Hear from staff and partners about aspirations, accomplishments, and lessons learned along the way.

Youth Make Voices Heard and Vision Clear Through The Arts

Lauren Woody

Guest Author · Former Program Assistant

As the mayoral race in Boston heats up, there have been plenty of forums to hear from candidates.

October 02, 2013 | Category: Arts & Creativity

Barr Grantees Setting Tables for Robust Civic Engagement

Boston's mayoral race has ignited a vigorous debate about the city and its future.

September 27, 2013 | Category: Arts & Creativity

A Tale of Two Peaks we Must Climb

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Mariella Puerto

Co-Director of Climate

Reducing GHG emissions 20% by 2020 is no easy task. Yet, 80% by 2050 is whole new kind of undertaking. How different are these two goals?

September 24, 2013 | Category: Climate

Study Probes Consequences of Poor Transportation Options on Low-income Latinos

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Mary Skelton Roberts

Co-Director of Climate

A new study takes a deep look at the heavy toll of poor transportation options on one of the fastest growing populations in Massachusetts – low-income Latinos - and it recommends a path towards change that means greater prosperity for them and for low-income and working families across the state.

August 12, 2013 | Category: Climate

Education Week Features Boston Center Creating Second Chances for Dropouts

Rahn Dorsey

Guest Author · Former Evaluation Director & Program Officer

Thanks to concerted efforts on dropout prevention, high school graduation rates in the U.S. are the highest they have been since the 1970's, yet every year roughly one million high school students still leave without a degree.

August 07, 2013 | Category: Education

Energievergnügen – the joy of (renewable) energy

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Mariella Puerto

Co-Director of Climate

Between 2010 and 2011, committed to building on three decades of solid progress on renewable energy and unnerved by Fukushima, the German parliament enacted a series of polices to shift its power sector away from fossil fuels and nuclear to 80% renewables by 2050.

July 09, 2013 | Category: Climate

Talk/Read/Succeed – Inspiration and Ideas from Springfield

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Kimberly Haskins

Senior Program Officer, Sector Effectiveness

With an ambitious, citywide goal, what’s the right scale to get started? What target population is small enough that results are achievable and the impacts tangible? In Springfield, Massachusetts, it looks like the answer is 180 families.

June 27, 2013 | Category: Education

Training and Connecting the Next Generation of Nonprofit Leaders

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Kimberly Haskins

Senior Program Officer, Sector Effectiveness

Barr supports organizations with strong track records of developing new and diverse leadership, like the Institute for Nonprofit Management and Leadership, which is now accepting applications for the 2013–2014 academic year.

June 24, 2013 | Category: Sector Effectiveness

Some Things Inspiring in the State of Denmark

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Mariella Puerto

Co-Director of Climate

Copenhagen is on track to become the world's first carbon neutral capital by 2025 – even while attracting 100,000 new residents. In June, Mariella Puerto, Barr Senior Program Officer, joined a group of US-based foundation staff to see firsthand how they were doing it.

June 20, 2013 | Category: Climate

Getting to "Whole Child Time"

Rahn Dorsey

Guest Author · Former Evaluation Director & Program Officer

What would it take to move beyond a school- and classroom-bound view of where learning and youth development actually happens – to explore more holistic approaches?

June 07, 2013 | Category: Education