We are overjoyed to share the exciting news that the Chinese Culture Connection (CCC) has been selected as one of 150 local nonprofits to receive a share of $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. Out of 630 applicants, we were chosen during a competitive review process. This means that we will receive $105,000 over three years, which will greatly contribute to the growth of our Youth Leadership and Mentoring Program (YLMP).
Youth Leadership and Mentoring Program: Malden High School students mentored both English Language (EL) students and non-EL students in fourth and fifth grades through interactive activities at Malden Beebe School and Salemwood School.
Thanks to the generous support from Cummings Foundation, we will be able to expand the YLMP. This program has been specifically designed to foster self-confidence and enhance self-worth among high school students from Asian immigrant families and other backgrounds. Through leadership training and engagement as mentors to both English Language (EL) students and non-EL students in fourth and fifth grades through interactive activities at Malden Beebe School and Salemwood School, these high schoolers gain compassion, social responsibility, collaboration, and public speaking skills.
Youth Leadership and Mentoring Program: Malden High School students mentored both English Language (EL) students and non-EL students in fourth and fifth grades through interactive activities at Malden Beebe School and Salemwood School.
Several participants in the Youth Leadership and Mentoring Program gathered to take a group selfie.
With this grant, we will hire a project manager whose responsibilities will include recruiting, training, and supervising the site coordinators, developing activities to engage youth leaders, planning overall curriculum, scheduling. This project manager will conduct training workshops on topics such as leadership skills, communication, team-work, and bullying prevention. They will also support the site coordinators and will work closely with the youth leaders to create mentoring activities to engage mentees.
We anticipate an additional 200 students will participate in the YLMP by the end of the third year. They will gain an understanding of the American educational system, their role within it, and avenues for helping others navigate it successfully. They will form a united and resilient cohort capable of withstanding academic pressures and the negative impacts of anti-Asian sentiment in the broader society. As they advance, they will emerge as leaders, discovering their unique voices and leveraging them to bring about positive transformations in their lives, community, and mentees.
The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. Established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings, it has grown to be one of the largest private foundations in New England. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
###
About The Chinese Culture Connection
The Chinese Culture Connection is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1985. In 1999, it relocated from Reading to Malden to support the growing Asian immigrant population by building connections between Asians and the diverse community of Malden and surrounding cities. Through diverse educational programs, cross-cultural dialogues, and special events, the Chinese Culture Connection empowers Chinese immigrants and Chinese descendants of the Greater Boston Area to appreciate and retain their heritage, develop bicultural fluency, and enrich others with a deeper understanding of Chinese language and culture. It aims to reconcile cultural differences and addresses the needs of the Asian American community, reducing education, health, and income disparities by offering free and low-cost educational programs and acculturation services for immigrant families, elders, and youth.
For more information, visit www.ChineseCultureConnection.org or Facebook (@Chinese Culture Connection) or Instagram (@chinesecultureconnection).