From the President On behalf of the Board of Directors, administration, staff, students and families that are served through all of Lawrence Family Development & Education Fund, Inc.’s (LFDEF) programs, I present this Annual Report which covers July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. Our major strategic accomplishments this year included a Board vote to change our name, beginning in FY’17, to Lawrence Family Development, Inc. (LFD, Inc.), therefore future annual reports will capture this new name. This 2015‐2016 Annual Report reflects our unwavering commitment to our mission: strengthening families and building community through education. Below is a summary of our accomplishments over the past fiscal year: Opening of a new STEM Center at 34 West Street for the instruction to charter school students. This center was funded through multiple foundation sources and will be key to science partnerships and project‐based learning for students in day and after school programs. Setting the foundation for creating a safe space for some of the most vulnerable and disconnected young people in the City of Lawrence, our Alternative Youth Development Program’s Canal Street Project was launched. The Canal Street Project was developed with the involvement of staff, the Lawrence Youth Team members and YouthBuild‐Lawrence students. Acquiring a generous gift from the Fournier Family of property at 10 Railroad Street in Lawrence. This gift provides LFDEF, Inc. the security of knowing that its public charter school The Academy for Early Academic Preparation has a permanent home. Providing technological upgrades to the Maria del Pilar Quintana Family Center, which increases the availability and use of handheld technology for adult English as a Second Language and Citizenship students, 22 of whom this year became new United States citizens. Launching a new LFDEF, Inc. website and social media presence to further strengthen our ability to disseminate the work being done by our staff, students and program participants. Planning for more than one year led to a fully‐staffed LFDEF, Inc. Finance and Human Resources Department revamped to more effectively serve all programmatic components of Lawrence Family Development. Sharing our facilities and services with like‐minded nonprofits and expanding outreach to new urban audiences were foundational to our partnerships with The Community Group and Casa Dominicana. Rolling out an innovative LMS (Learning Management System) by Leadership members and the LFDCS Digital Instructor. This LMS expands dissemination opportunities and increases students’ access to learning tools and has set the stage for a pilot project with BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) for students and staff. Awarding to sixty‐one 8th grade graduates of the charter school’s 2016 graduating class over one and one‐half million dollars in scholarships and financial aid to some of New England’s most prestigious private secondary high schools. Building and selling, by YouthBuild‐Lawrence, another single‐family home developed for low‐moderate, income‐eligible, first‐time home buyers, while breaking ground on a new project on Jackson Street in Lawrence. In addition to our individual program goals and accomplishments, LFD, Inc. continues to move forward with our goals of professionalism and excellence in all aspects of the organization. As the organization grows, we have identified, in our 2014‐2020 Strategic Plan, ambitious goals for the future. After reading the highlights found in this Annual Report, we remain committed to our mission—strengthening families and building community through education. I hope that the highlights found in this 2015‐2016 Annual Report prompt readers and the Board of Directors to share my enthusiasm for what the future holds for LFDEF, Inc. Sincerely, John C. Housianitis, President LFDEF, Inc. Board of Directors
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