A Note from our Executive Director
Dear 3Point Community,
Welcome to the latest edition of our biannual 3Point newsletter. We are excited to update you on our recent achievements and progress. Since I joined The3PointFoundation team back on July 31st, 2023 as the new Executive Director, five months have passed in a blink of an eye.
In October, the Blue Hills Country Club hosted this year’s Mass Pension Professionals Golf Tournament to benefit The3PointFoundation and raised over $46,000. The following month, we celebrated our 4th Gala at the Fairmont Copley Plaza with over 380 attendees supporting our work.
During my speech at the Gala, I mentioned that our young people are growing up in an unacceptable environment and deserve better. According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, 1 in 6 young people report consistent symptoms of anxiety and depression, and 1 in 4 have a diagnosed mental health condition.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created more need for mental health support, and students are falling behind academically. Therefore, it is essential to provide opportunities like 3Point for students to receive additional academic support and engagement during out-of-school time.
This month, we hosted our annual Student Showcase at the Franklin Park Clubhouse. The showcase allowed students to share their projects with the larger community and enjoy a good meal! We will share photos from the event in our next newsletter.
Please consider following us on social media to stay updated on the latest information about The3PointFoundation. We will share the upcoming journeys of our 5 Boston marathon runners happening this spring, so stay tuned and consider donating to their efforts.
In partnership,
Sara Kilroy
A Family That Stays Fit Together Creates A Strong Community Together
The mission of the 3Point is multifaceted and one of the values we work to instill in our young people is the value of staying fit. The younger a child starts to value fitness the healthier they will be throughout their life. Sports is at the center of what we teach, our hook is basketball. But we know that fitness can be achieved in many ways, and we champion the power of team sports because they teach incredible values our students can use in their everyday life. Values like hard work, teamwork, perseverance, grit, and the invaluable power of never giving up.
As parents and guardians, we have the biggest influence in our child’s life and can be a powerful role model for our children when it comes to fitness and wellbeing. The fitness journey is so much more fun when everyone in the family can participate. We believe a family that stays fit together truly does create a strong community together.
3Point’s 4th Annual BPS Partnership Gala Raises Over $650,000 to Support Youth Programs
This is a time of year for celebration. 3Point, its friends, partners, and supporters gathered at our Annual Gala on November 17th at the Fairmont Copley Hotel to support our transformational programs aimed at reshaping the trajectory of Boston’s youth and cultivating the next generation of our City’s leaders. The evening started with a visit by Mayor Wu who brought greetings from the City in appreciation for 3Point’s work with the Boston Public Schools.
It was humbling and inspiring to have over 380 attendees gather to support closing the opportunity and achievement gap for Boston’s under-resourced youth from low income families in the Roxbury, Dorchester, Hyde Park and Mattapan neighborhoods of Boston. The resources provided by the Gala allow 3Point to expand valued programs and introduce new programs that foster the skills necessary for success in school and employment and that support our young people on their pathway to college and careers.
The Gala also provided the opportunity to honor two of our 3Point student program participants: Katie Aquino and Wilky Tejeda. Each was honored for living the values embodied by 3Point. Their accomplishments and growth as young people with character was illuminated by a video in which teachers and 3Point staff described the positive impact that 3Point had on Katie and Wilky. In a memorable presentation, 3Point’s Head of Basketball Operations, Deric Quest, recounted Katie’s and Wilky’s achievements.
3Point also honored three individuals who are committed leaders in serving young people in Boston: Alfreda Harris, a community legend, who through basketball and public service has mentored and changed the lives of hundreds of young women in Boston; Susan Levine, who through her work as director of Bain Children’s Charity has provided the financial resources to a multitude of organizations who serve under-resources youth; and Dr. Joseph Cooper, Chair of the Keith Motley Sports Leadership Administration program at the University of Massachusetts Boston, and has led the effort to bring diversity to the sports industry including and collaborated with 3Point in bringing the Martin J. Walsh Sports Leadership Summer Academy to Boston’s middle school youth.
We thank everyone who attended the Gala and are investing in Boston’s youth. We hope to see you again in 2024. Keep up with what is happening at 3Point by accessing www.go3point.org.
3Point leading a classroom during the School Day
This Fall we b
egan our second year of implementation of the My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) programming for 7th and 8th grade students at New Mission Hi
gh School and BCLA-McCormack. Throughout the curriculum, students are given opportunities to explore various career paths by answering the overarching questions of who am I? Where have I been? Where am I going? And how will I overcome the obstacles along the way? 3Point has always been known for its focus on students’ social emotional growth through project-based learning, and the MyCAP program encompasses both of these methodologies in addition to addressing the scope and sequence competencies outlined by the MA Department of Education and the Boston Public Schools. It is our hope that by supporting our students’ personal development and showing them the possibilities of the future, that we will create more opportunities and foster the skill sets necessary for them beyond high school and into their future careers.
In our after school programming, our students are learning how to navigate peer pressure and social situations through our anti-bullying curriculum at the Mildred Ave., BCLA-McCormack and Sarah Greenwood schools. The anti-bullying curriculum addresses the different roles of bullying and how to respond in various situations. With these tools, student’s further develop their self-awareness and learn how to establish healthy relationships with their peers. At the Paul A. Dever, Mission Grammar, and New Mission schools, elementary and middle school students are participating in our subject mastering tutoring program. Students are given a baseline assessment to determine their current level in Math and Reading, and then work in small groups with a tutor to close any academic gaps created from the pandemic.
On December 7th, all student work from these programs were highlighted during our annual Showcase. Students participated in a gallery walk, as they presented their work to family, friends, and their peers.
Looking forward to the remainder of the ‘23-’24 school year, we will be assisting students from BPS and METCO who are getting ready for college with their applications, applying for scholarships, FAFSA forms, and essays through the Virtual Opportunity Lab (VOL). The VOL is a 3Point created website in which students can access general information on the college application process and schedule one on one appointments with a college coach during after school hours. This program is used to supplement the current work that the school counselors are already doing with their students, and provide opportunities for the adults of our students’ to participate and get involved during off work hours. At 3Point, we highly value the support of our students through their family and school community.
Lastly, to further develop the learning and teaching skills of our instructors, Sara Kilroy and Holly Webster prepared and delivered a training on the social emotional development of adolescents and adults, and how to address any behaviors that may cause verbal escalation in the classroom. The 3Point team learned how to not only help manage and address the needs of our students’ mental health, but also that of their own. We then gave the team different interventions and tools for how to address behaviors as they come about in the classroom to provide an effective, structured, and safe learning environment.
Without the hard work and dedication of our students and staff, growth would not be possible, so it is with the utmost gratitude that we thank them for showing up every day in the work that we do. (source: Holly Webster)
Development Update
In 2023, supporters of 3Point participated in four fundraising activities that raised funds to support 3Point’s after-school, in-school and summer programs. These donations allowed 3Point to continue to offer programs and services to over 700 youth and their families at no cost. All of the programs that the students benefitted from are the direct results of the generosity of our donors who care about closing the opportunity gap for the underserved.
Below, is a summary of annual fundraising activities that were held in 2023:
- 3Point Boston Marathon Team
- 3-on-3 Basketball Challenge
- Annual Golf Outing
- 3Point annual Gala @ the Fairmont Copley Hotel
In addition to the aforementioned annual events, there are other ways in which you can contribute to 3Point’s success:
- You can visit our website go3point.org and donate
- If you are on social media, you can share our posts. Growing 3Point’s online community is one way you can support us.
- You can also start a birthday campaign and designate 3Point as the beneficiary for your birthday or encourage family and friends to donate to 3Point.
- You can donate directly to 3Point by writing a check to 3Point and mailing it to: 1270 Soldiers Field Rd, Brighton, MA 02135
- If you are aware of any foundations that issue grants for youth development, please share the information with 3Point so we can pursue the resources.
- If you work for a company that matches employee’s donations and you donate to 3Point, please make sure you inform your employer of your contributions so that they can be matched.
- If you would like to run the historic Boston Marathon or know of anyone looking for a bib to run and raise funds for 3Point please contact us at: [email protected]
On behalf of 3Point and the youth and families we serve, thank you for your support.
