LYNN — The Boys & Girls Club of Lynn received a $500,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation last week in the form of ten $50,000 grants to continue to build and expand their STEAM Dream initiative, the organization said in a statement.
“We are truly grateful for this long-term funding dedicated to enhancing STEAM opportunities to our members. The club will be able to bring our beautiful new STEAM center to life with updated technology systems and materials to rev up young minds for endless explorations, creations, and experiments,” Boys & Girls Club of Lynn’s Assistant Executive Director Katie Greene said.
The organization was “invited” to apply for longer term funding and support after initial funding from the Cummings Foundation and other groups established STEAM programming, which proved to be a success.
Enhancement of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn is due, in part, to their partnership with Above the Clouds, a program meant to teach STEAM fields to youth from backgrounds typically underrepresented in the aviation industry. Above the Clouds uses hands-on activities with aviation professionals.
Above the Clouds Executive Director Susan Kagan said the Boys & Girls Club’s dedication to STEAM learning was truly unique.
“What the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn is offering and providing to their youth is remarkable. They push the average limits on what out of school time organizations can do. Their innovative thinking, energy, and passion is electric and it’s been a pleasure collaborating with them,” Kagan said. “We have introduced the amazing world of aviation to the youth and educated them on all the jobs in the field of aviation. It’s all about breaking down barriers and giving the next generation inspiration that they can do anything.”
Through one of the club’s STEAM Dream programs, it offered its members experiences such as a Mission to Mars at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center, a meet and greet with JetBlue at Logan Airport, and Above the Cloud’s Dream Flight program.
The Boys & Girls Club of Lynn’s Executive Director Brian Theirrien said that the club also initiated a partnership with Salem State University’s Biology Department, who act as a host for STEM Internship Students. Interns work to design fun engaging enrichment classes for the youth while strengthening their teaching skills and scientific knowledge taught in their college courses.
“The SSU STEM Internship program was a win on both ends. We gained great students who were passionate about science to come in and be role models for our members. They gained real world experience and made a huge impact,” Theirrien said in a statement.
The Boys & Girls Club of Lynn is one of 140 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through the Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program.
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].
