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Education + Capacity Building

Education + Capacity Building

Capacity Building efforts center on human development and education with the goal of improved outcomes in skills development, growth, and self-resilience. We support the local schools and after school programs to expand opportunities.

Education Berkshire Regional Planning Commission
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Pittsfield Public Schools

Mill Town Foundation executes projects in direct collaboration with Pittsfield Public Schools and partner organizations. Working closely with teachers and administrators, MTF creates meaningful programs for students to thrive both in their schools and communities.

Berkshire Museum

Mill Town Foundation creates interactive experiences for the Berkshires community with a focus on offering greater accessibility and reducing barriers of entry such as cost, transportation, or feeling of belonging. With a particular effort made to reach traditionally underserved communities, MTF and the Berkshire Museum will encourage broader accessibility to enriching education and cultural experiences highlighting unique Berkshires history and contemporary artforms.

EforAll

Mill Town Foundation was instrumental to the establishment of a Berkshire County EforAll chapter. Working closely with local partners and stakeholders, MTF helped to define the need for entrepreneurship support in the region, had a seat on the local EforAll Steering Committee, committed to a 3-year sponsorship, and provided programmatic support through pitch competitions and business support.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

Mill Town Foundation works closely with Berkshire Regional Planning Commission in the planning and execution of several important projects including Berkshire Benchmarks, Berkshire Funding Focus, and the Berkshire County Outdoor Recreation Plan and Summit.

Berkshire Benchmarks

Mill Town Foundation and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission created Berkshire Benchmarks to identify indicators to track how the region performed across the economy, education, environment, government, health, housing, social environment, and transportation sectors as well as to highlight the successes and challenges of the region.

Roots Rising

Mill Town Foundation collaborates with Roots Rising in support of their Youth Crews which hires Pittsfield teens to work on farms, in food pantries and at the Downtown Pittsfield Farmer’s Market. It’s an opportunity for teens to engage in meaningful work—work that needs to be done and serves a larger social good. MTF and Roots Rising believe that meaningful work leaves youth feeling purposeful, capable and connected.

Berkshire Innovation Center

Mill Town Foundation has been an inaugural partner to the Berkshire Innovation Center since the BIC’s launch in 2020. Mill Town Foundation has provided the BIC and its members with Entreprenurial guidance and support, and operating capital in the early days of the BIC’s operation.

The Mastheads

Mill Town Foundation works closely with The Mastheads to operate Fireside in the Pittsfield Public Schools – a program which brings teaching artists to elementary schools for poetry projects. In addition, MTF offered programmatic support to operate community events at Kellogg Park which provided music, food, activities, free books, pencils, poetry readings for the community. The Mastheads have also participated in Tanglewood in the City at The Common and other impactful programs throughout public spaces in Pittsfield.

Berkshire Community College Turf Field

Mill Town Foundation provided critical engagement, support, and capital to Berkshire Community College and Friends in an effort to construct and program Pittsfield’s first synthetic turf field on BCC’s campus. This field is currently used for youth sports practices and games on a year-round basis and provides a level playing field for local teams competing with those from outside the area.

Mill +Main

Located in the heart of Dalton, MA, Mill + Main is the former Kittridge House property. The property was acquired by the Trimix Foundation in 2018, and Mill Town Foundation led the renovation and programming of a new community asset with the Dalton CRA. This property has provided a valued resource to the community and is likely to be a part of the CRA’s campus for years to come.

Dalton CRA

Mill Town Foundation has been a partner of the CRA since our inception. We have supported the CRA’s strategic plan development in 2017-18, and have been a regular participant in focus group and Board meetings of the CRA in an effort to support the organization’s strategic planning.

40 Under Forty

40 Under Forty is an annual celebration of talented people in the Berkshires, under the age of 40, who have a deep dedication to improving the quality of life for those living and working in our community. To inspire the spirit of philanthropy and encourage the act of giving back, Mill Town Foundation provided funding for each award winner to re-grant $1,000 to a Berkshire-based nonprofit organization.

YMCA

Mill Town Foundation partnered with the Berkshire Family YMCA in downtown Pittsfield in support of “The Full of Possibilities” project. This work resulted in the expansion and development of key programs at the YMCA including the childcare center, basketball court, and indoor track.

Kripalu

Mill Town Foundation is committed to investing in the next generation of leaders in the Berkshires. To ensure that these leaders have the training and resiliency needed for the future, Mill Town Foundation partnered with Kripalu to offer a Transformational Leadership Retreat to twenty emerging community leaders.
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