Boston Partners in Education Recognizes Dedham Resident for Commitment to Serving Boston Public School Students

June 8, 2015 (Boston, MA) – Today, Boston Partners in Education honored Dedham resident John Montgomery with the Joyna Bozzotto Award for his dedication to the education of students in the Boston Public Schools.

Each year Boston Partners in Education hosts the AMP! Academic Mentoring Party, delivering awards in seven categories to honor the committed volunteer academic mentors, teachers, and corporate partners who serve Boston’s public school students. The Joyna Bozzotto Award is presented to a dedicated volunteer who has been with Boston Partners in Education for five years or more. The recipient embodies the spirit of volunteerism, giving effortlessly year after year. The award is given to a volunteer whose time has positively affected students within Boston Public Schools, but also whose own life has been positively influenced by their volunteer experience in the schools.

John Montgomery is a ten-year veteran academic mentor, serving in Power Lunch at the Blackstone School in the South End. He is also a Big Cheese Reader. A Boston area native, John lives in Dedham with his family and works at Westfield Capital Management as a Portfolio Strategist and Chief Operating Officer.

“Business is all about learning, listening, trying to understand, and learning as we go. Reading and getting enjoyment from the learning process is critical,” said Montgomery. “It’s fun to work with kids who are learning to read and get that buzz from the process.”

Since 1966, Boston Partners in Education has provided tens of thousands of children who are struggling in school with the tools necessary to become better learners, by mobilizing and training community members to serve as volunteer academic mentors to K-12 students across the BPS district. Teachers nominate individual students who could use additional academic or socio-emotional support, and Boston Partners in Education pairs a mentor to work independently each week with the student throughout the school year.

“We are so pleased to honor John for his continued dedication to our mission of ensuring students in every neighborhood of the city are receiving the academic and socio-emotional support they need to stay in school and graduate,” said Pamela Civins, Executive Director of Boston Partners in Education. “The personal rapport that he’s built with his students has made him an effective academic mentor. Without volunteers like John, a piece of our foundation would be missing.”

To learn more about how to get involved as an academic mentor, please visit www.bostonpartners.org or fill out a volunteer application.