Student Voices Light Up Project LEARN’s 10th Anniversary Celebration

Photo By: Marte Media

Published in the Lowell Sun on October 15th, 2023

LOWELL — At Project LEARN’s 10th anniversary celebration, the voices of young people were in full force.

A dozen student projects were on display as attendees entered the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center Sept. 27, like Lowell High School sophomore Dash Hanson, who had his underwater robot constructed during IDEA Camp — a summer STEM program for middle and high schoolers.

LHS junior Hannah Laderoute, who helped open the night’s speaking program, shared her experience getting to know the organization over the summer through their Commencement 2 Careers internship program, which was her “first ever paid job.”

“Entering the workforce can be pretty terrifying, but Project LEARN had no problem easing me into it,” said Laderoute to a packed room of 250-plus donors, educators, community leaders, and local professionals. “I learned how to carry myself professionally and other life skills I’ll use from now on!”

Following Laderoute’s remarks, Interim Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner reflected on Project LEARN’s unique role supporting student agency. “There is more to education than what is in our school curriculums,” said Skinner. “Not all learning occurs inside the walls of the classroom.”

“Project LEARN’s programs supplement the education and development of our youngsters in invaluable ways,” Skinner continued.

Project LEARN reaches 1,250 students annually through college-and-career-readiness programming and hands-on experiential learning. Just this summer, 160-plus students participated in paid internships through the C2C internship program, where they learned skills in high-demand fields including biomedical engineering, education, and community development.

Project LEARN also supports in-school initiatives at LHS, like their annual Career Speaker Week and the Early College partnership with Middlesex Community College, which provides students free, transferable college credit before graduation.

The night was more than just a celebration, but also a dedication to the leadership of Project LEARN’s Chairman and co-founder, Brian Martin.

In 2013, Martin launched Project LEARN in partnership with George Duncan and Kendall Wallace. Their vision was to support innovative programs for Lowell students, “to give them a leg up,” said Martin.

“We wanted to give Lowell students the opportunities available in other communities,” he said. Since then, the organization has raised over $13 million for initiatives that advance initiatives for students.

State Undersecretary of Economic Strategies Sarah Stanton was the event’s keynote speaker. She praised the organization’s emphasis on educational partnerships with the potential to be a model for communities across Massachusetts. “Project LEARN is about empowering our youth and setting them on the path to long-term success,” said Stanton.

“Investing in Massachusetts means reimagining the workforce and investing in young people — both in and outside of the classroom — to ensure they gain the skills needed for successful jobs of the future,” she continued.

Later in the evening, three Lowell High graduates shared how Project LEARN allowed them opportunities to build confidence, dream big, and explore new possibilities during a community panel on workforce development.

Kenneth Chap, a freshman at MIT, attributes his success in coding and computer science to the guidance he received from the Project LEARN team.

“I heard about a Google Coursera certificate program Project LEARN was offering for free,” said Chap. “Honestly, if it wasn’t free, I probably wouldn’t have done it!”

After completing the program, Chap had an idea, “I wanted to form a programming club where students could learn coding from each other.”

He proposed the idea to Mira Bookman, Project LEARN’s program director, who identified resources to help the club get started. “Having a go-to partner say ‘yes’ to my idea opened doors and allowed the club to grow,” said Chap.

Today, The Programming Initiative has engaged more than 90 LHS students, training up the next generation of coders.

Diogo DeSousa, a junior at Harvard University, described the night as an evening of empowerment and future prospects, citing how Project LEARN can be a game-changer for Lowell students.

DeSousa mentioned how critical the Early College program was in helping his family save nearly $5,000 in tuition costs. “I’m grateful to Project LEARN for the opportunities it’s provided me through Early College,” said DeSousa, “and the way it allows student voices to be heard.”

Tiana Nhem, a current Early College Promise student at MCC, wanted to get hands-on experience through an internship, but didn’t know how to find paid work. That was until she heard about Project LEARN’s internship program.

“Being an intern helped me to grow and develop my communication and leadership skills,” said Nhem. “It’s thanks to everyone in this room, whose support has transformed dreams into opportunities,” she said. “You’re empowering the next generation to thrive.”

The evening’s program culminated in an announcement by Project LEARN Executive Director LZ Nunn. The organization will be launching a capital campaign to open a new, 3,400-square-foot programming space in 2024.

“This space will help us increase our impact, reaching nearly 2,000 young people each year through hands-on learning, and college and career exploration,” said Nunn. “There are countless possibilities ahead, and we’re excited to partner with folks in this room to make it happen.”

Undersecretary Stanton mentioned the focus at the state level to support and build on efforts that are taking root in Lowell. “This is an exciting time for Massachusetts — and for Project LEARN,” said Stanton. “Investing in our young people means expanding on what Project LEARN has mastered.”