E-F Spring Break Trip to Boston - 2015

Twelve E-F Leaders traveled to Boston, MA, over Spring Break 2015 to engage in learning about urban education and workforce development, public health, community development/poverty alleviation, as well as the arts, and urban civic engagement.

Drawing from its existing network of world-class universities, learning companies, innovation economy, and technical talent, there are over 130 education technology and learning-oriented startups in the Boston area. With organizations like New Profit, and Bridgespan, and other high functioning organizations, Boston has become a respected hub that aspires to harness the spirit of innovation, vision, and optimism to help innovative social entrepreneurs and their organizations to solve some of their regions, and our nations, most nagging and pressing social problems.

Scholars visited many organizations in the Boston area including TechMission, City Year, YearUp, New Profit, Match charter school, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston 2024, and the Boys & Girls Club. Upon return, scholars were inspired to think like extraordinary leaders, and began to dream and re-imagine solutions and great possibilities to our region’s most pressing urban needs.

Boston "Learning Tour" Huge Success!

“Now that we are back in Kansas I would like to start a project with the E-F group. We learned so much and we are motivated to do great things and I think that now would be a great time to start a project. I would also like to see E-F continue, and have more trips like this one. This trip was a great learning experience. It was well worth the time money and effort.” – Marco Loma, junior

“This trip helped me realize there are more opportunities out there; I’m not bound to Kansas. In the past, I only considered going back to Dodge City after I graduate, but this trip opened my eyes to the impact I could have by expanding my horizons outside of Kansas before coming back to my home community.” - Michael Zuniga, junior

“Through the trip, I learned a lot, and as a result I refined a vision that I had for the future of the E-F Program. My hopes are that we can start a project and implement what we learned through the many successful organizations in Boston. I think it is time to scale the social innovations of Boston to the rest of the US and breed the next social entrepreneurs through the Edgerley-Franklin Urban Leadership Scholars.” – Ismael Hernandez, graduate

“I realized that as important as passion is, knowing where you should specialize and when to not spread yourself too thin is almost as important. Coming away with those thoughts, I want to really start a new chapter of my life when I move to Chicago and really find my niche in the urban community there.” – Miguel Valdes, graduate

“Kim Syman (New Profit) and Michael Brown (City Year CEO) helped me realize that I want to start or work for a non-profit that tackles a problem about which I am passionate.” – Navanté Peacock, senior

“This trip has changed my life and my outlook on life. I now look for ways I can be progressive instead of a band-aid.” – Cipriana Sapien, senior

“Boston allowed me to realize the role I want in the urban community. I want to incite change, so I can change insight.”- Samantha Estabrook, junior

“Overall this was a growing and learning experience. We are no longer questioning, ‘How are they doing this,’ we are now asking ourselves, ‘How can we do this?’” – Yubisela Toledo, senior