The Need
A critical stage for students to develop the confidence and resilience to succeed in
high school and attend college.
What is Middle School?
STEM stands for this.
What is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
During the pilot phase of Connections Thompson Island had 3, then 5 and in this school year we have 9.
What is the number of our Connections school partners?
The cost for one student to participate in Connections during one school year.
What is $2,300?
2,600 represents this percentage of BPS middle school students who will be a part of Connections by 2023.
What is 15%?
The academic term for the essential skills of perseverance, critical thinking, leadership and teamwork that together lead to career and life success.
What is Social-Emotional Skills?
The Connections program brings students to the island in these months.
What is April, May, June, September, October, November?
It costs a partner school this much to participate in Connections.
What is $0?
It costs this much to sponsor an average size class (22 students) at one of our Connection partner schools.
What is $50,000 a year for 4 years?
This capstone challenge activity gives 8th grade students a sense of achievement and possibility as they graduate from Connections and middle school.
What is climbing the Alpine Tower?
This phenomenon is a major contributor to the Achievement Gap.
What is the Opportunity Gap or lack of opportunity outside the classroom?
Christmas and a student's time on island throughout the Connections program have this in common.
What is 12 days?
A core requirement of being a school partner means sending students to the island in these grades.
What are 5th, 6th, 7th AND 8th grades?
In the fall of 2018, 42 people together committed $3,000,000 to this.
What is the Scale Plan?
When you impact 15% of any population it creates this.
What is a systemic tipping point?
The number of hours that sixth grade students living in low-income communities are behind in learning opportunities outside the classroom compared to their more affluent peers.
What is 6,000 hours of out of school opportunities?
A student would spend this many days on Thompson Island if they did all FREE programming provided to Boston Public School students throughout middle and high school.
What is 50 days?
A component of the Connections program being added in each school. It makes the program truly year round.
What is an embedded TI instructor in each school throughout the school year?
Meet Kim Le and Stephanie Shinas.
The organizational budget needs to be this amount in order to support our Scale Plan goal of serving 2,600 students in Connections each school year.
What is approximately $10,000,000?
This combination of skills and abilities will enable students to compete in today (and tomorrow's) economy.
What is scientific thinking and character/leadership?
The practice of science is a crucial component of 21st century education because it instills these skills.
What are the following: asking questions, making detailed observations, forming and testing hypotheses, and working together as a team?
Connections students are given priority access to these FREE summer programs which are offered only to students in BPS schools.
What is Summer Learning Academy, Kayaking and Camping Expeditions, and Green Ambassadors summer jobs program?
Our current school partners in school-year 2018/19.
What is Martin Luther King, Young Achievers Science and Math, Orchard Gardens, Neighborhood House Charter School, Mario Umana, Boston Green Academy, Dearborn STEM Academy, Roosevelt, McKay?
This many lobsters per year must be sold to fund 2,600 students getting a life-changing experience on the island?
What is your guess? It's as good as mine!
"I learned I can achieve anything I set my mind to."
"I tried things I never dared before."
"I discovered my confidence."
"Feeling like being part of the community helped me be more outgoing."
"Kids like me can imagine all the possibilities for themselves."
What do our kids say after they come to Thompson Island?