SWSG Boston understands that, in order to best support girls of color in our community, we need to expressly focus on developing our college mentors’ cultural awareness and sensitivity. We’re proud to share that SWSG Boston has received support to further this work through Mass Mentoring Partnership’s James G. Connolly Tribute Fund. SWSG Boston will use this grant to enhance training for the 200+ college mentors participating in our program so that they are better able to build supportive relationships with the girls in our program. New workshops will improve the cultural competence of our mentors through experiential learning activities that enable mentors to reflect on their identities, background, and experiences around racism. They will learn new concepts and explore self-awareness as a key component to being actively anti-racist. They will troubleshoot real scenarios using and develop tangible, personalized action steps to further DEI learning and growth.
Named in honor of Mass Mentoring Partnership’s late Board Chair, Jim Connolly, the tribute fund honors his memory and dedication to mentoring. The fund supports an annual gift or project that is aligned with our mission of fueling the youth mentoring movement across Massachusetts, and Jim’s volunteer leadership and service to the organization.
SWSG Boston formally received this award on June 7th, 2019 at MMP’s Champions of Mentoring breakfast, alongside fellow awardees Berkshire Children & Families, and Generations Inc. We are grateful for the support of MMP and the Connolly family in our work to ensure all girls, regardless of race or lived experience, benefit from supportive mentoring relationships.