Boston, MA — The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) and the Leaders through Education, Action and Hope (LEAH) Project are proud to commemorate seven years of partnership as LEAH celebrates its 20th anniversary. Since 2005, the LEAH Project has been instrumental in expanding access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and career pathways for Boston-area youth from underrepresented backgrounds.
Health Resources in Action (HRiA), a Boston-based non-profit, has been the home of the LEAH Project since 2013. President and CEO, Steve Ridini, shares, “We are proud to partner with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. Our collaboration increases access to memorable and skill-building STEM opportunities for students.”
In 2018, the MLSC partnered with the LEAH Project to support the expansion of the LEAH Knox program. MLSC continued to provide annual financial support for the program, including the later expansion of the LEAH Daly program, totaling more than $916,000 through 2024. These critical funds help ensure meaningful, paid internships, programming, and preparation for LEAH youth to thrive in college. Partners like the MLSC help students gain hands-on experience in labs and research environments, building the skills and confidence needed to pursue careers in the life sciences. In addition, MLSC funding has allowed LEAH to expand its programming to include second-year internships, giving returning students the chance to apply their lab skills in real-world research settings. To date, funds from the MLSC have sponsored over 100 students. MLSC is looking forward to continuing its support of the program this summer.
The LEAH Project has had a powerful effect on the lives of these young people, collectively called “the FamiLEAH.” Recent data shows that 86% of LEAH participants are interested in pursuing a STEM career. Students like Ayan S. found the program transformational: “LEAH gave me something I had never experienced before. I wasn’t just a student shadowing a mentor; I was a researcher, making decisions, learning from mistakes, and proving to myself that I was capable.” These results are attributable in no small part to partners like the MLSC.
“The MLSC is proud to congratulate the LEAH Project on its 20th anniversary,” said MLSC President and CEO Kirk Taylor, MD. “We look forward to continuing our partnership, which provides students with both the technical and ‘success’ skills, necessary to become future leaders in the life sciences.”
The LEAH Project honored these milestones at the organization’s 20th Anniversary Celebration on June 25, 2025, at the Nonprofit Center in Boston. MLSC’s Executive Vice President of Educational Partnerships and Workforce Investments, Ryan Mudawar, was recognized as one of the recipients of the “20 for 20 FamiLEAH Champion Award”. The MLSC was thrilled to join community members, alumni, and other partners to reflect on two decades of impact.
As the LEAH Project approaches its third decade, individuals, corporations, and organizations are invited to join MLSC in supporting future STEM leaders. By sponsoring the LEAH Project, supporters help us continue providing internships, mentorship programs, and learning opportunities for the next generation of the FamiLEAH. To take action, please visit https://www.leahproject.org/take-action.
About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC)
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is an economic development investment agency dedicated to supporting the growth and development of the life sciences in Massachusetts, home to the most verdant and productive life sciences ecosystem in the world. Through public-private funding initiatives, the MLSC supports innovation, research and development, commercialization, and manufacturing activities in the fields of biopharma, medical device, diagnostics and digital health. Since its creation in 2007, the MLSC has strategically deployed more than $1 billion in Massachusetts, through a combination of grants, loans, capital infrastructure investments, tax incentives and workforce programs. These investments have created thousands of jobs and propelled the development of new therapies, devices and scientific advancements that are improving patient health and well-being in Massachusetts and beyond.
About the LEAH Project
The Leaders through Education, Action and Hope (LEAH) Project is a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), college access, and career readiness program for Boston area youth who are historically excluded from STEM fields (low-income youth, youth of color, first-generation college youth). The LEAH Project is a program of Health Resources in Action, non-profit working to improve and reimagine public health. Learn more at: https://www.leahproject.org/ and https://hria.org/impact-stories/theleahproject/.
