Waltham Partnership For Youth To Host 2022 Partner Appreciation Celebration

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham Partnership for Youth’s (WPY) annual Partner Appreciation Celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 25 from 5 to 7:00 p.m. at the LaCava Tent at Bentley University, located at 175 Forest Street.

This event brings together over 100 business and community stakeholders in Waltham and focuses on recognizing impactful relationships between local companies, organizations, and community members. These relationships tackle critical challenges youth face, including a lack of workforce development opportunities, substance misuse and mental health issues, and disparities in educational success.

This year’s Equity Partner is AstraZeneca, which has been a dedicated partner for many years and hosted student interns, welcomed WPY for a staff retreat, and even donated furniture for WPY’s office.

“We are two veteran organizations in the Waltham community partnering together, missions aligned...helping young adults move their careers,” Geoffrey A. Gallo, Director of State Government Affairs at AstraZeneca, said in a statement. "We want to support those who are going on to perhaps be in these labs and discover medicines for people in the future.”

This year’s Partner Appreciation Celebration will feature keynote speaker Dr. E. LaBrent Chrite, President of Bentley University. Chrite is an experienced higher educati on leader with a background in global economic and business development.

WPY’s 2022 Community Impact Award will be presented to the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center (BSLCE). The Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center engages over 1,000 students each academic year in intensive service opportunities, working with community partners to co-create sustainable, high-impact programs that strengthen the community.

“This is such an exciting time in WPY’s history. Our team is growing rapidly, we’re engaging with more students than ever before, and our relationships with community partners are thriving,” Kaytie Dowcett, Executive Director of WPY, said in a statement. “The Partner Appreciation Celebration is a time for the entire community to celebrate the work we all do with and for young people. Here in Waltham, we work so hard throughout the year to support our young people; this event is a way for all of us to reflect on our successes and take advantage of the strong community we’ve built.”

Individual tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available here. All proceeds of this event will benefit WPY programs.