The ADAM Project
Big Brothers Big Sisters launched the ADAM Project in the early 1990's in response to increased youth gang violence in Lowell. ADAM, which stands for "Awareness and Development of Adolescent Minds," is an afterschool and summer program that addresses the needs of youth at-risk of neighborhood violence, dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, and other factors.
From the beginning, ADAM has taken the long view, based on the premise that creating opportunities for disadvantaged youth requires addressing the root causes behind the risk factors that hold them back. It is simply not enough to "keep kids off the street." To solve the problem, long term, we need to help youth develop the skills to make good choices and to empower them with a sense of what is possible for their futures. That is the notion that fuels the ADAM project. We empower youth. We nurture their inherent leadership qualities. We expose them to role models and mentors. We give them the tools to succeed in school and in life.
Through partnerships with the Lowell Community Health Center, UMass Lowell, Middlesex Community College, and the Lowell Career Center, we provide services including leadership development, violence prevention, academic tutoring, mentoring, college readiness, health education, and substance abuse prevention.
Funding for the ADAM Project comes from the Robbins-de Beaumont Foundation, Greater Lowell Workforce Investment Board, JP Morgan Chase, the Lowell Community Development Block Grant Program, Liberty Mutual, Sharp Family Foundation, and BJ's Charitable Trust.