About Us

Since our founding in 1966, the educational landscape has changed but the need for help in public schools remains. Students in Boston’s public schools face many challenges, including poverty and language barriers. According to the Boston Public Schools, three out of four students are eligible to receive free and reduced-price meals. And nearly half of the district’s students don’t speak English as their first language. A recent Annie E. Casey Foundation report states that the academic achievement gap between children from high- and low-income families is nearly twice as large as the black/white achievement gap. Children who do not read proficiently before the end of third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers.

Boston Partners in Education mobilizes volunteers to help students fill gaps in their learning, meet and exceed academic expectations, build self-confidence, and stay in school. By putting volunteers directly in classrooms, we're able to meet the students where they are, supporting them hands-on. Our volunteers commit for the entire school year, working one-on-one, with small groups, or whole classrooms, for an hour a week. This supplements the important work of our teachers — freeing them to concentrate on the kids who need their attention most.

Boston Partners in Education has a broad impact, matching over 4,000 students with hundreds of volunteers annually. Students in our programs read more books, build better math skills, pass standardized tests, improve their attendance, and raise their grades en route to on-time graduation.

We are proud to provide positive role models to developing minds, and to show our kids that their community believes in them. The services we provide help bolster all of Boston, nurturing a strong, resilient group of future leaders. By helping children reach their full potential, we are investing in success.