May 2022 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
After the recent events in Uvalde, TX and Buffalo, NY, we write to you with heavy hearts this month. We shared our sentiments earlier this week:
Sensible, bipartisan gun control and background checks, and expanded mental health services are long overdue. Thoughts and prayers are not enough and will not bring change. It is time for swift action in response to these horrific, senseless, and recurring violent events. Our children and families cannot wait any longer.
At the same time, we continue our work with greater conviction. Our students must see and hear from all of us that we are one community, we care for each other, and we will never stop in our efforts to keep them safe. Further, through our work at TPZ and with partners like you, we will help them pursue careers and futures where they will care for, lead, and keep safe their communities. This spring, we welcomed 50 Boston high school students to our new Innovation Center. We are excited for them to start their TPZ journey with us.
In this newsletter, we share more about our work, including:
- April break research camp, where students learned about and designed their own social research project
- TPZ’s financial literacy curriculum, Gen Z Money, recently recognized nationally
We also encourage all of your to consider volunteering in support of our students. It’s quick, easy, fun, and has a lasting impact! Find out more below.
Be well and stay safe!
Career Exploration In Action
April Break Camp Introduces Social Research & Potential Future Careers to Students!
Last month, 12 students participated in TPZ’s April Research Camp (ARC) during school break week. Over the course of four days, students designed and conducted a social science research project focused on assessing the impact of TPZ’s current consultancy model, an ongoing initiative that connects student consultant teams with local companies to support a work project.
Some highlights for students over the week included:
- Working in teams to generate and incorporate everyone’s design ideas
- Learning about unethical research studies, such as the Tuskegee Experiment, and developing their own IRB criteria
- Conducting literature reviews to learn how others have designed and conducted research
In addition to learning valuable analytical, project management, and communication skills, students were introduced to research and evaluation careers.
TPZ Curriculum Nationally Recognized
Last year, TPZ’s Curriculum Manager, Emma Korolik, designed an Advisory/Pathways financial literacy curriculum titled, Gen Z Money, recently featured in Edutopia. This curriculum was recently selected as a finalist in The Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards, or “the MAIAs” for 2022, in the Best Non-Profit For School-Age category.
Michael Gilmore, founder of the MAIAs, said: “We received 150 high-quality entries from all over the world for these inaugural awards, and so for Gen Z Money to reach this finalist stage is an impressive achievement. Our judging panel includes academics, influencers, fin-tech entrepreneurs, and journalists, all of whom care deeply that financial literacy spreads faster across the world, to reduce inequalities and encourage advancement. The finalists they have selected are some of the best financial literacy projects in the world.”
The 2022 MAIA finalists come from more than 15 different countries across the globe, from Peru to Malaysia, from Finland to Ghana, and show the incredible range of work being done by people and organizations to help spread financial understanding.
The 2022 winners of the MAIAs will be announced via a live-stream award show on LinkedIn on May 31. You can read more about The Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards here.
National Grid Supports Clean Energy Exploration!
Connect with and support TPZ students at our Innovation Center! We are looking for local entrepreneurs, professionals, and college students who have a passion for our mission. As a volunteer, you’ll provide thoughtful, compassionate feedback and share your own experiences to encourage students on their entrepreneurship and career journeys.
Thank you to all the volunteers who have dedicated your time and continue to make TPZ’s programming possible!