Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center

CONTACT:

885 Washington St.
Boston, MA 02111
617-635-5129
www.bcnc.net

Jim McDonnell, Director of Development

DESCRIPTION:

BCNC enhances the quality of life for Boston's Asian-Americans, and especially for residents of Chinatown, the South End, and South Cove. In the late 1960s, Boston was building public schools to accommodate the coming "baby-boom echo." Within each new school, the City planned space for a neighborhood community center. The Quincy School Community Council was founded in 1969 to influence the design of their new school and center, and in 1976 when the School was completed, QSCC was appointed to run the Center. In 1997 the agency began operating as the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center.

BCNC is open 6 days a week, serving over 4,000 children, teens and adults annually. Its child-care center, begun in 1972, was the first in the State to offer bilingual Chinese/English child care for toddlers and pre-schoolers whose parents rarely spoke English at home. It also trains Chinese-speaking women for certification as child-care providers in their homes. For schoolchildren ages 5-14, BCNC offers after-school and school-vacation programs, serving 135 children with a long waiting list and very low turnover — attesting to its success. For teenagers, BCNC offers peer leadership, academic, social and cultural activities at the Oak Street Youth Center. For people of all ages a recreation program overs a wide range of activities with facilities that include (full-size gym and pool, large exercise room, shower and locker rooms). For adults BCNC offers ESL instruction, citizenship education, computer literacy, and many other educational options.

This is a great and unique program, which broader support would significantly enhance for our whole community.

(1997: CULTURE: Education: Formal: School-Related)