Welcome to the BLSAAs an organization of alumni, families, faculty, and friends of BLS, we unite to support our beloved school and one another. BLSA Mission StatementThe Boston Latin School Association is dedicated to ensuring the excellence of Boston Latin School by:
BLSA Core BeliefsWe believe in supporting Boston Latin School in its constant and always evolving quest for excellence in serving as a beacon of opportunity for individual advancement. Toward that end, we further affirm our belief in:
Giving to BLS and BLSAFinancial contributions are critical to be able to supply much needed resources to BLS and allow us to offer a wide array of programs and services to alumni. The generosity of BLS alumni, parents, and friends makes all the difference each year, providing invaluable support for the school’s most important priorities as well as activities that reaffirm the lifelong connection to BLS. Secure online giving is just a click away.Events – The Association sponsors a variety of gatherings throughout the year. These range from casual get-togethers to more formal events. Whether it's Reunion Weekend or the Celebration of Latin School in the fall, there are many places to reconnect with familiar faces or make new friends along the way. Saturday Success School – For more than 15 years, the Saturday Success School program in the McCarthy Institute for Transition & Support has been a key component in lowering the traditional attrition rate and helping students find their place at BLS, filling academic gaps, raising confidence levels, and encouraging students to take more responsibility for their own learning. Alumni volunteers provide individual instruction to students. To volunteer, contact McCarthy Center Director Rose Delorme-Metayer '07 at (617) 635-8895 ext. 213. The Exam School Initiative (ESI) – This summer/fall program strives to bridge the gap for students in underrepresented elementary and middle schools to gain admission and achieve success at one of the three Boston exam schools. The ESI is funded by BPS, the Mayor's Office, along with additional support coming from generous alumni, parent, and friend donations via the BLSA. A Look at How the BLSA Has EvolvedThe Boston Latin School Association, formed in 1844 to raise funds for the school library, continues more than 179 years later as the connection between the alumni and the school, while also supporting the students and faculty of today through its fund-raising efforts. Stanley Miller ’48 introduced an annual giving effort as president in 1978. William Looney Jr. '49 became president in 1980 and expanded on the fund-raising initiative by forming the BLS Foundation, and he and then Headmaster Michael Contompasis ’57 spent the next five years contacting donors, traveling across the U.S. to meet with alumni. Until the mid-80s, the Association had no full-time staff, no alumni mailing list, and moderate expectations at best. “To the best of my knowledge, we were the first to do this — to form a foundation and try to raise some serious money for a public school,” Looney would say with pride. What had been a volunteer organization with limited resources and perspective in terms of regional connections transformed into a professional shop with international outreach. Until the mid-1990s, the Association of old had operated as two separate entities, with two boards, two sets of tax returns and one staff which focused on the fund-raising and the alumni-relations efforts for both. The BLS Foundation and Association merged in 1997. With approximately 20,000 living alumni around the globe today, the Association conducts an annual reunion program, with an Alumni Day at BLS in the spring, and a professional fund-raising effort to support programs at both the school and the Association. Our website and publications, like the BLSA Bulletin, help maintain and strengthen those ever-important relationships with alumni from the 1930s to the present, as well as BLS families and friends. The BLSA has something for everyone. We invite you to get involved, to consider a gift of time, treasure, or expertise, and to share your ideas and feedback.
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