More than one hundred volunteers from Cengage Learning’s Boston office assembled at Boston Garden, not to see the Bruins or Celtics play, but to help make a difference in the lives of many students going back to Boston Public Schools in September. These employees had the exciting opportunity to volunteer for Boston’s Back to School Celebration, an event developed by a partnership among the Salvation Army, Garden Neighborhood Charities (TD Garden), and the city of Boston.
On Monday morning, volunteers stuffed over four thousand backpacks with pencils, pens, and other supplies to help students start the year off right. They also included notes of inspiration to help motivate them to have a great school year. Then on Tuesday, during the Back to School Celebration Day, other employees handed these backpacks out to the children, who also enjoyed games, family-friendly activities, and experiential learning booths.
Cengage Learning’s employees, and Cengage Learning as an organization, strive to support student success. Our participation in this event provided us with one way to live out and demonstrate our core values. As George Moore, Cengage Learning’s Chief Technology Officer, told us: “We were looking to launch our new credo and taking a look at events in Boston that would capture the essence of what we’re trying to do. The City of Boston’s Back-to-School celebration was a great example, because it was all about equipping kids for school, which is exactly what we do at Cengage Learning. Our participation in the event was a way for us to get more connected into the fabric of Boston, to give some help to kids and families who need it, and to show how we can make an impact, not just in our business but in the community that we’re part of.”
Cengage Learning employees reflect on Boston’s Back to School Celebration:
“Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Back to School event. It was fun to help with the setup on Friday, meet new people, and give back to such a great cause!” (Stephanie Sferrazza, Business Analyst, GPT)
“I loved participating in the Cengage Service Day and the Boston Back-to-School Celebration! The head volunteer Coordinator, Chris, told us the event not only gets kids ready and excited for school, but shows them that the City of Boston cares about them and their education. And I really felt that while I volunteered. Pretty powerful stuff. I’m very proud of Cengage Learning for participating, and the City of Boston for running the program. What a great day.” (Jessica Badiner, Senior Content Developer)
“The kids were all excited to be at the event and to participate in the activities. So many little faces smiling with gratitude for our help and excitement to receive their new backpacks, along with a slew of fun swag.
I was glad to be part of such a necessary and beneficial event to get kids ready for the school year and started on the right foot.” (Scott Wentzell, Associate Training Specialist, GPM)
“What a great event! It never really occurred to me how important back-to-school supplies are to a child. But those kids were so excited to get their backpacks! With all of the fun activities going on at the event, they were most excited about the backpacks.” (Elinor Gregory, Product Team Manager, SAM)
“The excitement in the room was palpable at yesterday’s Back to School Celebration. The students were beyond excited to be at TD Garden, playing games, engaging in fun activities and preparing for the school year. It was wonderful to be a part of the event on behalf of Cengage Learning.” (Chloe Ryan, Public Relations Manager)
“What a great charity event! It was awesome to see so many Cengagians come together to help support our Boston community in such a cool way.” (Leigh Hefferon, Product Development Manager)