October 12, 2011 - Campaign for Catholic Schools Awarded $1 Million Grant*

Braintree, Mass. – October 12, 2011 – The Campaign for Catholic Schools announced today that it has been awarded a $1 million grant for Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy by the State Street Foundation, the grant making arm of State Street Corporation.  The grant, announced at the Dorchester Lower Mills Campus, will be used to benefit middle school programs and professional development at the Academy.  Headquartered in Boston, MA, State Street is one of the world’s leading providers of financial services to institutional investors.   

“We are grateful to State Street for its very generous gift which will benefit Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy,” said Cardinal Seán O’Malley.  “This level of support, coming from a financial institution that is a leader in our local community, will allow us to build on the success that has been achieved at the Academy in recent years.  Catholic education opens doors for tens of thousands of students here in the Archdiocese and is preparing future generations of leaders for the challenges of a new global society.  The work of our teachers, staff, supporters and most importantly students and families demonstrates we are meeting our commitment to greatly enhance and strengthen Catholic education.  We give thanks for State Street’s investment in our students and our school.”
 
“We are pleased to award this grant to the Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy,” said State Street’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Hooley. “Building a better world through education is core to what we do at the Foundation and is the primary focus of our Global Giving campaign. This grant will help to provide the teachers at the Pope John II Catholic Academy with the support, training and tools they need to do their best work for their students.”

Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy is a Pre-K through Grade 8 school that opened in September 2008.  Located on multiple campuses in the Dorchester and Mattapan neighborhoods of the City of Boston, the Academy dynamically prepares children for life in the 21st century. A stimulating and robust curriculum, enlightened by Catholic teaching, offers students an excellent education in a faith-filled and supportive environment.

Dr. Mary Grassa O’Neill, Secretary for Education/Superintendent for Catholic Schools said, “Middle school is a key educational and developmental time for students. Our focus is on preparing students to successfully compete for admission to the finest high schools and colleges and ultimately to be competitive for the best jobs. We are thrilled with State Street’s very generous gift and the support of the Campaign for Catholic Schools which make the enhancement of teaching and learning for middle school students a reality.” 

Jack Connors, Chair of the Campaign for Catholic Schools, said, “State Street has consistently demonstrated a world-class commitment to the Boston community. With this very generous gift to the Pope John Paul II Academy, they have propelled us on our way to realizing the goal of making Catholic education available to future generations and we are very grateful.”

Boston City Councilor Maureen E. Feeney said, “Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy has been such a wonderful addition to my district, and I am thrilled that the excellence of this institution is being recognized by State Street.  With this generous gift, Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy can serve the Dorchester community with even greater effectiveness and success.”

The State Street Foundation:  The State Street Foundation offers grant support to initiatives that bring long-term solutions to important community issues such as education, employability, hunger relief, and homelessness, among others.  Founded in 1977, the Foundation has since given nearly $180 million in grants to charitable organizations in communities where State Street has a business presence. The State Street Foundation is funded by State Street Corporation, which provides a portion of its pre-tax profits every year to the Foundation.

The Campaign for Catholic Schools (CCS):  CCS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in December 2007, is charged with raising significant philanthropy to implement major systemic changes to strengthen urban Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Boston.  The CCS’s work comes out of the recommendations of a two-year strategic planning effort called the 2010 Initiative for Catholic Education and encompasses significant reforms in school governance and management, academics, technology, marketing, enrollment, fundraising, and facilities and infrastructure.  The CCS is focused first where the needs are greatest: inner city Catholic elementary schools. To date, the Campaign for Catholic Schools has raised over $57 million for four school systems in Brockton, Dorchester/Mattapan/South Boston and Gloucester.

Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy:  Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy is the largest elementary school (private or public) in Boston, educating 30% of all Catholic elementary school students in the city. The Academy serves over 1,300 students in Grades PreK-8 on four campuses in Dorchester and Mattapan and welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds. In part because of its size and complexity, it is considered to be the flagship school in turnaround efforts in urban Catholic education set in motion by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley through the 2010 Initiative in Catholic Education (2005-07) and chaired by Boston business and civic leader Jack Connors, Jr. Our goal is to provide our students with a high quality, effective, values-based educational foundation that will prepare them to be accepted to and matriculate at the best high schools, and later colleges, putting them on the path to better futures.

About the Archdiocese of Boston:  The Diocese of Boston was founded on April 8, 1808 and was elevated to Archdiocese in 1875. Currently serving the needs of nearly 2 million Catholics, the Archdiocese of Boston is an ethnically diverse and spiritually enriching faith community consisting of 291 parishes, across 144 communities, educating approximately 42,000 students in its Catholic schools and 156,000 in religious education classes each year, ministering to the needs of 200,000 individuals through its pastoral and social service outreach.   Mass is celebrated in nearly twenty different languages each week. For more information, please visit www.BostonCatholic.org.