Outreach Programs
At John Hancock, our philosophy is that the community is strengthened when hands come together
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John Hancock makes an impact in our community by partnering with a great many of the Boston area's outstanding non-profit organizations. We provide financial support and direction, and our employees give even more, offering their time, their expertise and leadership.
The majority of our efforts are focused in support of youth and teens. With the creation of programs like MLK Summer Scholars, we work with community organizations, civic leaders, and partner businesses to build on the potential of our children and teens. While much of our work is done in Boston, John Hancock supports non-profit organizations in each of the fifty states through a generous employee matching gifts program. In addition, worldwide initiatives are supported through John Hancock's parent company, Manulife Financial, one of the world's largest and most successful financial services companies.
The programs you'll see here represent just a few of the many things we do.
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If you are interested in any of our programs please send an email.
MLK Summer Scholars
In response to the urgent need for summer jobs in Boston, John Hancock developed MLK Summer Scholars to provide Boston high schools students the critical work experience they will need in a competitive job market. Despite the challenging economic times, John Hancock has grown the program in recent years to fund over 650 jobs with nearly 100 non-profit partners.
The Boston Business Journal says it's the "summer's most talked about internship program" and the results are clear. Young people are making a better way for themselves and adding value to our community.
John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention
As a leading insurance provider and sponsor of the Boston Marathon for decades, John Hancock has taken a keen interest in the development of initiatives that help the people of our community live fitter, healthier lives. Obesity, paired with a decline in physical fitness over the last thirty years, has led to deterioration in public health. This affects all segments of society, diminishing quality of life and threatening the health of present and future generations. It also impacts our workforce and our customers.
In response, John Hancock has taken the lead by investing in the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention at Tufts University. Through our financial support, the Center has become a driving force in the fight against these public health challenges, conducting innovative research, training future leaders, and becoming a catalyst to change. Through the Center's work in community-level capacity building and public policy, we are helping children and adults across the country lead longer, healthier lives.
John Hancock Teen Education Program
The Institute of Contemporary Art is Boston's first new art museum in more than 100 years, and the newest architectural and cultural jewel in the city's burgeoning waterfront district. As part of our commitment to the revitalization of the South Boston Waterfront, John Hancock is a strong supporter of the ICA, enabling the museum to expand its offerings in the performing arts, film, media and technology.
As part of our partnership, the ICA established the John Hancock Teen Education Program, which uses the arts to create engaged and informed future leaders and arts audiences. Through the Teen Arts Council, Teen Nights, Teen New Media classes, Fast Forward, Walk Talk, Reading Jam, and National Convening for Teens in the Arts, the ICA's teen programs now serves nearly 2,000 teens each year.
Camp Harbor View
John Hancock is a proud supporter of Camp Harbor View. With its innovative programming, the Camp offers 960 Boston children ages 11 to 14 an opportunity to leave the city during the day and participate in a four-week summer camp program. Offering the traditional activities that summer camp is known for, such as hiking, arts and crafts, sports and swimming, Camp Harbor View also includes innovative programs that strive to build children's confidence and leadership strengths.
In addition to our financial support, John Hancock has partnered with the Camp to provide summer jobs to alumni campers as part of our MLK Summer Scholars program.
Endicott College: Keys to Degrees
John Hancock actively supports young people in need through a unique partnership with Endicott College. Keys to Degrees offers young parents ages 18-24 with the opportunity to complete an undergraduate degree in an environment that supports their needs and the needs of their children. Benefits include campus housing, child care and the full array of support services offered by the college. Through mentoring, community service and a summer informational program, Keys students at Endicott also reach out to large numbers of youth at risk, teen parents and people in need in the entire North Shore community.
This comprehensive program brings education to a largely under-served population and John Hancock is proud to support this unique initiative.
The Expect Miracles Foundation - Financial Services Against Cancer
The Expect Miracles Foundation, formally Mutual Funds Against Cancer is one of the leading advocates in the fight against cancer within financial services nationwide. All proceeds benefit the Center for Applied Cancer Science (CACS), part of the Belfer Institute for Innovative Cancer Science at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. CACS research focuses on the six deadliest cancers - lung, melanoma, colon, pancreatic, gioblastoma, and multiple myeloma - and many of the advances will be applicable to other cancers.
With support from John Hancock, the 16th annual Expect Miracles Charity Golf Classic - held recently in Boston - raised over $600,000 towards fighting cancer. The Charity Event was completely sold out, with 432 golfers hitting the links. Included in this cornerstone event was the 2nd Annual Expect Miracles Kids Golf Clinic sponsored exclusively by John Hancock. Fifteen children, along with their families, joined attendees on the putting green and driving range as they learned golf fundamentals from the golf professional. Smiles were seen on every face as the kids swung their clubs with excitement and energy.
Families First
Families First Parenting Programs is Massachusetts' premier parenting education organization, serving 4,000 families each year through Parenting Education Workshops and Professional Development Trainings. Families First's mission is to promote healthy child development and strong family relationships through parenting education that focuses on positive discipline, communication, and self-esteem.
Since 1997, John Hancock has contributed to Families First, representing a partnership that has provided critical life-blood to the organization. John Hancock's support has provided 44 Parenting Education Workshops for low-income families in Boston, including homeless mothers living in shelters with their children, teen mothers, and low-income mothers re-entering the workforce. John Hancock has also enabled Families First to develop a curriculum to address bullying in schools, and to engage a professional, third-party evaluation of their programs. John Hancock has also provided Families First supporters with official Boston Marathon numbers, enabling these individuals to raise more than $82,000 for parenting education programs.
Freedom Trail Scholars
John Hancock is an official sponsor of Freedom Trail Scholars, which provides high-quality educational experiences to 3rd and 5th grade students, primarily in Boston. Freedom Trail Scholars is an effective way to help students learn and remember history and supplements the required American history curriculum.
The program is an interactive one-hour in-school touring history presentation that brings the stories of the Boston Massacre, the Tea Party, and Paul Revere's Midnight Ride to life. Students are incorporated into a dramatization to play roles of real people who participated in the Revolution, read portions of important documents and declarations, and react to the historic events. In addition, teachers have access to the Freedom Trail Scholars resource guide (lesson plans) and quizzes to use before and after the presentations.
Since its inception, the program has served over 6,800 children in 100 schools.
John F. Kennedy Profile In Courage Essay Contest
John Hancock's commitment to civic responsibility is a long, proud tradition and we are privileged to sponsor the annual John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest for High School Students™. The national contest invites students from across the nation to write an essay on the political courage of a U.S. elected official. The contest is a companion program of the Profile in Courage Award™, named for President Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage.
In 2010, 1,863 students submitted essays from across the nation, including forty-nine states and U.S. citizens studying in Guam and Mexico. Michael Reed, a junior at Chattanooga Center for Creative Arts, in Tennessee was named the winner and will receive a $10,000 award for his first place essay: a $5,000 cash award and $5,000 to grow in a John Hancock Freedom 529 College Savings Plan. You can read his winning essay here.
Museum of Fine Arts Boston
John Hancock's sponsorship of the Museum's Teen Arts Council closely aligns with our mission to provide the greatest level of support to Boston youth in need. The Council is an innovative leadership development program using the apprenticeship model for a group of teenagers that serves to connect the MFA with Greater Boston's teens, families, and communities.
Members are introduced to a wide range of museum professions and learning opportunities while also gaining valuable work experience. In addition, throughout the year, students have the opportunity to work on a variety of activities such as creating and producing teen-focused events, greeting and giving information to Museum visitors, and creating wall labels to accompany the Museum's art collections. They also attend workshops and training sessions designed to develop their creative and critical thinking skills.
Ron Burton Training Village
John Hancock has been a long time supporter of the Ron Burton Training Village (RBTV) as Ron Burton Sr. was a long time employee of John Hancock. Ron's story is truly inspiring and through his love and passion to help children he founded the Ron Burton Training Village.
Over the past 25 years, RBTV has served more than 3,100 young men and women in their physical, spiritual and educational growth. Twelve months a year, over a six-year period, campers are guided, supported and mentored in some of life's most essential areas including: education, social skills, morals, values, leadership and fitness. The most intense part of this mentorship occurs during the summer when the campers attend a five-week training camp in Hubbardston, Massachusetts. The majority of the youth who attend the training village are kids from economically disadvantaged and often troubled and at-risk situations.
John Hancock employees often volunteer at RBTV to interact with the campers as well as help maintain the grounds. Past visits had John Hancock Employees planting flowers, painting buildings, and playing games with the campers.
United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
As part of John Hancock's commitment to partnering with the local community, the Company is proud to host an annual campaign for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. One of the region's largest nonprofits, United Way brings together our region's businesses, government, foundations and a network of hundreds of health and human service agencies, to help children enter school ready to learn, keep youth engaged in school so they graduate with options for the future, and help parents gain financial stability.
Over the past two years, John Hancock employees have raised more than $1.3 million for the United Way, which United Way invested to help serve 23,000 children in quality early care and education programs, provide 138,000 youth with positive after-school experiences, and help 15,000 families obtain marketable job skills.