First Lady Michelle Obama presented Project STEP with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, along with a $10,000 gift, in a ceremony at the White House on Nov. 10. Chosen from a national pool of more than 350 nominations and 50 finalists, STEP is one of 12 programs across the country to receive this prestigious honor. Project STEP Executive Director Mary Jaffee and 11-year-old student Ajani Boyd traveled to the White House to accept the honor in person. Photo: Steven E. Purcell

Boston music program offers unique opportunities for minority students through music education

By Linda A. Rapka

If anyone can attest to the life-changing power of music, it’s 19-year-old Njeri Grevious.

She went from living out of a car to studying applied math at Yale thanks to her music studies at Project STEP, a rigorous, year-round Strings Training and Education Program based in Boston. Growing up in a divorced household, sometimes living with her single mother and two younger siblings out of their car, Grevious poured herself into her music studies at Project STEP. In doing so, she found a path to success during a childhood of obstacles. Continue reading →