Boston Connects Intervention
The internvention identifies the unique pattern of strength and needs of each and every student and connects him or her to a tailored set of support services.
Central to this work is a full time School Site Coordinator - a Masters level (social work or school counseling) professionals working within a school (1 coordinator per 400 students)
Site Coordinators:
- Assess key areas of development for each child via classroom observation and formal discussion with teachers and other support staff in the school
- Work with teachers to identify children's unique strengths & needs
- Create individual support plans for each student
- Connect children to tailored set of support services & prevention curricula/enrichment opportunities
- Track Individual Support Plans electronically for each child
- Follow up to ensure service delivery and effectiveness
New Balance Health and Wellness Program
The New Balance Foundation Health and Wellness program has made it possible for Boston Connects to adopt a nationally-recognized, evidence-based health and social competence curriculum to implement in participating schools. Health coordinators who are certified in health education by the state of Massachusetts deliver the curriculum. This curriculum provides instruction in the areas of obesity prevention, nutrition, physical exercise, social competence, and substance abuse prevention.
In addition to a classroom curriculum, the Boston Connects comprehensive health education program is reflected in school-wide activities and programs that involve parents. Recognizing the significant contributions of agencies to the health education effort in our community, our program also draws on the various community agency specialists in health education.
Through the New Balance Health and Wellness Program, and with the support of the Boston Public Schools, Boston College, and community partners, Boston Connects can work to ensure that students and their families will receive critical teaching and learning about how to become and stay healthy — physically, emotionally, and socially.