Boston, MA City Realty Group, a community-focused real estate development company serving the Greater Boston area since 2004, donated several new laptop Chromebooks to The People’s Academy, a nonprofit based in the Uphams Corner neighborhood. The People’s Academy empowers inner-city, at-risk residents by training them in the trade of fabrication and installation of metal, specializing in copper. The City Realty Group donation provides the program’s apprentices with a valuable resource to further their training during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. 

Launched in 2001 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 2013, The People’s Academy works to provide viable employment and opportunities for disenfranchised youth, with a commitment to self-sufficiency, as well as neighborhood and community improvement. The new Chromebooks will help the apprentices enhance their education and ultimately pursue career paths in unions or self-employment.

City Realty Group provides new laptops and other educational resources to a variety of schools and organizations that enhance the educational experience of inner-city residents. City Realty Group has donated more than 1500 Chromebooks to students-in-need through its own nonprofit, City Kids, which was founded by City Realty Group managing partners Fred Starikov and Stephen Whalen. 

“We are proud to support this wonderful nonprofit and its worthwhile mission,” said Whalen. “At City Realty, we share the vision for improving city neighborhoods and providing training opportunities for youth and adults. Copper work is a dying skill and there is a glaring need for well-trained workers. The People’s Academy apprentices are filling that gap.”

 “We are thankful for the generosity and support of City Realty Group,” said T. Michael Thomas, founder of The People’s Academy. “The demand for skilled craftsmen and artists in the building trades is constantly increasing and our mission is to provide the training to meet that demand. We believe education happens within the context of the larger community, and our approach extends beyond the school to ensure students have the necessary support and the discipline, dedication and dependability needed to thrive in these industries.”

The People’s Academy has a goal to enroll and graduate 30 students each year. The two-year program begins with the basics of the building trade and culminates in hands-on training and skills that allow students to begin working in fabrication and installation.