Each year, the Mamaroneck Schools Foundations endows students with grants to develop their independent projects. Out of the eight recipients that received grants this year, four were individual start-ups developed by Mamaroneck High School students. Mamaroneck Laundromat Libraries, First Gen Motivational Speakers, the Dr. Well Care is Always There Puppet Show, and the Women’s Engineering Mentorship Program have all left astute impacts on Mamaroneck High School and our community as a whole.
In the United States, the average family spends upwards of two hours a week at their neighborhood laundromat. Robert De Jager (‘23) began his project, Laundromat Libraries, to promote the importance of reading, by turning laundromats into a place where kids can learn and grow. De Jager, the son of an immigrant, is personally connected to someone who grew up without widespread access to books. Reading is essential; without access to books, children are likely to fall behind several grade levels. Laundromat Libraries allow families to browse a diverse collection of books as they wait for their laundry. Although these libraries will not fix America’s broken early education system, they will allow our community to work towards educational equity. The Mamaroneck Schools Foundations (MSF) grant, will provide a larger assortment of books and additional storage crates to carry out this initiative.
Although first-generation students have bright futures ahead of them, they are often forced to navigate high school and its many unknowns without proper guidance. The First-Generation Motivation Speakers Program, developed by Melissa Barrios (‘23), seeks to provide a mentor to first-generation students in the district. Speaker Samantha Ramirez, will use personal experience and observation to motivate students to engage within their school. Ramirez grew up in a discriminatory community, yet overcame numerous barriers to reach success. If students apply Ramirez’s mindset, Barrios believes that they too will be able to achieve their own ambitions. The grant will allow Ramirez to come in and discuss the barriers she faced within a school environment as a Latinx student. Similarly to Laundromat Libraries, this program inspires and motivates young community members. Ramirez will shape knowledgeable and inspired students. Each and everyone of us should learn from diverse perspectives, so we can expand our mindset.
Jarvis Savage (‘22) has combined his interests in science and writing in an impactful form: elementary puppet shows. The Doctor Wellcare is Always There Elementary Puppet Show presents engaging short stories on medicine to a younger audience. Savage has already presented the puppet show to many of the district’s elementary students from all four elementary schools and has plans to perform to all 2,046 district students in grades K through four. The grant will supply Savage with diverse puppets and materials to fabricate the theater. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, many community service opportunities have been compromised, therefore Savage must host his shows on Zoom. Savage states, “Through the puppet shows, I have been able to educate young minds in an informative and enjoyable way.” These performances are beneficial to those who have elementary-aged siblings. Many young students struggle to develop interests in a wide-range of studies—this effort may help to expose them to fields in science and medicine that they otherwise would not be familiar with. The puppet shows encourage well-rounded students to foster this interest to high school and beyond.
The Women’s Engineering Mentorship Program aims to inspire rising freshmen students to pursue engineering as their elective. Sarah Lord (‘23) began this independent project with the intention to educate and influence female students to participate in STEM. Lord explains that, “Studies have shown that having a role model is important for girls to encourage them to take up their interests in STEM, because it’s been shown that there is a cultural association with masculinity and STEM.” By giving these impressionable minds mentors, girls are more likely to choose STEM electives, encouraging further female empowerment at MHS. With the grant funds, Lord plans on supplying her program with the materials needed for engaging projects. Currently, they have plans for the girls to build bridges as a design challenge. Without the aid of the grant, there would be a steep price to go along with the project. Even if the girls decide against taking engineering as their elective, it is always beneficial to educate them on STEM as a life skill.
The distributed grants will further progress each project. Adding additional resources to the various programs will improve their impact on the community. From educating young girls on STEM, to providing books for local children, these projects will thrive with the assistance of the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation. These Mamaroneck High School Students are aspiring to create a better society, and although their path has just begun, it will influence the Larchmont-Mamaroneck community for years to come.