From left: Sen. Jason Lewis, MPY Executive Director Margie Daniels, Winchester Public Schools Superintendent Judith Evans and Burlington Public Schools Superintendent Eric Conti. (Courtesy Photo Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth) 
From left: MPY Executive Director Margie Daniels, Sen. Jason Lewis, Winchester Public Schools Superintendent Judith Evans and Erin Gaffen, MPY Service Coordinator. (Courtesy Photo Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth) 
Jeff Perrotti, founding director of Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education’s Safe Schools Program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Students speaks at a professional development conference organized by Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth in Burlington on March 9. (Courtesy Photo Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth) 
From left: MPY President and Nahant School District Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi, Sen. Jason Lewis and MPY Executive Director Margie Daniels. (Courtesy Photo Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
WAKEFIELD — Executive Director Margie Daniels is pleased to announce that Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) awarded the organization’s inaugural Legislator of the Year award to Sen. Jason Lewis at a professional development conference yesterday.
The award recognizes a legislator who has gone above and beyond to support and promote the health and wellbeing of students in Massachusetts.
“Sen. Lewis is truly a champion for education, and his successful efforts to increase funding have greatly benefited students in the Commonwealth,” Daniels said. “In addition, Sen. Lewis supported MPY’s successful efforts to secure an earmark in state funding which has allowed MPY to expand into Suffolk, Worcester, Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol Counties. As a result, we’re able to provide more valuable training opportunities to students, educational staff and public safety leaders than ever before. It’s only fitting that we recognized his efforts to support the wellbeing of students at a professional development conference which serves as a prime example of the critical opportunities we’re working to offer stakeholders committed to youth health and safety.”
The conference, titled “Promoting Resilience and Healthy Outcomes of LGBTQ Students,” was held on Monday, March 9, at Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington. The event featured Jeff Perrotti, founding director of Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education’s Safe Schools Program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning Students. During the event, Perrotti spoke to approximately 120 educators, administrators, school resource officers, guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists and other professionals about the policies and best practices for supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) students.
Those in attendance learned strategies for increasing awareness in their school communities, preventing bullying and harassment, fostering resilience and promoting a healthy and safe learning environment.
“This conference provided a wonderful opportunity for school professionals to learn more about the strategies to make schools and communities inclusive and welcoming,” Daniels said. “It is important for all of our students to feel accepted, valued and safe at school. Jeff is an engaging and well-versed speaker, and it was a great opportunity for educators and those working with young people throughout the state to gather and learn from him and each other. His presentation included students who transitioned their gender, parents of transgender students and a professor who researches gender and sexuality alliances.”
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a non-profit 501.c(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration, and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth.
The nonprofit is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission.
To learn more, visit www.mpyinc.org.
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