History

Boston to Harlem
Hubie Jones organizes a group of Boston civic leaders to travel to New York to learn about place-based work and its potential application in Boston.

“Resource Rich, But Impact Poor.”
James Jennings publishes “Placed-based Service Delivery & Strategic Collaboration in Boston’s Distressed Neighborhoods: Framework for Planning and Action”. This report inspires Hubie Jones to convene leaders and activist to better understand the relationship between neighborhood, child outcomes, and service delivery.

Invited By The Community
Higher Ground is invited by residents of Roxbury’s Warren Gardens neighborhood to begin services. Resident meetings begin with the goal of identifying community priorities.

Following over a year of convenings facilitated by Tulaine Montgomery at City Year Boston’s community space on Columbus Avenue, Higher Ground was founded by Hubie Jones and led by Board Chair Charlotte Golar Richie in its early days.

Higher Ground Launches Community Programs
Higher Ground works with community members in census tract 817 to learn about needs and leverage partner resources to address them. 

A New Home For Higher Ground & Teen Empowerment
Higher Ground moves into the same office as Teen Empowerment, to leverage resources and better serve the community. Present at the Open House Welcome Event are Mayor Thomas Menino, Higher Ground Founder Hubie Jones, Teen Empowerment Board Chair Joe Jackson, and City Councilor Tito Jackson.

Investing in Data Security and Impact Evaluation
With support from community activist Clarence Cooper, Higher Ground develops data and evaluation partnership with Suffolk University.

Higher Ground builds new partnerships including Families First to support expectant parents and ABCD and America’s Promise Alliance to promote jobs and leadership skills for young people in the community.

Higher Ground serves as the community outreach support for the court-appointed receiver following the closing of the Roxbury Comprehensive Community Health Center (RoxComp) and assisting the receiver to connect with former employees and clients, and marketing the facility. It is now the Bridge Boston Public Charter School.

Services connecting schools including the Ellis, Higginson-Lewis, and Higginson K0-K2 and their families accelerate. Families First, Friends of the Children, and Generations, Inc., Union Capital Boston, and more partners join the collective.

Facilities Improvements for Early Education Center
With Higher Ground’s supports The Crispus Attucks Children’s Center receives $4 million in government grants and tax credits for a major facilities upgrade to improve the health, safety, and educational environment for over 200 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

School Leaders Advocate Collectively For Students
Principal meetings begin for a “campus” of schools including leaders collaborating to support their students and families. Schools include Higginson Lewis, Ellis, Higginson K-2, Bridge Boston, Brooke, KIPP, and Mission Grammar.

Parents Organize
Higher Ground coordinates the founding of the Roxbury Dorchester Mattapan (RDM) Parent Coalition building a strong network of parent leaders to support children in neighborhood schools.

Playground for the Higginson K-2
After school committee testimony by parents, teachers, school leaders, and students the Higginson K-2 school gets a new $500,000 playground where there was once only a sheet of asphalt for young children to play.

Following 2 years of planning, The Family Led Stability Pilot formally launches to address student and family homelessness in BPS schools. Partners include BPS, Mayor Marty Walsh’s Education Cabinet, Boston Housing Authority, Department of Neighborhood Development, City Councilor Essaibi-George, DSNI, Project Hope, and New Lease for Homeless Families.

Higher Ground Forms Board of Advisors
As Higher Ground’s network of advisors, past board members, and volunteers grows the group is formally convened to offer advice and generate support. Advisors include parents, residents, and individuals from the academic, philanthropic, faith, government, business, and non profit sectors.

Invited to Join Open Opportunity Massachusetts
Higher Ground serves as the backbone organization for the Thriving Families Leverage Team of Open Opportunity Massachusetts, a cross-sector network focused on transforming the educational system by removing barriers that segregate students and families by race and class.

First Educator Appreciation Event
Higher Ground hosts the first Educator Appreciation Event clambake on Thompson Island that draws more than 60 principals, teachers, and leaders from 4 Boston schools.​ The event is so popular that it has become an annual event.

Early Care Provider Awarded UPK Designation
Higher Grounds Assists the Crispus Attucks Childrens Center to become an official Boston Public Schools Universal pre-kindergarten site providing funding and curriculum support for up to 60 children in three classrooms for the 2019-2020 school year.

Summer Learning Academy Begins
In response to needs identified by parents and school staff, Higher Ground launches summer programming with culturally relevant curriculum and staff.

Responding to Remote Learning
Higher Ground teams up with One Bead and JFYNetworks to support remote learning at partner schools during COVID-19

Culturally Responsive COVID-19 Information
Higher Ground supports culturally responsive COVID-19 Information public health information. Dr. Jeffrey Edwards of Children’s Hospital Boston and Erika Florence, public health educator and executive, support this effort.

Race Equity Conversations Launched
Following the murder of George Floyd, Higher Ground partners with NAACP Boston and the Commonwealth Seminar to create Community Crossover Dialogues – a forum for conversation on social justice issues related to race and ethnicity.

A Health Equity Approach for Schools
Higher Ground begins community meetings to plan and implement the Resilient Families Surround Care Coalition focused on health equity using schools as community hubs. Support and technical assistance resources is provided by Boston Children’s Hospital ‘s Children’s Health Equity Initiative.

Celebrating 10 Years of Collective Impact
Higher Ground celebrates its 10th anniversary by hosting a virtual event with partners, community leaders, philanthropic partners, families, and policy leaders. The Liberty Mutual Foundation and Boston Children’s Hospital are recognized for their support.

Housing Pilot Enters Next Phase
Due to the initial success of the Family Led Stability Pilot, the collaborative scales up its work and becomes the Family Led Stability Initiative expanding capacity to partner with 20 schools.

Capacity Doubles
The program team increases by 2x and immediately begins an increase of services and coordination across education, health, and housing focus areas.

Afterschool Begins
In response to community requests for afterschool services, Higher Ground begins offering free afterschool programming at the Ellis school.

The Story of Higher Ground Published
Renowned Professor Emeritus James Jennings of Tufts University along with co-authors Kadineyse Paz and Lisette DeSouza, produce a case study of Higher Ground’s first 10 years.

Partnership with BPS
Boston Public Schools and Boston’s Higher Ground entered into agreements to enhance two major partnership efforts – the Surround Care Coalition and the Family Led Stability Initiative. This increased services in our partners schools in the areas of arts, academics, mental health, health, and housing. 

Cummings Foundation
Higher Ground was one of 150 local nonprofits to share a $30 million grant from the Cummings Foundation, receiving a total of $105,000. Announcement here.

Celebration of 500 Students Housed
Higher Ground hosted an event celebrating reaching our milestone of housing 500 formerly homeless students with our Family-Led Stable Initiative (FLSI). Announcement here.

In the Boston Globe
Higher Ground Board Chair Charlie Titus and Deputy Director Brandy Brooks discuss the challenges that come with the lack of stable housing in a Boston Globe article focused on student homelessness. Article here.

Annual Educator Appreciation Event
Higher Ground celebrated our third Annual Educator Appreciation Event where the highlight was the introduction of the inaugural Katherine Butler Jones Educator of Year Award, named in honor of an educational trailblazer and dedicated advocate for children and families. Video here.

Higher Ground on WGBH News
Higher Ground’s Brandy Brooks was interviewed on WGBH to discuss student homelessness in Boston.  Video here.

Executive Leadership Transition
Higher Ground successfully transitioned leadership by appointing Dr. Brandy Brooks, previously Deputy Director, to Executive Director in July 2023, following a two-year process led by founding Executive Director Mossik Hacobian.

In the Boston Globe
Higher Ground’s Mossik Hacobian, Boston Housing Authority’s Kenzie Bok, and Gateway Cities Innovation Institute’s Benjamin Forman describe the success and promise of collaborative efforts to house homeless students. Article here.

Rennie Center Report
Rennie Center produce Supporting Unhoused Students: A Blueprint for Massachusetts Schools to provide state and local leaders with an action plan for ensuing students experiencing unstable housing continue to receive a high-quality education. Report here.

WGBH Profile on James Berger
WGBH featured a story on James Berger, a single father in Boston who worked with Higher Ground to secure housing. While there was a happy ending for him, the road there was extremely difficult due to the arduous process homeless families in Boston must go through to obtain housing. Video here.
 
BIDMC Grant Award
Higher Ground secured a 3-year $850,000 grant to support FLSI from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Announcement here.

Boston Children’s Hospital Grant Award
Boston Children’s Hospital supports Higher Ground through the Children’s Health Equity Initiative as part of the Collaboration for Community Health in the 2^nd round of a 3 year grant.

In the Boston Globe
Higher Ground Executive Director, Brandy Brooks and Shavonne Harrington of Union Capital Boston, a partner of Higher Ground joined together to speak about upcoming discussions in the community on school buildings and how they should be used in the community in a Boston Globe OpEd.  Article here.

GND Engagement
Coordinated a Green New Deal community conversations series which garnered 84 participants to discuss the city’s plans for Boston’s aging school buildings. The sessions engaged and rallied active parents from our partner schools and the community to learn more about the city’s plans and consider options for advocacy of our schools. 

Higginson Lewis School Reception Area Refresh. WGBH recently highlighted the work of Higher Ground, Boston Architectural College, and community volunteers to makeover the Higginson-Lewis 3-8 School reception area. Taking place over the April school break, it meant that the students, school staff, and families had a huge surprise to return to! The project was a collaborative effort a year in the making co-designed with community members.  Videos here and here.

Increased Housing Vouchers for BPS Students
Higher Ground received confirmation from BHA Administrator, Kenzie Bok, that BHA’s decision to enter into an agreement with Boston Public Schools (BPS) and commit reportedly 250 vouchers for BPS to use to support homeless families with children in Boston schools was a direct result of their experience during the pilot phase of FLSI.  Video here.

New Partner Schools
Higher Ground added 3 schools to our Family Led Stability Initiative  partnership to house families of homeless students. Increasing the number to 16 schools in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan.

A Tribute To Two Great Leaders
The Boston Globe published an article on Higher Ground founder Hubie Jones and his wife Kathy as a tribute to Black History Month. Article here.