Scott Carmel knows firsthand the struggles that children face growing up in low income housing developments. Years ago Carmel’s mother was pregnant with him while she and his two siblings lived in one of Waltham, Massachusetts’ largest low-income housing developments: Prospect Hill Terrace.

Today Carmel is partnering with Bentley University’s Service-Learning Center (BSLC) to offer a $35,000 donation to the Prospect Hill Community Center, a new building project launched one year ago by Bentley University and Brandeis University -- primarily run by students. Transformed from an old daycare center, the renovated community building provides daily programming to residents such as after-school activities, tutoring and computer programming classes, fitness and health education, and resume writing and job skill training. Carmel will continue this annual donation for the next five years. 

“I want to give back and help people who are single parents or families receiving public assistance to try and empower them to make a change,” Carmel says. “The new programming at Prospect Hill can provide support and bring opportunities that weren’t in place before to help young people and their parents succeed.”

A Year of Progress

Since the grand opening of the Prospect Hill Community Center one year ago, the BSLC and other partners have established a board of trustees, established 501c3 status, and expanded development opportunities for student project coordinators.

“Over the past year the board has established a strategic plan for the overall center and is now  developing an operational plan for the individual programs,” says Aaron Pinet (BS ’14, MS ’15), vice president of the board. “We are developing assessment tools and measures of progress for our programs so donors can understand exactly how their money is helping people.”

The board is made up of five members including three Bentley alumni. 

While Pinet credits the board for obtaining the center’s non-profit status, he says it is the student volunteers and project coordinators that keep the programs running on a day-to-day basis.

“These students are responsible for planning curriculum, creating and implementing programmatic flows and processes, and scheduling and managing resource requirements. Without them, our programs and incredible services would cease to exist” Pinet says.

“All of our students have been given new opportunities that empower them to take ownership of the program’s success and progress.  Their work has been the cornerstone of our operational accomplishments.”

About Service Learning at Bentley University

The Bentley Service-Learning Center partners with more than 50 nonprofit organizations, government offices, and schools in the Greater Waltham area to facilitate projects that benefit thousands of residents each semester.

Each semester 1,600 students apply their course skills to create a difference in the local community through sustainable community partnerships. The BSLC operates a wide array of programs focused in five key areas: Diversity, Elders, Poverty, Sustainability, and Youth.

Click here to find to learn more about the Bentley Service-Learning Center and their community partnerships.