Boston Bridges Initiative

05/14/2026

Celebrate with us on Saturday, May 16th for this year's Heritage Festival at Swampscott Town Hall!

Come listen to music and poetry, look at wonderful pieces of art, get your picture taken, experience many great flavors from around the world, and so much more!

We are so excited to be collaborating with Swampscott METCO and S.O.C.A. to bring another great event, and we hope to see you there!

05/12/2026

Boston Bridges Initiative's Downsize for Diversity Art Donors for May are Mieko Kamii & Don Hafner!

Mieko Kamii & Don Hafner of Belmont, MA, are longtime supporters of the arts around Massachusetts and beyond! The husband and wife duo both came from academic backgrounds and established the Donald Hafner and Mieko Kamii Scholarship in 2016 at Kalamazoo College, and have been supporters of the Boston Children's Museum, Vivo Celebrity Ceries, Belmont Library Fund, and have donated a wonderful collection of works to Boston Bridges Initiative's Downsize for Diversity!

05/05/2026

BBI is proud to support the Bridge Building track at Social Capital Inc.’s 2026 Youth Grant Pitch Event, held April 11th at Roxbury Community College. As part of this inspiring day of youth-led community-focused projects, BBI funding helped elevate efforts that bring people together across communities—including Camp Warm Welcome, Con Manos Unidas We Change, EVkids Youth Leaders, Mass. Youth Climate Coalition, and Soley, a project supporting immigrant families and strengthening community connections in Mattapan. We’re also glad to have supported team-building programming that helped prepare teams for this culminating event.

Thank you to SCI for their leadership and continued partnership, and to the many event sponsors who help make opportunities like this possible for young people across Greater Boston.

04/27/2026

Another great example of connection in action—this time in Walpole. Through a simple after-school bowling event, elementary students and families had the chance to reconnect, spark new friendships, and strengthen relationships that extend well beyond the classroom. We’re proud to support opportunities like this that reflect BBI’s commitment to building stronger, more connected communities.

04/07/2026

BBI is proud to support initiatives that bring communities together in meaningful ways. Last week's Reading METCO family roller-skating event created a joyful, welcoming space where over 100 students, siblings, and caregivers from Boston and Reading connected beyond the classroom. Through simple and fun shared experiences, families built new relationships, strengthened existing friendships, and deepened their sense of belonging. Great job, Reading!

04/03/2026

Boston Bridges Initiative's Downsize for Diversity Donor Artist of the Month for May is Margie Topf!

Margie J. Topf has an extensive history as a dancer, educator, choreographer and Bikram yoga teacher. In 1974 she founded the Topf Center for Dance Education in Boston, a performing modern dance company and dance school with additional dance programming in the Boston public schools. For a seven year period there was a satellite dance school at the Stone Church here in Lincoln. Margie’s programs in the Boston public schools were designed to foster in*******al understanding through dance, with a signature program for five Boston high schools called “New Friends through Dance.”

In 2001, Margie stepped down as Artistic Director to pursue a new career as a Bikram Yoga teacher and Reiki practitioner along with beginning to create an extensive drawing and painting collection. For a five year period, Margie studied closely with an expressive art teacher in Northampton, Lucy Mueller White, who encouraged Margie’s creative and unusual style of drawing using pastels. Margie's primarily abstract and vibrant drawings include her own distinctive style, titled “windows.” Margie is delighted to support Boston Bridges Initiative and METCO while sharing her work with the community.

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03/24/2026

Another great BBI event coming up this Spring! Check it out!

03/18/2026

BBI Grants at Work! 🍀

🏀 Sharon Middle High School Students Attend Celtics Game

Thanks to a grant from the Boston Bridges Initiative, students from Sharon Middle High School recently had the opportunity to attend a Boston Celtics game at TD Garden and visit the Sports Museum.

A total of 36 students participated, including students from Sharon and students in the METCO program who live in Boston and attend school in Sharon. The experience was designed to build community, strengthen relationships, and highlight lessons in teamwork and inclusion.

The grant was secured by Carla Hands, METCO Director for Sharon Public Schools, whose vision was to create an opportunity for students to connect outside of the classroom while exploring leadership, collaboration, and shared experiences through sports.

Students were joined by four chaperones, including the superintendent, and enjoyed a memorable day together in Boston.

👏🏽 Experiences like these continue to highlight the power of the METCO community and cross-district collaboration.

02/11/2026

01/29/2026

We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a $10,000 grant from Boston Bridges Initiative for the second year! This funding supports the 2026 SCI Youth Grant Pitch Contest!🎉

Boston Bridges Initiative (BBI) facilitates cultural exchange and promotes meaningful social interaction between city and suburban families and within racially diverse communities across Greater Boston. BBI’s goal is to leverage our region’s diversity and talent to make Boston a richer, more integrated, and more vibrant community. Thanks to BBI for supporting SCI’s work!

01/27/2026