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Chica Project
About
Chica Project started in June 2011, with 10 Latinas from underserved communities in Springfield, Holyoke, Lawrence, and Boston with the goal to develop a strength-based youth leadership program that was rooted in cultural competency and the celebration of Latino culture. During the conversations that took place with our young women in that first year, we realized how important the burgeoning relationships between our participants and their leaders had become. In November 2012, Chica Project created a formal group mentoring program that linked to our leadership workshops. Chica Project has now served over 700 Latinas and other Women of Color. Today, we have active participants in Boston, Lawrence and Lynn along with other young women who attend our community-based programming, now called Queens Rise. We currently serve over 120 participants and engage over 60 volunteers. All of this is done in an environment that supports and encourages a deepened understanding of our culture and identity.
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highlights
Chica Project
Conversation Facilitators
Lorrin Van Evra
Director of Development
Lorrin moved to Boston in 2020 from New York City. She is passionate about the creation of safe spaces and mentorship opportunities for women and girls. With an education in Nonprofit Management and Business Administration, she has dedicated her career to uplifting critical causes through community-centric fundraising.
Chica Project
Featured Themes
Chica Project convened a diverse community of participants—ranging from first-generation Americans, immigrants, and long-standing Bostonians to recent arrivals—who shared stories of seeking opportunity, safety, and belonging in Boston and its surrounding areas. While many celebrated the city’s vibrant nonprofit sector, strong cultural communities, and moments of neighborly support, they also illuminated persistent struggles: high housing costs and gentrification, barriers to financial stability and healthcare, lack of youth opportunity, and feelings of segregation, displacement, and limited access to power for residents of color. Despite these challenges, participants voiced a collective hope for a Boston defined by affordable living, accessible mental and physical healthcare, strong schools, accessible transit, and true representation in leadership—calling for action, solidarity, and tangible investments to realize a more inclusive and empowered future for all.
Chica Project