Since 2013, the LDAMF has awarded seed grants of up to $2,000 to support innovative and creative initiatives working in three areas: Effective Teen Relationships & Violence Prevention, the Arts, and Community Service. We are pleased to announce this year’s winners – seventeen creative and varied projects that will carry Lauren Dunne Astley’s spirit and memory into their important work in the year to come. Congratulations to this year’s amazing award winners!
(If you or your organization have an idea to promote healthy and safe teen relationships, to celebrate and further the creative or performing arts, or to encourage community service, please consider applying during next year’s grant cycle. A simple online application will be open starting in early December. Visit www.laurendunneastleymemorialfund.org for more information.)
2025 Mini-Grant Awards
South Shore Music & Arts Sampler
This exciting new program will offer one-week, full-day summer camp experiences to rising 1st-3rd graders who will explore four local arts organizations on the Massachusetts South Shore: The South Shore Children’s Chorus, The Jesse Stiglich Music School, Sing Explore Create, and Company Theatre. Through hands-on classes and interactive sessions, the Music & Arts Sampler will expose young learners to a diverse range of artistic experiences and encourage further involvement in the arts.
Serving Victims of Domestic Violence
Proposed by members of the Seward, Nebraska chapter of Family, Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), this project will support women who have escaped abusive relationships by providing essential hygiene and personal care products to local women’s shelters. These efforts will help to alleviate the stress of finding basic necessities and offer comfort and care to those in need, all while raising awareness about domestic violence in the community. We celebrate these young leaders!
Educating Teens in Foster Care Program
Acclaimed speaker Ashley Bendiksen will address an audience of teenagers in the foster care program of the Kennedy-Donovan Center in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Ms. Bendiksen’s presentation, “Preventing Dating Violence and Promoting Self Advocacy,” will help these young people to recognize dating abuse red flags, understand healthy relationships, set boundaries, seek help when needed, and support peers. The goal is both to empower young people with knowledge and tools around healthy relationships and to have a lasting impact on their personal growth and well-being.
Telling Your Story: Composing Music with Hyperscore
This unique program from New Harmony Line will empower students from local recreation centers and detention facilities in Iowa to express themselves through music composition. Working with a local rapper and using the Hyperscore platform, participants will create beats and rap lyrics, telling their personal stories in a supportive environment. The program will culminate in a presentation of their work, with participants receiving a video and mp4 version of their compositions. The hope is to encourage community collaboration and participants’ ongoing engagement through future sessions and performances.
Women of Wayland Podcast – season 5: Women in Local Governance
Now in its fifth season, the Women of Wayland Podcast will spotlight stories of women serving in key local government roles in Wayland, Massachusetts – council members, school board representatives, and public advocates. This season will highlight the challenges, triumphs, and leadership of women in governance while encouraging more women to engage in public service and shape the future of their communities.
SINGtogether – Collaborative Intergenerational Music-making
This community event from Golden Tones will bring together high school students and retirees through a shared love of singing, fostering empathy, compassion, and a deeper connection across generations. This project will promote the benefits of music as a tool for engagement, with students and older adults exchanging ideas and performing songs that reflect the theme “An American Experience.” Through rehearsals, informal song exchanges, and a final public concert, participants will experience the joy of creating music together while gaining a greater appreciation for each other’s lives and experiences.
His Name is Eku
This short dramatic film by Thitu Muiruri will address the often-taboo topics of male trauma, childhood sexual abuse, and mental health with the goal of sparking important conversations within communities. Through screenings and panel discussions with community groups and non-profit organizations, this film will aim to create safe spaces where individuals can openly discuss these sensitive issues, fostering healing and support. The project will seek to encourage victims to share their stories and seek professional help while raising awareness about the need for justice and healing for male survivors of childhood abuse.
Subject:Matter Tap Dance Performance
LDAMF support will help to bring this vibrant local dance company to Wayland for a 45-minute dance and music performance. Three tap dancers and three live musicians will bring the community together through the transformative power of music and dance, showcasing local talent, bringing joy to the audience, and increasing visibility for Arts Wayland in its mission to bring the arts to MetroWest.
Masterclasses with Sandra Piques Eddy
The Wayland High School Choral Program will host masterclasses for both high school and middle school students with renowned Portuguese-American mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy. Students will learn from Ms. Eddy and work on their own vocal technique, and they may also find inspiration in the story of her journey, starting as a young singer like them, to become the respected artist and teacher she is today.
JCCPA Summer Youth Arts Summit
The Jubilee Career Center for the Performing Arts in Worcester, MA will offer this dynamic program for youth in grades 7-12 that combines creativity, civic engagement, and leadership development through the arts. Over the course of seven weeks, participants will explore various art forms, engage in community discussions, and work on collaborative projects to address social issues. The program aims to foster innovation, self-expression, and social equity while preparing future leaders in arts, media, and social justice. The Youth Arts Summit will culminate in a community block party showcasing students’ work.
Tubano Drums in New “Art and Wellness” Class
High school students in Burlington, MA will soon be able to sign up for a new course that will integrate music, visual arts, dance, and theater to promote emotional well-being, healthy relationships, and community connection. This mini-grant will equip the class with a set of tubano drums for circle drumming and rhythmic movement. This pilot program will use hands-on activities, reflection, and sharing of skills with local community organizations to help students explore ways that the arts intersect with and support their own physical, mental, and intellectual health.
A Night of Opera Previews
Opera del West will present a workshop of two new vocal works: Greeners, an opera about immigration and assimilation, and Lovely is the Earth, a yuletide oratorio. Both works will be presented in workshop form, with a chance for a question-and-answer session with performers and creators afterward. The event will aim to showcase these two culturally relevant pieces, connect with diverse communities in MetroWest, and provide a unique opportunity to experience new works in a collaborative setting.
Student Partnerships for Violence Prevention and Awareness
This project from The Second Step will engage young people from student-led clubs in Boston-area high schools with activities aimed to educate, build awareness, and prevent relationship violence. As part of this partnership program, The Second Step will run a group for caregivers of participating students. The aim will be to share resources and to increase parent/guardian knowledge about how to communicate with teens about healthy relationships and how to recognize warning signs of relationship violence.
Supporting Student Athletes
This mini-grant will help to pilot a partnership between the not-for-profit Advance Collegiate and the Wayland High School athletic community. Advance Collegiate works with exceptional student-athletes who might not have the support, knowledge, or resources to successfully navigate the pathways to becoming college athletes. The hope is for promising Wayland High School athletes from Boston (members of the METCO program) to benefit from ongoing professional guidance and support as they pursue athletic careers at the college level.
A Radical Welcome, Franklin Park
The Boston Public Quartet, in partnership with The Franklin Park Coalition, will host the first performance event in what is hoped to become an ongoing series. The event will bring the lives and music of BIPOC women to life at the underutilized Schoolmaster Hill ruins in Franklin Park. The goal is to engage a diverse cross-section of Boston’s residents, to inspire conversations across generations and between different socio-economic groups, and to provide a multi-sensory, accessible experience to all in celebration of Juneteenth. The event will foster connections between artists and audience while promoting inclusivity in classical music.
Updating Teen Dating Violence Awareness Materials
Alternative House, a nonprofit based in Lowell, MA that offers services to all survivors of domestic violence, has recently entered into partnership with the Greater Lowell Technical High School to provide resources and education around healthy relationships. This mini-grant from the LDAMF will provide for the updating and printing of handouts and educational materials on healthy relationships and teen dating violence for use in educational sessions with students.
Youth-Led Social Media Curriculum Implementation
LEAP Self-Defense (Girls’ LEAP) is implementing a youth-led social media curriculum to help girls and gender-expansive youth navigate social media safely, manage online risks, and foster healthy relationships. The program will be piloted through workshops for middle and high school students, parents, and youth workers and will reach hundreds of participants in the coming year.
