Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and Amica Announce Inaugural Early Education Grants

Jayson Tatum Reveals $50,000 Game Changer Grants to Little Amigos Learning Center and the Dimock Center

Amica and the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation (BCSF) announced on Friday that they will be awarding the first two Game Changers Early Education Grants to the Little Amigos Early Learning Center of West Roxbury and the Dimock Center located in Roxbury. Each organization will receive $50,000 through this new initiative. On hand to help celebrate with the children was Jayson Tatum.

The grants build on the impactful community contributions already being made by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and the Amica Companies Foundation. Last summer, the organizations announced plans to fund the renovation and opening of a new early childhood center in the Manton Heights community in the Olneyville neighborhood in Providence. The center is scheduled to open later this year.
 

The Dimock Center, through its Child and Family Services division, operates Early Head Start, Head Start, and family support programs serving over 200 children annually across center-based and home-based models. They will use the funds to restore and upgrade a critical infant and toddler outdoor play space and address safety concerns caused by tree root damage and aging infrastructure. Little Amigos Early Learning Center, that serves infants through preschool-aged children, plans to support the construction of a dedicated, year-round gross motor learning space and strengthen family programming capacity with their grant.

“Having access to quality spaces where kids can learn, play and develop can make a lasting difference,” said Tatum. "I'm honored to help celebrate the incredible work these centers are doing and know they will continue to impact the community for years to come." 
 

The Game Changers Early Education Grant Program is administered with support from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) through its Rhode Island Child Care and Early Learning Facilities Fund (RICCELFF). Grant funding may be used for facility improvements, repairs that address health and safety needs, reconfiguration of existing spaces to increase capacity, or the development of new early learning environments through construction, renovation or expansion.

“Empathy is at the heart of what Amica does, whether it’s supporting our policyholders or the communities that we serve,” said Amica Chairman, President and CEO Ted Shallcross. “We’re proud to support Little Amigos Early Learning Center and the Dimock Center in their work to make a meaningful difference for children and their families.”

To learn more, visit https://www.nba.com/celtics/community/early-education/bcsf-grant