.

Students and families can ask questions pertaining to college, financial aid, and career by using the hashtag, #CollegeMonth.

Boston Public Schools and non-profit partners will extend the lessons of College Month well beyond October 31. In collaboration with Success Boston, BPS is planning follow-up College Boot Camps and in-school initiatives to ensure college knowledge is a daily lesson.

Learn more about and engage with College Month:

www.successboston.org

facebook.com/successboston

Twitter: @CollegeMonth

Twitter Chat: #CollegeMonth #SuccessBoston

Instagram: @CollegeMonth

GOVERNOR PATRICK LEADS LIFE SCIENCES INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP FORUM IN DENMARK

GOVERNOR PATRICK LEADS LIFE SCIENCES INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP FORUM IN DENMARK

Governor Patrick Promotes Global Collaboration with Massachusetts  

COPENHAGEN – Monday, September 15, 2014 – As a follow-up to signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Massachusetts and Medicon Valley in 2012, Governor Deval Patrick today spoke at a Life Sciences Innovation Partnership Forum in Copenhagen. The forum was part of the Governor’s innovation partnership mission to Denmark, the United Kingdom and France to expand opportunities between the Commonwealth and these three European countries for economic development and job creation in the innovation economy, clean tech, digital gaming, financial services, workforce training and education sectors.

In June 2012 Governor Patrick signed a MOU with Medicon Valley, a region that includes eastern Denmark, in an effort to stimulate economic, industrial, technological and commercial cooperation between the two leading life sciences regions. The goal of today’s forum was to explore ways in which the two regions can best implement the MOU through international collaboration programs recently developed by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.

“Lasting growth in the 21st century global economy will come from our competitiveness in global markets,” said Governor Patrick. “Thanks to the investments we are making and the relationships we are building, Massachusetts has become the global leader in the life sciences.  We look forward to ongoing growth and a strengthened partnership as we continue to collaborate with Medicon Valley’s thriving life sciences cluster.”

During the event, Governor Patrick spoke about the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center’s (MLSC) International Collaborative Industry Program (ICIP), through which Massachusetts companies can secure grant funding for joint R&D projects with partner companies in six geographic regions around the world, including Medicon Valley, matched by funding for the partner company from their region. Additionally, the Governor spoke about the MLSC’s recently announced Universal Partnerships (UP) program, through which companies in Massachusetts can seek grant funding to support R&D collaborations with partner organizations all over the world.  The MOU signed in 2012 also allows the parties to be eligible for Horizon 20/20 funding from the European Union.

“The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Medicon Valley are both centers for life sciences innovation with economies driven by entrepreneurship,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Greg Bialecki. “Our strengths in industries such as life sciences and digital technologies have positioned us as a global leader, and by working together, we will ensure economic growth in our regions for generations to come.”

“No one country or region can address on its own the urgent health challenges that still face our global community,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the MLSC. “In Massachusetts we believe that the life sciences breakthroughs of tomorrow will be grounded in new models of international collaboration, like the strategic alliances that we’ve helped create, and that we are promoting as part of this trade mission.”

“Our agreement has strengthened the collaboration on research and has fostered an exchange of talented researchers between Massachusetts and Denmark. It is our strategy that the Capital Region of Denmark be an international knowledge region that collaborates with the best research institutions and companies in the world. The agreement with Massachusetts is an important milestone in that strategy,” said Sophie Haestorp Andersen, Regional Chairman of the Capital Region of Denmark.

TWIN SISTERS CHARGED WITH STEALING $580,000 FROM FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES FOR UNLICENSED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

TWIN SISTERS CHARGED WITH STEALING $580,000 FROM FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES FOR UNLICENSED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Defendants Allegedly Used Stolen Identities to Steal from Medicaid, Medicare and Lawrence Public Schools; Returning from Minnesota to Face Arraignment Tuesday

BOSTON – Twin sisters who formerly lived in Burlington have been indicted and arrested in connection with allegations that they billed public agencies for unlicensed psychological services, often using stolen identities to conceal the fraud, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced today.

Nita Guzman, through her company New England Psychological Consultants, Inc., allegedly billed Medicaid, Medicare, and Lawrence Public Schools more than $550,000 for unlicensed mental health services. Her twin sister, Nina Tischer, through her company PsychSupport, Inc., billed a division of UMass Medical School more than $30,000 for unlicensed psychological examinations. Neither sister is a licensed psychologist, a legal requirement for practicing psychology in Massachusetts. 

Both sisters, aged 49, were indicted Aug. 7, 2014 by a Statewide Grand Jury. Guzman faces charges of Medicaid False Claims (2 counts); False Claims to Public Agency (1 Count); Larceny (4 Counts); Identity Fraud (2 counts); and Unlicensed Practice of Psychology (2 Counts). Tischer faces charges of False Claims to Public Agency (3 Counts); Larceny (3 Counts); Identity Fraud (3 counts); and Unlicensed Practice of Psychology (3 Counts). 

Both sisters lived in Minnesota at the time of the indictments. Guzman was arrested by a Minnesota County Sheriff on Sept. 6, 2014. Tischer turned herself in to Minnesota authorities the next day. Both were held without bail in Minnesota, and will be returned to the Commonwealth and arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Sept. 16, 2014.

Through their corporations, both located in Lowell, the sisters provided bilingual psychological services to Medicaid and Medicare members in the greater-Lowell and greater-Lawrence areas, performed mental health disability evaluations for the Department of Transitional Assistance and the state’s Medicaid program (MassHealth), and assessed children for learning disabilities for the Lawrence Public Schools. 

The investigation of Guzman began when a licensed psychologist reported to the AG’s Office that Guzman’s company had used her name and license number without permission. The psychologist provided her name and licensing information to Guzman in the context of job discussions, but decided not to work for Guzman. Guzman then used that psychologist’s name, license, and other identifying information to bill a Medicaid managed care organization more than $430,000. 

Additional investigation by the AG’s Office and federal agents from the Office of the Inspector General for Health and Human Services revealed that Guzman also used the name, license and other identifying information of a second psychologist to bill the managed care organization and the federal Medicare program more than $60,000 of services that the psychologist did not provide. 

Guzman also allegedly billed the Lawrence Public School system more than $60,000 for psychological evaluations of students in special education programs. The evaluations were performed by Guzman or Tischer. State regulations require that any such evaluations be performed by a licensed psychologist. 

The investigation of Tischer began when a licensed social worker reported the unauthorized use of her name and license by Tischer’s company, PsychSupport. Tischer used the social worker’s name and credentials to bill a division of UMass Medical School for disability examinations on people applying for Medicaid benefits or financial assistance from the Department of Transitional Assistance. Tischer billed UMass more than $8,000 for those evaluations.   

Two additional professionals, a licensed mental health counselor and a licensed psychologist, also reported the unauthorized use of their names and licensing information by Tischer. The investigation revealed that Tischer billed UMass more than $30,000 for disability evaluations purportedly performed by the three professionals. 

These charges are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Assistant Attorney General Joshua Orr of the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Division is prosecuting this case. Investigators Eric Panicucci and Ronald Velez, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, State Police assigned to the AG’s Office, and officials from the Division of Professional Licensure were instrumental in this investigation. The Wright County Sheriff’s Office and Wright County Attorney’s Office also assisted in this case.

大波士頓僑界慶十一 將首次在華埠街頭掛五星紅旗

大波士頓地區僑學各界慶祝活動籌委會九月十三日在華森市（Waltham）開會，底定今年慶祝中華人民共和國六十五週年，中美建交三十五週年，有四項系列活動，四大新鮮事。

對大波士頓華僑來說，今年的十一慶祝，在九月廿七日中午升五星旗，欣賞文藝表演之外，有四大新鮮事。

最引人矚目的新鮮事，將是九月廿三日至十月二日，在波士頓華埠街頭，首次掛出五星旗。

其次為首次舉辦慶祝十一餐會，將於九月廿七日（週六）晚六點起，在喜臨門大酒樓舉行。中國駐紐約總領事館孫國祥大使也將出席。

今年新增的其他慶祝活動，還有在升旗現場擺出文化展示攤位；在九月廿七日至十月四日間，分別在波士頓市的麻州大學孔子學院，華森市的劍橋中國文化中心，舉辦電影週，放映七部電影。

中國駐紐約總領事館副總領事鍾瑞明，領事王軍和麻省理工學院華人科技協會會長朱正亞等人當天主持會議。劍橋中國文化中心董事長紀虎民，副董事長陶凱，麻州大學波士頓分校孔子學院美方，中方院長，孫柏鳳，劉成運等人匯報慶祝活動籌備概況。上海交通大學校友會創辦人陳奮為慶祝活動架設了網站www.bostonchinese.net。出席的僑團代表，包括克拉克大學大三學生張風帆等，共約廿，三十人。

朱正亞指出，波士頓市政府廣場前的地下鐵車站，“政府中心站“正在維修，原本闊大的場地，縮窄了至少三分之一，慶祝活動的鋪排，將稍受影響，但應仍可容納各方動員後的預計會出席的逾千人。為確保活動進行得不受干擾，他們今年將聘請兩名值班警察，維持現場秩序。

朱正亞還匯報了已向州市政要發出邀請函，國際嚴新氣功會會長姜弘健，華人前進會行政主任駱理德將再度出任司儀。餐會部分，採內部訂購方式進行，礙於場地限制，預定四十桌，將視後續情況陸續調整。

陶凱負責文藝表演活動，已知有波士頓健身腰鼓隊，牛頓中文學校，天使及明珠舞蹈團，波士頓鼓樂隊，鄉土舞蹈團等將參加演出。

孫柏鳳表示，當天會場將有廿張展示桌，包括劍橋中文學校，艾克頓中文學校，麻大孔子課堂，中醫藥及陶瓷，書法，剪紙等的不同展示。南開大學校友會前會長王忠表示，他將邀請擅寫甲骨文書法者參加展出。

在討論加強佈置，以增添慶祝氣氛時，出席籌備會的兩名前任紐英崙中華公所主席何遠光，梁永基以負責華埠街頭佈置的身份報告，將從九月廿三日起至十月二日，在波士頓華埠必珠街，泰勒街，乞臣街上掛旗。

中國駐紐約總領事館副總領事鍾瑞明表示，今年比較特別，既是建國六十五週年，中美建交三十五週年，也是孔子學院創辦十週年，希望僑學各界能積極參加慶祝。

圖片說明：

            中國駐紐約總領事館副總領事鍾瑞明(前左五)，領事王軍（前左三）和朱正亞（前左六）等人召開第三次籌備會。

            朱正亞（中）舉起宣傳海報，說明廣告已在媒體之一的報上刊出。

            中國駐紐約總領事館副總領事鍾瑞明(左)，和麻省理工學院華人科技協會會長朱正亞主持會議。（菊子攝）

            現場分發五星旗。（菊子）

紐英崙僑界慶雙十 華埠街頭掛青天白日滿地紅旗幟

右起，郭大文， 游勝雄， 陳銘俊，阮鴻燦，陳毓璇，馬滌凡等人授旗給大陳
同鄉會的創會會長周仙梅（右二），現任會長梁玲娜（右四）。（周菊子攝）

(Boston Orange 周橘子波士頓報導) 紐英崙各界慶祝雙十籌備會九月十三日在波士頓僑教中心召開第二次籌備會，落實今年將舉辦七項慶祝活動，九月廿日起在波士頓華埠街道懸掛青天白日滿地紅旗幟。

今年七月廿日時，波士頓華僑文教中心已舉辦過第一次籌備會議，並在約九十人出席的熱鬧中，底定了文化團訪演，雙十盃壘球賽，書畫展，全僑餐會，遊行，雙十酒會，登山等七大活動。

郭大文（中立者）在籌備會中向出席的僑團代表作說明。（周菊子攝）

九月十三日，波士頓僑教中心再辦第二次籌備會議，約三十多名僑團代表出席，由經文處副處長陳銘俊，僑教中心主任郭大文，波士頓僑務委員馬滌凡主持。紐英崙中華公所主席阮鴻燦應邀同坐主席台。

右起，郭大文，陳銘俊，阮鴻燦，馬滌凡主持雙十籌備會。（周菊子攝）

根據僑教中心整理，會後公佈的美國波士頓地區僑界民國103年雙十慶祝活動表，慶祝將從九月廿日，紐英崙中華總會在波士頓華埠街道懸掛旗幟（青天白日滿地紅）開始。

九月廿五日將起是第一場慶祝活動，由台灣同鄉聯誼會波士頓分會承辦，主題為“璀璨台灣”的雙十慶祝文化訪問表演。

 經文處副處長陳銘俊（左），波士頓僑教中心主任郭大文（右）頒發2014
僑營台灣美食標章獎狀，獎座給“珠媽廚房”東主。（圖由僑教中心提供）

這場活動由馬滌凡委員負責，她也花了最多時間介紹。已知演員有葉愛菱，林曉培，劉明珠，陳思安，黃家新，張瀞云，Terry等人。贊助票價為十元，廿元，三十元，演出地點從波士頓市遷往板栗丘（Chestnut Hill）的松莊園學院（Pine Manor College, 400 Heath St., Chestnut Hill, MA）。為方便住在城裡的人前往欣賞，當天下午五點半，將有巴士停在波士頓華埠雅都餅家對面的夏利臣街上，提供免費接載服務。

接下來是十月四日（週六），一連有三項活動，包括竹蜻蜓俱樂部在南波士頓的莫克利公園（Joe Moakley Park）辦雙十盃壘球賽。波士頓中華書法會，紐英崙藝術學會，北美藝術家協會，紐英崙中華公所等四個機構，在中華公所會議廳辦“紐英崙地區書畫名家邀請展“，紐英崙中華總會晚上七點在帝苑餐廳舉辦全僑餐會。

十月五日（週日）早上十點起，紐英崙中華總會主辦遊行，升旗活動。大波士頓僑團將在華埠牌樓前集合，沿路遊行至波士頓市府廣場，預定十一點升旗。

十月八日（週三）晚六點半，經文處將在費爾蒙柯普利廣場（Fairmont Coply Plaza）酒店舉行雙十酒會。

十月十一日（週六），中華民俗藝術工作坊將主辦雙十登山活動，帶隊爬藍丘保留地（695 Hillside St, Milton, MA 02186）。

十月十日的雙十正日當天，波士頓國民黨和紐英崙中華總會將統籌在報章上刊登“四海同心，普天同慶”的慶祝雙十廣告。

      在七月份舉行的第一次籌備會中，雙十慶祝活動有四名籌備主委，九月十三日當天，四名主委有一半沒到，僑務委員陳家驊，紐英崙中華總會會長陳毓禮都因故未能出席。

         當天會中還舉行了波士頓大陳同鄉會返台慶賀團授旗儀式，頒發2014僑營台灣美食標章獎狀，獎座給“珠媽廚房”。

民族風中秋情波士頓絢麗演出

“民族風，中秋情”晚會九月十三日晚在約翰漢考克中心華麗演出，六名來自中國的歌手，以優美歌聲演唱新歌舊曲，京劇，民謠，既讓人見到現代中國的中西風味並存，也聽到來美已久僑胞感嘆跟不上中國變化腳步。

許多鮮少踏進如此正式場合的僑胞，欣賞著台上絢麗服裝，由湖南衛視導演甘永恆統籌設計，電腦合成的國劇臉譜，花朵光影圖案，紫禁城樓等多樣化背景，聽著嘹亮好聲音，都顯得很興奮，每曲一歇就猛拍手掌，臉上漾滿抑不住的微笑。

“民族風，中秋情”是美國亞洲文化傳媒集團主辦的演出晚會，在美國共演出三場，繼芝加哥，北卡教堂之後，波士頓是最後一站，在有逾千座位約翰漢考克廳（John Hancock Hall）舉行，有波士頓亞洲文化中心、美東僑報，哈佛大學中國學生學者聯合會等機構協辦。

哈佛大學設計學院博士生關誠賀，哈佛東亞系中文項目組教師張佳妮當晚擔任司儀，以廣播員的聲音，流利的中英雙語，串場介紹節目。

            亞洲文化中心大波士頓亞裔青少年交響樂團率先出場，以四，五十人的大陣仗，演奏“茉莉花”， “北京喜訊傳山寨”。

            接著的表演，由六名來自中國大陸不同領域歌唱界好手擔綱，基本上每人演唱三首的分別演唱京劇，民歌，搖滾，民謠，小調，照顧不同年齡層觀眾。

            號稱情歌王子，演過多部影視劇的謝霖，演唱了“天上人間”，“明月千里寄相思”，“一剪梅”。

屬於國家一級演員的中國廣播藝術團女高音，重慶妹子朱砂，把“山丹丹花開紅豔豔”，“對花”，“親哥哥”這些或陝北，或四川的民謠，唱得地方腔調韻味十足。

表白自己是蒙古人，但遷居珠海後也算半個廣東人，有“高音奶爸”之稱的林軍，唱完“愛情三十六計“，“北京一夜”之外，還唱了首廣東歌“愛是永恆”，講了幾句廣東話，謝幕時，扯起外套當裙角的模仿古代西方女子半屈膝來答禮，惹得台下爆笑出聲。

原中國人民解放軍總政歌舞團女高音趙靜，一曲曲“故鄉是北京”，“愛我中華”，“我的祖國”，全是來自中國僑胞耳熟能詳的曲子，觀眾群中有許多人擊掌拍合起來。

在“中國最強音”比賽中獲得季軍的劉明輝，是中國新銳民謠搖滾樂代表人物。他從崔健的名歌“一無所有”唱起，再唱他自己寫的歌“回家”，接著唱老一輩人聽熟的，費翔的“故鄉的雲”。

國家一級演員，廣州戰士歌舞團男高音譚明，這晚壓軸，從“長江之歌”，“我的太陽”，唱到“我和我的祖國”。

這場晚會最後在所有演員出場，同唱“舉杯吧，朋友”中落幕。

  

圖片說明：

            兩名司儀，張佳妮（前右起），關誠賀與六名歌手，後排右起，謝霖，譚明，趙靜，朱砂，林軍，劉明輝等人謝幕。（菊子攝）

            趙靜演唱“故鄉是北京”。（菊子攝）

            兩名司儀，張佳妮（前右起），關誠賀介紹國家一級演員譚明（中）。(菊子攝)

            亞洲文化中心大波士頓亞裔青少年交響樂團演奏。（張筱義攝）

            朱砂演唱。（張筱義攝）

            劉明輝彈吉他演唱“故鄉的雲”。（張筱義攝）