A LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO MASSACHUSETTS

Education

Ensuring High Quality Education for All

Education has always been a top priority for Senator Kennedy. His commitment to ensuring that more high quality learning opportunities are available to people of all ages – especially the neediest and most disadvantaged – has been a major legislative priority throughout his career in the United States Senate. Working with Senators from across the aisle and Administration officials throughout the years, Chairman Kennedy has been largely responsible for shaping the education policy of the United States. From pre-kindergarten children to graduate level scholars, Senator Kennedy’s policy initiatives have impact on students of all ages.

"Every major education law passed since the 1960s has borne Kennedy's imprint, from Head Start to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. He has proven himself, time and again, to be a fighter for children and educators,” said Reg Weaver, the immediate past President of the National Education Association.

“For an astonishing 44 years in the U.S. Senate Kennedy has managed to balance his role on the national stage and his passion for grappling with such critical issues as health care and education with his deep and abiding devotion to his home state.” -Boston Herald editorial (Boston Herald, Let’s give Kennedy six more years. Editorial, 10/27/06)

Early Childhood Education

Beginning with his support of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which was the centerpiece of the War on Poverty and created Head Start, Senator Kennedy has been the voice for early childhood education. Head Start provides comprehensive childhood development and social services to low-income three- and four-year-old children to prepare them for school.

Twenty-five million children and families have participated in Head Start programs over the past 45 years, including Congresswomen Loretta Sanchez, Maxine Waters, Congressman Heath Schuler and athletes Shaquille O' Neal and Deion Sanders. Head Start now serves nearly a million children nationally and more than 13,000 children in Massachusetts annually with over 100 million dollars in federal funding.

It has gained widespread support from the American people, and there is clear evidence that it helps children develop their social skills, improves their writing and vocabulary, and prepares children to begin kindergarten ready to learn.

“Senator Kennedy not only loved children, but was, for decades, the national champion for early childhood education. Thanks to his vision, advocacy and persistence (as recently as this week) programs like Head Start and Even Start have changed millions of lives for the better.” - Paul Reville, Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Early Head Start, created by Senator Kennedy in 1994, serves infants and toddlers in poverty. It has been recognized as one of the most effective programs of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Early Head Start expands the benefits of early childhood development to low-income families with children under age 3 and to pregnant women. Services are extended to eligible women during and after pregnancy and include parent training skills in child development, home based services, and screening and referral services for children with documented behavioral problems. Early Head Start has served nearly 700,000 families.

“Every education bill, every labor bill that has been taken up by the US Senate—Ted Kennedy has spent hours on the floor of the US Senate passionately and articulately promoting the right cause of action whether or not his position was popular at the time or shared by the majority of his colleagues. There has been no more faithful champion of the poor, of working families, of all those who depend on essential government services and the positive roll that the government can and should play, than Senator Edward Kennedy.” - Ed McElroy, American Federation of Teachers Convention, Boston July 21, 2006.

Elementary and Secondary Education

“My friend Senator Ted Kennedy is a lionhearted champion for our nation's schoolchildren. His decades of public service have inspired generations of Americans, including me. And his strong, outspoken leadership has helped to improve the quality of life for all of us,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, a Republican.

The landmark enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 established the federal government’s commitment to public schools. Senator Kennedy has been a leader ever since then in reauthorizing the Act and developing legislation that benefits schools and students across the country.

Understanding the importance of focusing on math and science decades ago, Senator Kennedy sponsored the bipartisan Star Schools Program Assistance Act in 1987, which was included in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, to develop statewide and multi-state telecommunications partnerships. The legislation was signed into law by President Reagan on April 28, 1988. These partnerships helped to increase access to courses in math, science and foreign languages, and to create teacher networks that encourage the sharing of effective teaching strategies. Senator Kennedy understood long ago the role the United States must play in the global economy and that math and science are key to success.

The Goals 2000 Education America Act, signed into law by President Clinton on March 31, 1994, promoted voluntary content standards and occupational standards to help students and workers become highly skilled and trained. The Act also reauthorized the Eisenhower Professional Development Program, which expanded and improved training and professional opportunities for teachers.

In 2001, working closely with President George Bush, Senator Kennedy led the reauthorization by Congress of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which included a major bipartisan rewrite of virtually all federal elementary and secondary education laws to raise academic standards, hold schools accountable for results, and enable all children to have a better opportunity to succeed in school.

Senator Kennedy’s leadership on the bipartisan reauthorization, signed into law as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in January 2002, demonstrates that he has been one of the Senate’s strongest advocates for a high quality education for all.

NCLB has made major strides forward to help close the achievement gap in public schools and to improve the quality of education for all of the nation’s students. Since enactment, the percentages of students scoring proficient on state reading and math tests have gone up in most states. In many ways, NCLB built upon the strong reforms already underway in Massachusetts. Since its passage, the number of Massachusetts students reaching proficiency in math and reading has increased for elementary, middle and high school students. Importantly, the achievement gap between African American and white students has narrowed in both reading and math for elementary and high school students. Further, 94% of Massachusetts school teachers meet are now highly qualified as defined by NCLB.

NCLB emphasizes parental involvement as one of the key factors for student success. It empowers parents who have never spoken up before to share their stories and ideas to improve their children's schools. Loretta Borilla, parent, Washington Unified School District in California says, "I was chair of the site council this year. I refused to sign the site plan...I knew (that) NCLB...was the only tool I could use to hold the school and district to make changes. After fighting all I could to get changes made for parent involvement in the budget, I had to use that tool."

During the 110th Congress, Senator Kennedy worked to shape a blueprint for re-designing the law to maintain better focus on accountability and closing the achievement gap, and to provide better solutions to help schools educate all students to their full potential. In the 111th Congress, Senator Kennedy continued to work to ensure that the Act provides effective solutions and support for schools and students overhaul the law’s one-size-fits-all accountability structures, strengthens teacher quality, and makes academic standards across the nation globally competitive.

He has also focused on bringing more innovative and effective reforms to the neediest schools, such as expanding learning time to allow for longer school days and encouraging schools to involve parents more effectively in their children’s education. Senator Kennedy has worked to advance legislation to reform and strengthen middle and high schools to turn around or shut down the dropout factories that produce more than half of the nation's dropouts.

“I always knew our Senator, Senator Edward Kennedy, was a force to be reckoned with, a fighter for students, a fighter for fairness," however, it was in high school, when I first attended a Kennedy event, that I realized the magic of this friend of students. He spoke to young people's issues! He treated us as true constituents! He truly cared about creating quality public education. From Pre-K to Post-Doc, Senator Kennedy has fought for forty years to increase access to education!" - United States Student Association National Vice President Rebecca Wasserman (March 11, 2003)

Higher Education and Job Training

“Without Senator Kennedy’s lifetime of work, I wonder if those two would be able to be in school at all. I despair for my students as I pray for Senator Kennedy’s health. No one in the U.S. Senate comes close to Kennedy’s compassion for students who are poor, never mind his legislative skills.” -Wick Sloane (Inside Higher Ed, A Champion for Those Who Need Help Most. Wick Sloane, 12/02/08)

Senator Kennedy has been a driving force throughout his years in the Senate to see that every student who desires to enroll in college can afford to do so. Since the original Higher Education Act of 1965, Senator Kennedy has worked to open the doors of opportunity for all Americans.

In the first reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 1968, Senator Kennedy supported the creation of the Student Support Services program. This program, along with Upward Bound and Talent Search, which were created in the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and the Higher Education Act of 1965, respectively, provided tutoring, mentoring and other assistance, to low-income, first generation college students to increase their retention and graduation rates. These three programs are currently known as the TRIO programs. Notable TRIO participants include TV personality Oprah Winfrey, actress Angela Bassett and Franklin Chang-Diaz, the first Hispanic astronaut.

Senator Kennedy has consistently fought for increased funding for higher education programs that help provide a pathway to college. Time and again, when critical programs such as SEOG, LEAP, Perkins Loans cancellations, and Career and Technical Education, were on the chopping block Senator Kennedy stepped up to save these programs. He also saved student support programs like GEAR UP, TRIO, which are currently operating in 73 middle and high schools, colleges and other nonprofits in MA. Senator Kennedy has been a champion of these programs and ensuring they receive funding each year. Nearly 26,000 students in MA receive these services each year.

The Vocational Education Amendments of 1968 modified the existing vocational education programs and established a National Advisory Council on Vocational Education. In 1984, the Vocational Education Act was renamed the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act and established programs emphasizing the acquisition of job skills through both vocational and technical education. Amendments in 1990 established the tech-prep program to coordinate secondary and postsecondary vocational education activities. The bill was reauthorized in 1998.

Working with Senator Claiborne Pell during the 1972 reauthorization, Senator Kennedy supported the creation of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant. This program, which later became known as the Pell Grant in 1980, drastically increased the availability of grant aid to disadvantaged students. Senator Kennedy was also a key supporter of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which protected women from discrimination in educational institutions and increased athletic opportunities for women in colleges and universities. President Richard Nixon signed this bill into law on June 23, 1972.

Senator Kennedy was also a key player in the Congressional effort in 1993 to establish the Direct Lending program in which low-cost loans are provided directly by the U.S. Department of Education to have help students afford to attend college. To date more than 12 million students have benefited from direct federal loans to pay for college. The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act last year created the Income Contingent Repayment program in which loan payments are not allowed to exceed ability to pay. More than 1.3 million borrowers have used this program to make their student loans more manageable.

The following year, Senator Kennedy played a central role in passing the School-to-Work Opportunities Act, which sought to create partnerships of employers, educators and others to build a high quality School-to-Work system that prepares students for careers in high-skill, high-wage jobs. Millions of students have participated in these partnerships, which have proved essential to providing a variety of work and school opportunities, up-to-date resources, and hands-on experiences for students to enter the workforce.

The Academic Research Facilities Modernization Act of 1998, passed as an amendment to the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988, established programs to modernize academic research facilities and improve undergraduate science and engineering education.

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 created new training provisions that now guide most federal training investments. Senator Kennedy continues to work to modernize it to improve job training opportunities and employment services for the nation’s workforce. In 2008, it helped over 3.4 million workers obtain the skills to find new or better jobs. Over 80 percent of the participants who received training under the Act found employment.

Industries continue to locate in Massachusetts because of the skills and education of our workforce. However, Senator Kennedy has been a leader in ensuring that Massachusetts workers have the skill and training they need in tough economic times to help Massachusetts grow and prosper. With the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act in 1998 Senator Kennedy helped to ensure that career service centers and training facilities were available to those in need through out the commonwealth.

As Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Kennedy in 2007 passed the College Cost Reduction Act. The bill authorized a $23 billion increase in student aid, the largest increase in college student aid since the GI Bill. It increased the Pell grant by $490 for the 2007-2008 school year and by $1,090 in 2012. It will cut interest rates on undergraduate subsidized student loans in half by 2011. It makes debt more manageable for student borrowers by capping monthly loan payments at 15 percent of discretionary income and providing loan forgiveness for students who enter public service.

Building upon that Act, Senator Kennedy worked with Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming to pass the Higher Education Opportunity Act in 2008, which reauthorized the Higher Education Act for the first time in a decade. The Act took significant steps to make college more accessible and affordable for more students by: simplifying the application process for financial aid; preventing unethical practices in the student loan marketplace to give students better terms on their loans; providing students and families with better information on college costs; and expanding aid for the neediest students, members of the military, and students with disabilities.

In May 2008, Senator Kennedy also passed a bipartisan bill to continue access to federal student loans regardless of turbulence in the private credit market. The Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act reduces students’ and parents’ reliance on higher-cost non-federal student loans by increasing the amount of low-cost federal loans available to students and providing parents with improved access to low-cost federal loans (PLUS loans). It also increases need-based grant aid for the neediest students. In addition, the legislation stabilizes the private student loan program (Federal Family Education Loan program) by allowing the Department of Education to serve as the secondary market of last resort for loans originating in the program. It also gives students greater access to low-cost federal loans by shoring up the “lender of last resort” program.

Additionally, Senator Kennedy fought private lenders to end waste and fraud in the student loan industry. By investigating and bringing to light the fraud and abuse, Senator Kennedy helped to crack down on wasteful spending and to ensure that student borrowers were not paying staggering premiums on top of their financial aid.

In September 2008, with the financial markets continuing to struggle, Senator Kennedy acted to protect students’ and families’ ability to obtain student loans for the 2009-2010 school year. He passed legislation extending for an additional year the Department of Education’s authority to stabilize the federal student loan program program by acting as a secondary market of last resort, so that students and families will be able to obtain the loans they need for college, despite the credit crisis.

Federal and private investment in research has made Massachusetts high tech and biotech companies leaders nationwide, and Massachusetts Colleges and universities have been a vital piece on that success. Over the last year alone, Senator Kennedy has help to support over 350 Massachusetts research institutions.

“No United States senator has committed more of his time and his wisdom to the advancement of American higher education. Thanks to him, students across the spectrum have the opportunity to pursue their ambitions,” said Drew Faust, President of Harvard on December 1, 2008.

Advocating National and Community Service

Senator Kennedy believes in the value and importance of public service. He believes that national and community service is one of the best investments America can make in future generations – both in terms of those who participate in service and those who are served. Senator Kennedy is proud that Massachusetts has led the nation in developing quality service programs such as City Year and YouthBuild. The state has also worked, through Campus Compact, to make service-learning and outreach a priority.

Senator Kennedy sponsored the National and Community Service Act of 1990, which established the Commission on National and Community Service and provided federal seed money for service programs. The Act established a service learning program that was the precursor to Learn and Serve America. The program provides funds for students across America to engage in service-learning projects and teach them the value of serving others to start them on a path of lifetime civic engagement. Since 1992, over 17 million students have participated in Learn and Serve America. This year in Massachusetts, 19,400 students are participating in K-12 and higher education based Learn and Serve America programs.

Senator Kennedy sponsored the National and Community Service Trust Act, which was signed into law by President Clinton in 1993, creating AmeriCorps and the Corporation for National and Community Service to expand opportunities for citizens to serve their communities. VISTA and the National Civilian Community Corps became part of AmeriCorps, and the Foster Grandparent Program, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, and the Senior Companion Program were combined to create the Senior Corps program.

The bill also created education grants for students who volunteer for service after college. The grants offer an opportunity for students to repay student loans, and encourage more individuals to participate in service to their community. This year in Massachusetts, AmeriCorps members will earn up to a total of $7.4 million in education awards by serving at 140 program sites throughout the state.

As Senator Kennedy stated, “The lesson of service to others learned in youth will last a lifetime, and produce a better, fairer, and stronger America in the years ahead. In his inaugural address thirty-two years ago, President Kennedy emphasized this quality, and touched a deeply responsive chord when he called upon Americans of all ages to ask what they could do for their country. The best of the old frontier became the defining quality of the New Frontier. Citizens responded by the millions, and the spirit of America soared again, as it had so often in the past. We need to rekindle that attitude again for our own day and generation…We do not have to compel citizens to serve their country. All we have to do is ask – and provide the opportunity.”

In 2008, Senator Kennedy and Senator Hatch introduced the Serve America Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in the spring of 2009, to expand and improve national service opportunities for Americans at all stages of life. The Serve America Act uses service to meet specific national challenges – from tackling the dropout crisis and strengthening our schools, improving energy efficiency and safeguarding the environment, to improving health care in low-income communities and expanding economic opportunities for low-income individuals. The legislation involves Americans of all ages in meeting these challenges by asking 250,000 Americans to give a year of service, giving young people more opportunities to serve early in life, and expanding stipends and fellowships for retirees who volunteer. The bill also encourages innovation in the nonprofit sector by supporting social entrepreneurs as they develop their organizations. Last year, nearly 2,200 AmeriCorps members served in Massachusetts, in schools, communities, and health centers. The Serve America Act triples this number. It also supports the work of the Massachusetts Service Alliance, which has been an effective leader in coordinating service opportunities across the state.

“The passage of the Serve America Act is a significant milestone for our country. By increasing opportunities nationwide for Americans to serve and, thus, enabling private citizens to do more for their communities, personal and community responsibility will take the place of direct government aid,” said Senator Hatch. “Volunteer service is a keystone to our country’s traditions, and it is becoming increasingly important in these troubled economic times that we help our neighbors. I am honored to be a part of the bipartisan group of Senators who joined together to support this important legislation.”

Senator Kennedy, along with his niece Caroline Kennedy, helped support “Service Nation,” a nationwide network to promote public service in communities across the country. Wrote Dorothy Samuels of the New York Times, “This is a chance to constructively harness the idealism of thousands of Americans eager to contribute time and energy to solving the nation's problems -- a chance not to be missed.

Hiring and Training New Teachers

In 1965, Senator Kennedy and Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin won passage of a bill establishing the National Teacher Corps, which award education scholarships to students willing to supplement their normal course of study with education courses. Participants agreed that, after graduating, they would teach for at least two years in economically distressed rural and urban areas.

Throughout his decades on the HELP Committee, Senator Kennedy has fought repeatedly to get high-quality, professional, experienced teachers in the classroom—and to keep them there by providing much needed support. In a December 1997 speech at the National Press Club, Senator Kennedy called on Congress to “bring one hundred thousand new, well-trained teachers into our public schools each year for the next ten years.” Soon after, Kennedy was able to obtain $1.2 billion for hiring teachers to reduce class size in the early grades, and target the funds to needy school districts.

As part of the 1998 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Senator Kennedy worked to include a new program to support high-quality training for teachers in colleges of education. As part of the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Senator Kennedy also worked to provide greater support for high-quality professional development for teachers in schools, so that more teachers will be able to participate in high-quality professional development training programs.

In 2004, Senator Kennedy blew the whistle on a student loan scandal in which lenders exploited a loophole in the law to charge 9.5% interest on student loans when the overall market was much lower. These lenders abused this loophole to guarantee themselves big profits at taxpayer expense. Working with Senator Judd Gregg from New Hampshire, Senator Kennedy supported the Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act of 2004, which put $250 million of the savings from reducing these subsidies into increased loan forgiveness for college students and new teachers. The legislation provided $17,500 in loan forgiveness to eligible highly qualified math, science and special education teachers. This dramatic increase of $12,500 above the previous loan limits helped ease the shortage of teachers in key subject areas.

Supporting Safe and Productive After School Programs

Before the 2002 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, federal support for after-school programs was narrowly limited. Working with his colleague and friend Senator Dodd, Senator Kennedy expanded the program to provide these opportunities in every state in America. The 2002 Act supported awarding many more school districts grants for students to have safe and productive out-of-school time experiences through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program. In 2008 alone, 39 grantees in Massachusetts received $18.2 million through this program and served over 18,000 students in 177 afterschool centers throughout the state.

Improving Education for Immigrant Students and Children of Migrant Workers

Senator Kennedy has consistently supported aid for immigrant and limited-English-proficient students in elementary and secondary education.

In 1966, the Migrant Education Program was created to address the challenges associated with disrupted and interrupted education of the children of migratory farm-workers. Senator Kennedy has supported the program to improve education of migrant students, including instruction, health services, counseling and screening, career education, preschool services, and transportation. The Massachusetts Migrant Education program is state-administered, federally funded program that serves children of current or formerly migratory agricultural workers and fisherman. The program includes an intensive Summer Project and a Family Support Project that provides migrant families with early childhood education services, parent/family literacy services, and community support.

Senator Kennedy supported the 1968 Bilingual Education Act to provide limited-English-proficient students with an equal opportunity to succeed in school and reach high academic standards. Senator Kennedy also sponsored the Emergency Immigration Education Act of 1984, to provide assistance to immigrant students in the nation’s schools.

Giving Native Americans a Greater Voice in Their Education

In 1971, as Chairman of the Special Subcommittee on Indian Education, Senator Kennedy introduced legislation to provide support for Native Americans by requiring school districts seeking federal funds under the bill must work with Native Americans to design new programs. The bill authorized $390 million over three years. Senator Kennedy said that with the passage of the bill, the Senate can be proud of this step to give Native Americans a greater voice in the education of their children. In 1969, Senator Kennedy held a field hearing in Fairbanks, Alaska to hear firsthand how this issue would affect the Native American population.

Retaining America’s Leadership in the Global Economy

Senator Kennedy has always been committed to ensuring that America remains first in the world in innovation and technology by educating the next generation of global math and science leaders. In 2006, he introduced the New National Defense Education Act. In 2007, Senator Kennedy and Senator Enzi joined with the Chairmen and Ranking Members of three other Senate Committees to pass the America COMPETES Act. This bipartisan legislation met the challenge laid out in major reports by national business and science leaders to help the nation remain competitive in the 21st century global economy response. The legislation focuses on increasing research investment; strengthening educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics from elementary through graduate school; and developing an innovation infrastructure designed by the President's Council on Innovation and Competitiveness.

As Senator Kennedy had done twenty years earlier, America COMPETES works to ensure America’s place in the global economy. High technology is not only an effective tool for educating our students, but it is essential in preparing them for the high technology-dominated workplace of tomorrow. This is something that Senator Kennedy has always understood. He led the charge in the mid-1990s to ensure that every classroom in the Commonwealth was connected to the internet—an initiative that has changed they way our children learn and, the way teachers teach.

Federal Money Brought Back to Massachusetts

Boston Museum of Science - Senator Kennedy helped secure more than $5 million to make the Boston Museum of Science’s $200+ million National Center for Technology Literacy expansion a reality. This project aims to create the country’s preeminent math, science, engineering, and technology center and inspire K-12 students to pursue studies in the 21^st Century’s high demand academic disciplines. The National Center will develop math, science, and engineering teaching tools for teachers, host teacher-training consortia and feature state-of-the-art exhibits and web applications.

Irish Institute at Boston College - The Irish Institute at Boston College was formed in 1997 to contribute to the development of a lasting peace in Ireland through the administration of professional exchange programs. To date, over 600 professionals from all levels of government and the private sector have participated in its forums. Senator Kennedy supported the Irish Institute by securing more than $6 million for its programs

Medical Free Electron Laser Program - Senator Kennedy has been a leader in fighting to secure funds for the Medical Free Electron Laser (MFEL) program. Senator Kennedy worked with his colleagues to secure over $55 million for this program. The research is done in four states: Massachusetts, California, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Research currently supported by the MFEL program includes the development of technology for combat casualty care in the critical first hour, providing treatments for particularly challenging infections from Iraq and other battlefields, and extending the capability of military physicians for limb salvage and reconstructive surgery.

UMASS Dartmouth - Senator Kennedy has been a strong advocate for the cutting-edge textile research performed at UMASS-Dartmouth through its role as one of eight regional National Textile Centers.

Curry College - To help Curry College improve its information technology and outfit classrooms for multi-media instruction, Senator Kennedy obtained $175,000 in federal funding. Curry College, located in Milton, has a combined enrollment of more than 3,600, with 1,900 traditional students, 1,500 continuing education students, and 250 graduate students from over 40 states and 23 countries.

Cape Cod Community College - Senator Kennedy helped secure more than $1 million in a TRIO Student Support Services grant for Cape Cod Community College. This grant provides critical resources to the college that translate into tutoring, counseling and support for first-generation students enrolled at the College. These services help students stay in school and make smart choices about courses, financial aid and time management.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute—Senator Kennedy has long been a supporter of WPI, which is at the center of a growing bio-technology center in central Massachusetts. In recent years, Senator Kennedy has secured nearly $10 million for WPI’s Center for Untethered Health Care which is working with the military to develop bio-monitoring systems for troops in the field to aid with triage. In previous conflicts, far too many medics were killed trying to rescue their comrades after they were beyond help. Triage at a distance would improve military medicine in the field. Senator Kennedy also helped secure over $1 million for WPI’s Neuroprosthetics and BioMEMS development product to improve prostheses for our soldiers and Marines who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan with amputated limbs.

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy Downtown Campus and Telehealth Programs – Senator Kennedy helped secure more than $1.5 million to support the construction of new residential facilities for Massachusetts College of Pharmacy students in downtown Worcester and to help further the development of Mass College of Pharmacy’s telehealth programs. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy hopes to transform an underutilized building in downtown Worcester to provide dormitory space for the students of its Worcester campus in order to bring vitality to downtown and help create a “24/7” environment.

New Academic Facility for the Heller School of Social Policy and Management – Senator Kennedy worked with Brandeis to construct a new facility for the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, securing more than $1.9 million in federal funding support. Founded in 1959, the Heller School is committed to developing innovative approaches to social policy and health care policy and examining ways to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable individuals and groups in our society.

Horizons for Homeless Children’s Playspaces Program – Senator Kennedy worked with Horizons for Homeless Children to secure over $500,000 in funding for the expansion of the Playspaces Program, an initiative designed to develop and equip indoor recreation areas to provide children living in temporary shelters with safe, caring places to play and interact with other youth. Senator Kennedy was proud to participate in the groundbreaking of a new Horizons for Homeless facility to ensure that more educational opportunities are available to our neediest children.

Jewish Vocational Services’ Center for Careers and Lifelong Learning Worker Skills-Training Programs – Senator Kennedy secured $400,000 to support the JVS CALL Center, which provides workers with the skills they need to find new career opportunities in the metropolitan Boston area. JVS of Greater Boston has partnered with employers and workers for more than 60 years to develop innovative workforce development solutions to train workers and match them with employment opportunities.

New Bedford Whiling Museum - Senator Kennedy created the ECHO program, an educational initiative designed to use links between historical whaling communities in New Bedford, Alaska, and Hawaii to teach children about the importance of history and to spark life-long interests in learning. To date, this program has helped fund more than $7.2 million of New Bedford Whaling Museum educational programs

Plimoth Plantation - Senator Kennedy supported the development of Plimoth Plantation’s online educational programs by including more than $800,000 in funding in the federal budget for Plimoth Plantation. The online education center enables school children to investigate the Pilgrims’ arrival at Plymouth Rock and the first Thanksgiving, and to learn about the historical relationship with the native Wampanoag people.

Hyannis Youth and Community Center - Senator Kennedy secured $1 million for the development of youth educational programs at the new Hyannis Youth and Community Center, which is being built to replace the existing Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Memorial Rink. The new Hyannis Youth and Community Center has received $9 million from the Town of Barnstable and secured a total of more than $15 million in total fundraising contributions. The Youth and Community Center was completed in 2006.

Molly Bish Center for the Protection of Children and the Elderly at Anna Maria College – Senator Kennedy secured $100,000 in federal support for the development of the Molly Bish Center for the Protection of Children and the Elderly at Anna Maria College. The Bish Center aims to develop training programs and educational materials to enable families, law enforcement personnel, and communities to protect the vulnerable from exploitation and abduction.

Fitchburg State Upward Bound Education Program – Senator Kennedy helped secure $335,000 to support Fitchburg State’s Upward Bound program. The Upward Bound Program is designed to help low-income high school students, whose parents haven’t graduated from college gain the skills, tutoring, application support and financial aid they need to get into college and succeed in a higher education setting.

UMASS Lowell – Senator Kennedy helped secure $2 million for development of nano-scale multifunctional sensors. These sensors will help the military detect chemical and biological threats, to protect our soldiers in the field. UMASS Lowell is a center for nano-manufacturing, which will help keep Massachusetts at the forefront of this field.

Transformation of the In Town Mall Site Into New Health Profession Training Center for Northern Essex Community College – Senator Kennedy worked with the City of Lawrence and Northern Essex Community College to secure $510,000 to help conduct environmental remediation at downtown Lawrence’s In Town Mall facility in order to create a new professional training facility for NECC students. The new facility – called the Allied Health and Technology Center – will help bring students downtown and prepare them for careers in the growing health care sector of our regional economy while helping to attract additional investment to Lawrence.

Northern Essex Community College Technology Center – Senator Kennedy supported the development of Northern Essex Community College’s Lawrence campus technology center by securing more than $800,000 for the acquisition of information technology systems.

New Headquarters for Girls Incorporated of Lynn – Senator Kennedy supported the construction of a facility for Girls Incorporated of Lynn within the historic Old Lynn Public High School building by obtaining $200,000 in federal funding support. This project will enable Girls Incorporated to offer more educational and recreational programs for area girls and result in the refurbishment of a prominent local landmark.

North Shore Community College High Tech grants - To help North Shore Community College acquire state-of-the-art information technology and computer systems to enable students to acquire the skills needed to secure the high-tech jobs of the future, Senator Kennedy obtained $550,000 in federal funding last year. In addition, Senator Kennedy worked with North Shore Community College in the past several years to secure hundreds of thousands in grants to promote workforce development and open the door to higher education for disadvantaged students.

Middlesex Community College and NEMLEC Law Enforcement Collaborative – To support the Regional Technology Training and Law Enforcement Collaborative, a joint effort of Middlesex Community College and the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, Senator Kennedy obtained $500,000. This funding will be used to help create a law enforcement training program to ensure that dedicated public safety professionals have access to the most cutting-edge law enforcement technologies.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Grant to Expand Educational Opportunity – Senator Kennedy supported a $1.8 million, five-year Department of Education grant to assist Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in its efforts to make college education more accessible and affordable for low-income students, to expand academic offerings, and to bolster student enrollment. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, one of nine state colleges, currently offers 13 degree programs, 24 concentrations, and 25 different minors.

New Route 20 Access Road for Westfield State College to Reduce Congestion on Western Avenue – Senator Kennedy worked with Westfield State College to obtain $2 million needed to create a direct access road between Westfield State and Route 20 to reduce the worsening traffic congestion on Western Avenue which runs through the heart of Westfield. WSC has grown to an enrollment of over 5,000 and student automobiles have put strains on the local roadways.

Western New England College Technology Enhancements – To support Western New England College’s efforts to acquire state-of-the-art educational technology, IT systems, and computer systems and to enhance its academic competitiveness, Senator Kennedy helped secure $200,000 in federal funding. Western New England College currently has an enrollment of 4,000 students, 2,400 who are full-time undergraduates.

Police Science Laboratory Development – Senator Kennedy helped Holyoke Community College obtain $500,000 for the development of a police science teaching laboratory to support the development of a new forensic science curriculum featuring DNA fingerprinting and other biotechnology applications. This funding will help HCC acquire the research equipment needed to enhance its criminal justice and science course offerings.