Our History… In 1991, with the support of the Anne E. Casey Foundation, the board and administration of the Lawrence Youth Commission (LYC) created the entity, now known as Lawrence Family Development. Inc. d/b/a Lawrence Prospera. Over the past 30 years, LFD, Inc. has launched and managed successful projects with a focus on education, community and leadership development. Some of those projects included a Career Center offering after-school programs—such as, Proyecto Alcance, Project Reach, City CORE, an Adult Leadership Development Program, which helped create a new generation of leaders immersed in the heritage and culture of the City’s immigrant community and the Parent Mobilization Project (PMP) which conducted resident-led, community-wide needs assessments. Our Evolution...building on the past to respond to the needs of today... Lessons learned from the Career Center, the AmeriCorps project and the urgent need to offer an education/ workplace program for seriously at-risk youth led to the creation of YouthBuild-Lawrence. Now, in its twenty-fifth cycle, YouthBuild-Lawrence continues to prepare young adults to earn their HiSET, gain job readiness skills, develop self-confidence and feel ownership in their community through building homes for low-income Lawrence families. The success of YouthBuild-Lawrence laid the foundation for LFD, Inc. to manage the City’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative Grant Program and launch the SISU Youth Development Program. Building on the Adult Leadership Development Program and the Parent Mobilization Project (PMP), LFD, Inc. launched the Citizenship for New Americans’ Program. Volunteer facilitators from the PMP were trained to become citizenship and ESL educators and have assisted hundreds of immigrants attain United States citizenship. In 2006 the Maria del Pilar Quintana Family Center opened as the permanent home for LFD, Inc.’s adult education programs and continues to provide programming and support to the community of 1st , 2nd and 3rd generation Lawrencians. Through the PMP, the need for culturally-appropriate and highquality public education in Lawrence rose to the forefront of issues for which Lawrence Family Development began to address. 1991 Inaugural meeting of Lawrence Family Development and Parent Mobilization Project launches 1989 Career Center established at Lawrnece Public Library City CORE Program becomes one of the first AmeriCorps programs in Massachusetts Education Fund, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) 1992 1993 YouthBuildLawrence Opens Lawrence Family Development Charter School opens as one of Massachusetts’ first charter schools LFDEF, Inc. receives funding to start Citizenship for New Americans’ Program 1995 LAWRENCE PROSPERA FY’23 ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 2
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