The most important gift in life is receiving an education. A new non-profit program named Education Comes First (ECF) began just over one year ago which is a separate entity from any partnerships. The first goal is raising funds to donate to multiple organizations outside of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn.
– (Front): The Real Program Jan Plourde, Boys & Girls Club Grace Duran, Girls Inc. Deb Ansourlian, Building
Bridges Through Music Doreen Murray, Boys & Girls Club Jodi Furlong, Lynn YMCA Kathleen Walsh, ECF
Board Member Cherry Tree Law Firm and State Rep. Daniel Cahill, Private Jewel Fitness Alex Sepulveda,
ECF Board Members Nick Mennino and Tim Demakes, and Exec. Director of Boys & Girls Club of Lynn Brian Theirrien.
Executive Director of Boys & Girls Club Brian Thierrien and Mike Conway set up this initiative to supply grants throughout the state, New England region, and beyond. Brian said, “We have three sites in Long Island, New York and twelve in Massachusetts including six located in Lynn.” Education Comes First inspires the youth to further their educational endeavors outside of a classroom in subject areas of Math, Reading, and Social Development. During summer 2023 impressive performance occurred at the Lynn Boys & Girls Club as 1,098 ECF students read 4,078 books and had ninety collective hours in the Khan-Math program. Deb Ansourlian of Girls Inc said, “We able to serve over two hundred girls during the summer. Our goals are Reading and Math programs. The exciting part is that programs are now integrating with everything we do at Girls Inc. The older girls read with the younger girls. Everyone is really involved and thank you for this EFC grant.” Lynn program partnerships include Private Jewels Fitness, Girls Inc of Lynn, The Real Program, Boys & Girls Club of Lynn, Demakes YMCA of Lynn, and Building Bridges Through Music.