Winchester ABC Helps Students Succeed

Nicholas Boulas is an entrepreneur in Massachusetts, where he owns and manages Nick’s Painting Services, Inc., which he founded in 1990. Active in his community, Nick Boulas is a long-time supporter of the ABC House and the Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence.

A Better Chance (ABC) is a nonprofit that helps highly motivated students find placement in excellent secondary schools and provides scholarships that enable them to continue their educations at universities. Winchester ABC is one of 21 community school programs that partners with ABC and provides a supervised home for students to live while they attend Winchester High School. Since 1971, the house has aided in the graduations of approximately 100 students.

The house is within walking distance of the high school and supervised by staff, including two resident directors, a resident academic coordinator, chef, tutors, and college coaches. Resident directors lead daily activities and the resident academic coordinator focuses on overall academic oversight. The home has space for eight to ten student residents who share housekeeping responsibilities and live communally.

To learn more about this organization, visit www.winchesterabc.org.

Examining Supports Offered to Students

 

The owner of Nick’s Painting Services, Inc. for over 30 years, Nicolas "Nick" Boulas spends much of his free time with his wife Helen Boulas, their two children and giving back to good causes. Nick Boulas was given the Lynch School’s Good Citizen Award for his volunteer efforts at a school that supports students.

The Lynch School is part of Boston College and focuses on learning in education and human development. The school offers mentoring and support for both graduate and undergraduate students. First-year students have access to panels, seminars, and educational opportunities that help them tackle transitioning to adulthood and college life. They can also attend the experience, reflection, action program designed to teach foundational elements of being successful in college and prepared for adult life. All undergraduate students also gain access to mentoring services and counseling for academic progress.

The measurement, evaluation, statistics, and assessment department has programs available that connect students with alumni. These sessions are done via lunches, workshops, and panels throughout the school year.

The Winchester Foundation's Annual Authorfest

Nicholas “Nick” Boulas, the owner of Nick's Painting Services, Inc., lives in North Reading, Massachusetts, with his family, Helen Boulas, Andrew Boulas, and Demitri Boulas. Since starting his company in 1990, Nick Boulas has been an active supporter of several nonprofit organizations and foundations, including the Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence (WFEE), which allocates grant funding to benefit Winchester Public School.s

For more than 20 years, WFEE has supported the annual Authorfest, an event that draws leading children’s book authors to local schools. During the festival, dozens of writers and illustrators begin the day meeting with students in the classroom.

The event terminates with a book fair where residents can purchase books and get them signed by the authors. In addition to helping to inspire a life-long love of reading, Authorfest serves to encourage young people to consider a career in the literary world. The 2021 event will be held virtually over Zoom, while participants will be able to buy books online. The year’s featured speakers include Ralph Masiello, illustrator of the “Drawing Book” series, and “Princess Hair” writer Sharee Miller.