MA Vaccine Equity Initiative Funds awarded to Cambridge Health Alliance

The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $13.5 million to support community organizations working in the cities and towns hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Massachusetts Vaccine Equity Initiative to increase awareness, acceptance and access to the COVID-19 vaccine. These latest grants are part of the Administration’s investment of more than $46.5 million to address vaccine hesitancy.

The Vaccine Equity Initiative aims to support community organizations working in the cities and towns hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding goes towards increasing awareness and expanding access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

$10.65 million was given to launch the Massachusetts Community Health Workers for Resilient Communities (MA CRC) program. 10 organizations in 9 priority communities have been awarded three-year grants to support community health workers in clinical care settings and support local boards of health in increasing COVID-19 vaccination efforts including Cambridge Health Alliance's Malden Care Center.

CHA's Malden location is one of many organizations doing important work in communities hard hit by the pandemic and I am grateful for their efforts to keep our city safe and healthy. Congratulations!

FY22 Civics Teaching and Learning Grant Awardees Announced

Malden public schools will receive $45,000 for vendor partnerships to provide professional development for teachers and administrators.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has completed the application and scoring process for the Civics Teaching and Learning Grant, and will award $45,000 to schools and programs in Malden. The Grant is intended to strengthen civics teaching and learning in addition to supporting the implementation student-led, non-partisan civics projects as required by Chapter 296 of the Acts of 2018.

The Civics Teaching and Learning Grant will also fund professional development for teachers and administrators particularly in relation to the instruction of civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions; implementation of civics projects in eighth grade and high school as required by law; and civics learning experiences such as field trips and special programs that are designed to enrich core curricular learning.

Ultimately the goal is to provide educators with training and develop curriculum to cultivate students’ critical analysis skills, engage in civil discourse and help all students to take part in in real-world civic action.

As an educator myself, I understand first-hand how important supporting professional development for teachers and administrators is. I am very pleased and excited to know that we can continue to provide the tools and training for our educators to enrich schools and special programs in Malden.

For more details about the DESE’s Civics Teaching and Learning Grant, please follow this link.

FY22 Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Grant Awardees Announced

Malden and surrounding communities will receive over $630,000 to expand childhood behavioral health services.

The Department of Early Education & Care has awarded a total of $2.5 million to communities throughout Massachusetts from the FY22 Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) Grant. The ECMHC Grant will fund a network of services to support the social-emotional development and behavioral health of children in early education and out-of-school time settings.

The services funded through this grant have been specifically designed to provide support and guidance to programs, educators, and families and to help them better address the developmental, social and emotional, and behavioral challenges of young children. The grantees will provide services including direct consultation, referrals, coordination with community-based services and interventions to address child behavioral challenges; promote children’s well-being; and reduce suspension and expulsion in schools.

This year, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) will be receiving over $630,000 in funding from this grant to expand the capacity of their early childhood behavioral health services in Malden. The increased program capacity will give us the ability to foster healthy development for young children and help reduce the suspension and expulsion rate in early education and care settings. By expanding the network of early care and education programs and services in the community while supporting early childhood mental health clinicians, the grant will promote school success of children.

Congratulations to MSPCC and I am very pleased and excited to know that we can continue to provide important services for Malden families.

For more details about the ECMHC Grant, please follow this link.

To learn more about the work of MSPCC, you may reach their website here.