Community Engagement Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
BB&N’s mission statement describes a community
BB&N Quick Facts
of teachers, learners, and families who are
• Buckingham School founded in 1889
committed to principled engagement with the
• Browne & Nichols School founded in 1883 • Buckingham Browne & Nichols formed by merger in 1974
neighbors and neighborhoods we live alongside.
• 1,017 total students
The School demonstrates this engagement in
many ways—as an employer of 285 men and women, as a contributor of more than $2 million
• 320 Lower School (grades B-6); 169 Middle School (grades 7-8); 528 Upper School (grades 9-12)
• 500 girls, 517 boys • 26% students of color • 86 towns of origin represented in schoolwide student body • Approximately 900 applicants each year for 150 places
annually to the local economy, and certainly in
• In 2013-2014 awarded $7,043,650 in financial aid to 23 percent
our dedication to community service, student
• The Class of 2013 entered 60 different colleges and universities
aid, and educational and recreational programs open to all. We are well aware that Buckingham Browne & Nichols School has the great fortune to reside in the wonderful communities of Cambridge and Watertown, and we place great importance on preserving and building upon our 130-year-old legacy of being a good neighbor. Rebecca T. Upham, Head of School BUCKINGHAM BROWNE & NICHOLS
of the student body (233 students)
• Operating budget: $37.5 million
BB&N Motto Honestas Litterae Comitas Honor Scholarship Kindness
Mission Statement BB&N’s mission is to promote scholarship, integrity, and kindness in diverse, curious, and motivated students. The School prepares students for lives of principled engagement in their communities and the world.
Statement of Values
• We value a learning environment distinguished by a broad,
value a program that reinforces key characteristics for 21st-century • We
deep, and challenging program of study that inspires
success—especially creativity, curiosity, resilience, and teamwork.
thorough, sustained engagement among our students.
standards in their behavior, habits of thought, and decision making.
• We value a diverse and inclusive community that fosters
respect for the identities and perspectives of all.
• We value balancing a culture of high expectations with a
• We value the importance of helping students develop keen ethical • We value a vibrant, healthy, and safe community where engagement
and risk-taking promote lifelong learning. strong commitment to support intellectual, social, emotional, • We value encouraging our students to learn and serve in their local, and physical well-being.
• We value kindness and compassion among all members of
our community.
• We value the widespread, authentic connection with students
that our teachers, coaches, and mentors seek to cultivate.
regional, and global communities. value a well-rounded education that offers our students ample • We
opportunity to explore, evolve, and excel in academics, arts, athletics, and all phases of school life.
COMMUNITY For the past 130 years, Buckingham Browne & Nichols School has been a proud member of the Cambridge community. Throughout this history, the School has placed great importance on its relationship with its neighbors and its multi-faceted contributions to the surrounding region. Examples of these contributions from recent years include: • This year, 206 Cambridge children are enrolled at BB&N, reducing by approximately $5.4 million the annual education costs for the City of Cambridge. • The School provides access to its facilities, free of charge, to local organizations and causes each year, such as the Cambridge Camping Association, Special Olympics, Patrick’s PALS, American Legion Baseball, Breakthrough Greater Boston, and the American Red Cross. • BB&N students and faculty log thousands of community service hours each year, aiding the missions of scores of nearby organizations such as the Youville House, the Cambridge Community Center, and the Charles River Conservancy. • For the past 13 years, BB&N has hosted a weekly Books Basketball & Neighbors program that provides a combination of organized basketball activities plus peer tutoring to hundreds of young residents of Cambridge and Boston. • In 2010, BB&N partnered with the Silver Lake Land Trust, the Harris Center for Conservation Education, and the Monadnock Conservancy to create a conservation easement of 190 acres in Harrisville and Nelson, New Hampshire, that BB&N has owned for 38 years. The easement ensures the preservation not only of the stunning natural resources of this land, but also of the outdoor education legacy of Camp Marienfeld, which has benefited thousands of BB&N students as the home of the school’s Bivouac program.
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Students from Cambridge & Surrounding Towns Town
Number of Students
Approximate Savings
Cambridge
206
$5,418,830
Boston
161
$2,338,364
Belmont
43
$ 485,943
Arlington
32
$ 400,064
Brookline
28
$ 454,328
Somerville
18
$ 287,496
Watertown
18
$ 287,532
Medford
8
$ 107,008
Everett
3
$ 33,987
517
$9,813,552
TOTAL
* Based on 2013 BB&N enrollment information.
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Financial Aid:
ECONOMIC IMPACT
$7 MILLION in Financial Aid was awarded this year to
23% of the student body,
BB&N is a non-profit educational institution that impacts the local
supporting the education of
233 students
economy in a variety of ways: as an employer of 285 individuals, as
ARLINGTON
3%
a magnet for 750 families living
BELMONT
2%
BOSTON
37%
within a 30-mile radius, as a granter
BROOKLINE
1%
CAMBRIDGE
19%
MEDFORD
4%
as a purchaser of millions of dollars
SOMERVILLE
4%
of goods and services each year.
WATERTOWN
30%
of more than $7 million of financial aid each year to 230+ students, and
Annual Payments to Local Vendors *The data on the following pages is representative of a typical year.
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$2,201,854
BB&N banks at: • Belmont Savings Bank • Cambridge Savings Bank • First Republic Bank
o • Watertown Savings Bank
Voices from THE COMMUNITY Paul Delaney, Sales Manager,Mcgeoghean Waste Systems, Inc.
Voices from BB&N joe griffin, BB&N Director of Facilities
“BB&N was one of the very first clients we had that went the
“We make it a priority to work with local, high-quality vendors, and
single-stream recycling route. And it was a great decision. There’s
our long partnership with McGeoghean Waste in Cambridge is a
not another school out there that’s doing a better job with
perfect example of why. These are people who are committed to
recycling than BB&N is now. It’s a real privilege for us, as a proud
doing great work, who are dedicated to helping BB&N carry out its
Cambridge company, to be able to partner with a local school
teaching mission, and who care deeply about Cambridge and the
that’s taken such a leadership role in this arena.”
people who live, work, and study here. Partnering with individuals and organizations such as that is a no-brainer for us.”
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ECONOMIC IMPACT Employment:
BB&N Employees Who Live in Neighboring Communities
285 Arlington
16
Belmont
19
Boston
15
Cambridge
36
Watertown
Somerville
17
18
BB&N employees (full and part-time)
$18.3
MILLION
Total annual salaries and benefits
In 2012 BB&N received a special proclamation from the Cambridge City Council recognizing the School’s support of the Cambridge Camping Association. The proclamation recognized the School for volunteering to host the Cambridge Camping Association’s Summer Adventure Day Camp at the BB&N Middle School last summer. PICTURED: Cambridge Mayor Henrietta Davis, center, presents BB&N with the award. Camp volunteers and BB&N students Natasha ‘15 and Amy ‘15, are at far right.
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DIVERSITY BB&N’s commitment to diversity is integral to the mission of the School. The different perspectives and experiences of our students and families help define the fabric of our community.
BB&N: • Students of color make up 26 percent
• Encourages its students to attend
• In 2008, BB&N conducted an extensive
of BB&N’s enrollment
diversity conferences offered by
study to address an achievement gap
• Awards more than $7 million in
the National Association of
existing among students of color at
financial aid to 23% of the student
Independent Schools (NAIS) and
the School.
body (233 students).
the Association of Independent Schools
• Following the study, BB&N initiated
• Features a Multicultural Student
in New England (AISNE).
steps that are ongoing and have already
Alliance, made up of eight student
• Hosts numerous multicultural events
narrowed the gap considerably. The
groups, that supports, educates,
each year that provide cultural
School has shared its trailblazing
and enriches the entire School
self-expression and enlightenment
achievement gap initiatives with
community
opportunities for BB&N students,
independent school educators nationwide.
families, and alumni/ae.
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[1]
[2] [1] Students don lime green t-shirts to promote BB&N Community Service. [2] The Books Basketball & Neighbors crew gathers for some basketball and tutoring of inner-city children. [3] Students use the crosswalk in front of the Upper School for safer navigation across Greenough Boulevard. BB&N funded the project in partnership with the Commonwealth. [4] Summer Camp friends share a laugh. [5] Beginner students sell salads made with vegetables from the Lower School garden to benefit UNICEF. [6] Upper School students provide moral support for each other during a schoolwide American Red Cross blood drive. [7] Middle Schoolers read to young visitors from a Cambridge preschool during Giving Thanks Day. [3]
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[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
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ENVIRONMENT BB&N maintains as a high priority the stewardship of a cleaner, safer, healthier environment across all four campuses. Not surprisingly, this wide-ranging objective is implemented not only on a consistent basis among the School’s operations, maintenance, transportation, and dining staff, but also has been sparked frequently at a grass-roots level from BB&N students and faculty members. Some examples of BB&N’s “green” initiatives include: • the installation of 1,130 solar panels atop the Nicholas Athletic Center in 2011, supplying most of the power for the 79,000-square-foot facility; • the implementation of schoolwide single-stream recycling in 2008, which has reduced by 60 percent the amount of waste being sent to incinerators or landfills; • the use of 100-percent organic applications (cedar oil and lemon) for pest control, and low-salt applications for snow/ice removal; • the initiation of a composting program on our campuses (including food waste and grass clippings from sports fields), an effort first spearheaded by a grade 12 student as part of her senior spring project; • a diligent tree maintenance program to sustain the health and vigor of the more than 100 trees that grace BB&N’s campuses, including two stately beech trees on the Middle School campus; • the introduction of 15 carbon-filtered water stations throughout our campuses, greatly reducing the use of bottled water.
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Upper School
COMMUNITY SERVICE
As a requirement for graduation, Upper School students perform a minimum of 40 hours of community service. Most students greatly surpass the requirement. The School organizes a community service afternoon each fall, during which groups of students volunteer at local non-profits. Every February, BB&N holds its all-school “Have-a-Heart” food drive for Boston
In order to expand our students’ horizons and instill a spirit of service to others, BB&N offers
Medical Center.
Middle School BB&N Middle School features a Community Service Club whose members work to support our
a variety of opportunities for
local communities. The club’s projects have included: cooking dinner at school and on-site for
students to get involved in
the women at Duley House, fundraising to fulfill Christmas wish lists for the Heading Home
community service.
organization, and acting as student leaders during the Boston Medical Center Food Drive. The Club also partakes in drives supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Belle of the Ball, which provides prom dresses to high school girls who cannot afford their own. The entire Middle School community also participates in activities such as Giving Thanks Day, in which students spend the day participating in approximately 18 different service projects.
Lower School Although not a requirement at the Lower School, community service is still an important aspect of most students’ lives on this campus. Students participate in community service through a series of schoolwide programs, including efforts such as making quilts for a local women’s shelter (see photo at right ), collecting items for Cradles to Crayons, running book and mitten drives, participating in the Walk for Hunger, and organizing collections for UNICEF.
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Student Community Service Hours Last Year Upper School
4,920
Middle School
1,360
Lower School
2,376
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COMMUNITY SERVICE VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY Maeve Bacon, Program Manager, Duley House
“BB&N students started coming to plant flowers and pull weeds in
VOICES FROM BB&N Zoe Tarshis, Middle School Community Service Club Advisor
the spring and it evolved from there. I requested that they make
“What I love so much about our work with Duley House and
a meal for the women at the end of the month when their food
Heading Home is that it feels concrete. In the fall we raised
and money were low, so they accommodated us. The students
funds for families through Heading Home to fulfill Christmas
started making handmade mementos for the holidays and bring
wish lists. We went to Target with $400 in dollar bills and
them to the women whenever a holiday is upon us. The women
quarters from our bake sales and bought Christmas presents.
appreciate their young hearts wanting to serve them in many
We had names of family members, ages, and their wishes.”
ways. It has been a great pleasure.”
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Below is a partial list of organizations that are currently being served, or have been served, by BB&N students: Arlington Boys & Girls Club
Kiva
Belle of the Ball
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Belmont Food Pantry
Mass Peace Action
Best Buddies
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston Medical Center
Mount Auburn Hospital
Bread and Jams
MSPCA
Breakthrough Cambridge
Neville Center Senior Assisted Living
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Newton Food Pantry
Cambridge Homes
Oak Square YMCA
The Cambridge Shelter
On the Rise Shelter
Charles River Conservancy
Perkins School for the Blind
Charlestown Boys & Girls Club
Pine Knoll Nursing Center
Chelsea Community Kitchen
Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger
Children’s Hospital
Project Hope
Christmas in the City
Relay for Life – American Cancer Society
City Year
Roxbury Boys & Girls Club
Cradles to Crayons
Salvation Army “Our Place”
Duley House
for Homeless Children
Essex House
Somerville YMCA
Gaining Ground
Special Olympics Massachusetts
Greater Boston Food Bank
Summerbridge
Haley House
Susan G. Koman for the Cure
Hands On (Rebuilding Together)
Tenacity
Harvard Square Meals Program
UNICEF
Heading Home Organization
Waltham YMCA
Heifer International
Wellesley Animal Hospital
Hildebrand Family Center
West End House Boys & Girls Club
Hill House Senior Meals Program
Winchester Hospital
Horizons for Homeless Children
Youth on Fire
Jimmy Fund Little League Baseball
Youville House Senior Assisted Living Center
Employee Volunteer Spirit In addition to the innumerable hours BB&N students spend volunteering, our employees also donate their time and energy to local non-profits. One of many examples is Keith Jones, BB&N’s Director of Dining Services. Jones has spent more than six years pitching in to help the Chelsea Community Kitchen. After two years volunteering as a visiting cook making breakfast and lunch for local people in need, he was elected Program Director and eventually Coordinating Director of the entire program. Through his work at the Chelsea Community Kitchen, Jones also became a volunteer for many years for Project Bread and the “Walk for Hunger.” “I felt it was a great way to get involved in the community,” says Jones about his volunteer services. “It also provided me a great deal of pride to know I was doing something to help people in need.”
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SUMMER PROGRAM Established in 1949, Summer @ BB&N continues a proud tradition of providing enjoyable and memorable summer learning experiences for boys and girls from Pre-K through grade 12. In a typical summer*: • 850 students from 65 Massachusetts towns, 12 U.S. states, and 16 countries enroll in
various program offerings. • 84 percent of all attendees are students
from other schools, and 16 percent are BB&N
students or applicants. • 53 campers receive aid totaling $31,000. • 135 employees (80% of whom are not BB&N
school employees) are hired with stipends totaling $420,205. • For the past 21 years, BB&N’s Summer Program
Summer @ BB&N Gives Back: BB&N’s summer program donates camp weeks to youth groups and local fundraisers each year.
and camp families have held a fundraising fair to support the Jimmy Fund. *data based on Summer 2013
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www.bbns.org/summer
VOICES FROM THE COMMUNITY Joyce Gerber and Rick Lamkin, Parents of BB&N Campers
“Our two children have both been BB&N campers for many years, each starting when they were just five. We have stayed because of the great opportunities and fun summer experience. We are Cambridge residents and love that our children are meeting other campers who may not be in our neighborhood or attend their school, but are part of the Cambridge community.”
VOICES FROM BB&N Colleen O’Connor, Director, Extended Year Programs
“Summer programming offers something for everyone and has the ability to attract families who may not be part of our community during the school year. This larger community promotes inclusivity and provides us with an alternate platform from which BB&N can motivate, inspire, and educate even more children.”
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School 80 Gerry’s Landing Road, Cambridge, MA 02138 80 Sparks Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 10 Buckingham Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 46 Belmont Street, Watertown, MA 02472
www.bbns.org