Blackstone Valley Education Foundation

10/16/2026

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to celebrate someone who has been instrumental in shaping BVEF's story: founding board member Lee Gaudette.

For more than 25 years, Lee's vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment to education have helped build a foundation rooted in the belief that strong schools and strong communities go hand in hand.

As we reflect on how far BVEF has come, we are reminded that meaningful change begins with people who believe in what's possible and are willing to help make it happen.

Thank you, Lee, for your years of dedication, leadership, and belief in the potential of our students, educators, and communities. Your legacy continues through the opportunities we create and the futures we help shape.

We invite you to watch this special video celebrating Lee's contributions and BVEF's history.

09/28/2026

Registration is open for BVEF’s Employing the Future professional learning series for Massachusetts educators.

This three-part series is designed to help educators make career-connected learning practical within the classroom, beginning with identifying meaningful career connections, then intentionally developing durable skills, and finally using reflection to help students recognize their growth and connect learning to future possibilities.

Upcoming sessions:
November 17: ETF 1.0: Planning for Work-Based and Career-Connected Learning

January 19: ETF 2.0: Embedding Durable Skills in Project-Based, Career-Connected Learning

March 16: ETF 3.0: Reflection, Meaning-Making, and Learning Through Experience

Each session runs from 8:30 AM–2:30 PM at Milford Memorial Hall in Milford, MA.

Participants earn 6 PDPs per session, with 18 PDPs and a Career Connected Learning Designer digital badge available for educators who complete the full series.

Educators can participate in the full series or individual sessions.
Learn more and register at bveducationfoundation.org.

09/04/2026

Our 2025–26 Annual Report is now published.

This past year brought growth, meaningful partnerships, powerful learning experiences, and continued momentum across the region. The report brings that work together in one place, highlighting the students, educators, schools, and partners who helped make it possible.

Inside, you’ll find a closer look at the programs, stories, milestones, and impact that shaped our year and moved BVEF’s mission forward.

We’re proud of what we accomplished together and excited to keep building on that momentum in the year ahead.

Read the 2025–26 Annual Report: https://www.bveducationfoundation.org/reports

09/03/2026

Where can leadership take you?

For our BVYLA students, leadership is about more than holding a title. It’s about building confidence, learning how to work with others, discovering new strengths, and seeing what’s possible for the future.

Hear from a past BVYLA student about their leadership journey and what they took away from the experience.

BVYLA applications are now open! If you know a student who is ready to grow, connect, and challenge themselves in new ways, encourage them to apply.

Learn more and apply: https://www.bveducationfoundation.org/youthleadership

09/01/2026

We’re excited to share that Dr. Erin Conley will be presenting at Play with Purpose: Aligning Play-Based Learning with Vision/Portrait of a Graduate on September 24, 2026, at the Connecticut Association of Schools in Cheshire.

This professional learning workshop is designed for principals, district leaders, and instructional leaders who want to think more intentionally about where Portrait of a Graduate skills begin.

The session explores how purposeful, developmentally grounded play in the early years helps build the foundations for collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and self-regulation, and how those skills can be taught, observed, and documented through daily play and inquiry.

Participants will also examine Connecticut case studies, reflect on the documentary Based in Play, and explore strategies for aligning instruction, assessment, and shared language across disciplines.

Play is where the Portrait begins.

September 24, 2026
9:00 AM–12:00 PM
CAS, 30 Realty Drive, Cheshire

Registration information is available on the event flyer.

08/31/2026

07/29/2026

Ms. Bruns, who teaches English Language Arts at Grafton High School, is expanding her impact through an ExGen externship with the Worcester Business Journal. At the WBJ 40 Under 40 photo shoot, she is building new relationships and gaining firsthand insight into how journalists bring local business and community stories to life.

ExGen connects educators with industry professionals, equipping them to bring current workplace practices, career pathways, and real-world skills directly into their classrooms.

Ms. Bruns will use this experience to create meaningful journalism projects focused on local businesses and organizations. Students will conduct interviews, identify compelling stories, and move through the professional writing and editing process to produce polished articles for a real audience. When appropriate, they may also have opportunities to share their work through local publications and the Worcester Business Journal. These hands-on experiences allow students to strengthen their communication, collaboration, critical thinking, interviewing, and storytelling skills while building confidence in their ability to research, write, and present information in a professional context.

A recent FutureEd report reinforces the importance of beginning this work early and embedding it throughout the school day. When students understand how classroom learning connects to the world beyond school, they are more likely to find purpose in their learning, build confidence in their abilities, and make more informed choices about their futures.

https://www.future-ed.org/future-shock-the-crisis-in-career-navigation/

ExGen is designed to make this kind of career-connected learning possible across grade levels and subject areas, beginning in the earliest years of school and reaching every student through the classroom.

Interested in learning more about ExGen or exploring how your school or organization can get involved? Reach out to BVEF to start the conversation.

07/22/2026

Strong community partnerships create new opportunities for students, educators, and local employers. Collaboration strengthens our community and drives lasting progress.

Through his ExGen externship at Access TCA, Grafton High School Technology and Engineering teacher Mr. Cote is collaborating with industry professionals to expand his understanding of workplace practices and bring authentic learning experiences to his students. Dr. Karen Christensen of Sacred Heart University visited to see this partnership in action.

This partnership has created the opportunity for Grafton Public Schools students to design and build the custom crates Access TCA uses to ship its exhibits. By providing tools, materials, and compensation, Access TCA is removing barriers and investing directly in student growth.

Students will apply their woodworking, engineering, problem-solving, and collaboration skills to a project with real-world expectations and a genuine client. At the same time, Access TCA benefits from student support, freeing their team to focus on other priorities.

Next, ExGen will support Mr. Cote as he brings his industry experience into the classroom, guides students through the project, and reflects on the impact together.

This is what ExGen is all about: building educator capacity so career-connected learning becomes part of every school day. By bringing real-world workplace experiences into classrooms, we help students develop durable skills through authentic experiential learning.

07/09/2026

This summer’s first ExGen Teacher Externship is underway!

Mr. Salvador, a Computer Science and Robotics teacher at Milford, MA Public Schools is spending time with Omni Control Tech to gain firsthand insight into how advanced technology, robotics, and manufacturing systems come together in the workplace.

Through ExGen, educators step outside the classroom and into industry so they can bring real-world skills, current workplace practices, and career-connected learning back to their students. For Mr. Salvator, that means connecting what he sees in the field directly to the computer science and robotics courses he teaches at Milford High School (Massachusetts)

Thank you to Omni Control Tech for opening your doors and helping educators strengthen the bridge between classroom learning and tomorrow’s careers.

06/24/2026

Make math make sense beyond the classroom.

Math Momentum Studio is a free career-connected math experience for Milford and Northbridge incoming 9th–12th grade students.

Students will strengthen foundational math skills, build confidence, and work directly with local math professionals to see how math is used in real careers like engineering, finance, biotech, technology, and more.

Through hands-on projects, networking opportunities, and Friday “Math in Action” sessions, students will gain real-world experience using math in practical, future-focused ways.

July 6–August 14
Monday–Friday
Mathnasium Milford
Free for eligible students

Spots are limited. Scan the QR code to RSVP today.

Mathnasium Milford July 6- Aug. 14 Monday- Friday 138 South Main St Unit 14, Milford, MA Minimum 4 weeks to get completion certificate - flexible week options! Rising 9th-12 grade Cohort 1: 12:00-3:00 pm Cohort 2: 10:00-1:00pm Friday- Math in Action- Applied learning with local Math Professionals If...