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PRESORTED TION STANDARD MassINC U.S. POSTAGE BAY STATE NATION: THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE FOR A NEW COMMONWEALTH PAID HOLLISTON, MA Publisher of CommonWealth magazine PERMIT NO. 72 A CHARACTER STUDY 18 Tremont Street, Suite 1120, Boston, MA 02108 KRISS VS. KELLEY Address Service Requested ON PUBLIC UNIONS SUMMER 2004 $5.00 SUMMER 2004 PLUS—JFKPLUS—JFK NAMENAME GAMES GAMES Visit MassINC on the World Wide Web at www.massinc.org AA ChanceChance toto AAchievechieve Their Dreams This year, more than 720 non-traditional adult learners who face barriers to academic success will have an opportunity to earn a college degree. Through the New England ABE-to-College Transition Project, GED graduates and adult diploma recipi- ents can enroll at one of 25 participating adult learning centers located across New England to take free college preparation courses and receive educational and career planning counseling.They leave the pro- gram with improved academic and study skills, such as writing basic research papers and taking effective notes. Best of all, they can register at one of 30 colleges and universities that partner with the program. Each year, the Project exceeds its goals: 60 percent complete the program; and 75 percent of these graduates go on to college. By linking Adult Basic Education to post-secondary education,the New England ABE-to-College Transition Project gives non-traditional adult learners a chance to enrich their own and their families’ lives. To learn more, contact Jessica Spohn, Project Director, New England Literacy Resource Center, at (617) 482-9485, ext. 513, or through e-mail at [email protected]. (The Project is funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation through the LiFELiNE initiative.) 1250 Hancock Street, Suite 205N • Quincy, MA 02169-4331 Tel. 781-348-4200 • Fax 781-348-4299 It’s easy to put a smile on a member’s face when there’s already one on your own. Everyday, our employees make us one of the “Best Places to Work” in Boston. And we’d like to thank each and every one of them for their hard work, dedication and passion for putting our members first. ®Registered Marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. An Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. SUMMER 2004 CommonWealth 1 CommonWealth MassINC editor chairmen of the board Robert Keough Gloria Cordes Larson associate editors Peter Meade Michael Jonas, Robert David Sullivan board of directors art director Joseph D. 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To subscribe, or for more Ben Geffen information, call 781.899.9304 The mission of MassINC is to develop a controller/it director public agenda for Massachusetts that David Martin promotes the growth and vitality of the mid- center for education research & policy dle class. We envision a growing, dynamic The State House, Room 458 S. Paul Reville, Director middle class as the cornerstone of a new Jennifer Candon, Assistant Director Boston, MA 02133 commonwealth in which every citizen can Celine Toomey Coggins, Research Director live the American Dream. Our governing PHONE: 617.722.2439 philosophy is rooted in the ideals embodied MassINC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable www.statehousenews.com by the American Dream: equality of organization. MassINC’s work is published opportunity, personal responsibility, for educational purposes and should not be and a strong commonwealth. MassINC is a construed as an attempt to influence any nonpartisan, evidence-based organization. election or legislative action. 2 CommonWealth SUMMER 2004 PHOTO CREDIT We started the first public school, the first public library, oh, and that whole democracy thing. To learn more about the city whose people are making their mark on the world, visit