The Lawrence Working Families Initiative (LWFI) is a collaborative effort of LCW and the Lawrence Public Schools (LPS), as well as more than a dozen public and private partners, with the shared goal of implementing a two-generation approach to improving the economic mobility of Lawrence families.
Partnership History & Background
The LWFI partners first came together in 2014 to respond to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s first Working Cities Challenge competition. At that time we realized that the LPS Receivership was the key transformative opportunity facing the City of Lawrence; at the same time, dozens of planning conversations with local institutions, stakeholders, and over 200 residents prioritized the need for jobs and emphasized that employment and educational attainment were inextricable. In embracing this opportunity, we knew that student success was intimately linked to family economic stability and progress, which necessitated a two-generation and whole-comunity approach.