About

Add your custom HTML here

Learn all about  P4L

Our Mission

P4L's mission is to help economically disadvantaged students prepare for educational and life success by engaging them in STEM enrichment and college awareness-access-readiness programs.  P4L addresses the "opportunity gap" experienced by many MCPS students, who because of the lack of family resources, are at risk of being underestimated and under-encouraged.  P4L supports our students towards higher levels of educational and personal development as they enter high school and prepare to become productive and contributing young adults.

Our overarching goal is to help our youth become skilled, productive, and responsible creators and not just consumers of technology.  Through a broad array of after school, weekend, and summer activities, enhanced by field trips and guest speakers, our youth gain STEM and digital communication skills and interests for high school and beyond.


Coached by adult educators and STEM professionals as well as older peers, our youth become contributing digital citizens as well as striving STEM scholars, with aspirations and confidence for their future.


We Believe

  • Every child has the potential to be an inspired and committed learner;
  • Our community has the responsibility and ability to help make learning come alive for all of its children and youth;
  • The engagement of parents and families is critical to student success;
  • Business, community and older student mentors and role models can make a remarkable difference in the life of a student;
  • Our future as a community, county, state and nation is tied to our ability to help every student learn, strive and tap the magic in themselves.


Our Staff

Matthew Ratz

Executive Director

Marvely Molina Torres

Director of Programs & Outreach

Alyssa Berrios

Program & Communications Assistant

Board of Directors

President

Annica Wayman, Ph.D.

Associate Dean, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Treasurer

Tom Gentile, Esq.
Attorney, Law Office of Thomas A. Gentile

Vice President

Vikram Pant​

Portfolio Architect, CACI

  • Members at Large

    Jacqueline Hilton

    VP, Human Resources & Organizational Development, ANA Enterprises


    Jennifer M. Hosey

    New York Life


    Kevin Webb

    Global Head of WWPS/SAP,  Amazon Web Services


    Robert Tettelbach

    Retired, US Air Force and US Department of the Interior

  • Collaborations

    Our success wouldn't be possible without the following partnerships and collaborations over the past 18 years:


    AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center 


    Artivate 


    Big Learning 


    Community CHEER


    Gadget Lab 


    Gandhi Brigade Youth Media 


    KID Museum


    MHP(Making Home Possible)


    Montgomery College Youth Programs 


    Montgomery County Collaboration Council 


    The Montgomery County Public School System (MCPS) 


    Montgomery County Department of Recreation

People

Students and their schools

Passion for Learning works with MCPS students to help them advance their STEM skills and interests as well as plans for success in high school and college. For the 2023-24 school year we engaged students from these MCPS middle schools:

  • Eastern
  • Silver Spring International
  • Parkland
  • Shady Grove


  • Montgomery Blair HS


Instructors with Passion 4 Learning
Instructors

Instructors

At each of our partner schools, we link students to talented and caring MCPS teachers, who encourage our youth and help them strive and achieve. Many of our teachers have been with our programs for several years.  Examples include:


  • Ned MacFadden at Eastern Middle School, who’s been one of our “adolescent whisperers” for 10+ years. 
  • Jo Doerrman, at Shady Grove Middle school, has been teaching computer technology for us since 2006. 
  • Additionally, we have a years-long special partnership with Karen Giacopuzzi, founder of Gadget Lab, who leads one of our most popular STEM programs, "Tech Squad."

Inspiring Adults

Each year we engage college students and adult professionals who visit after school programs.  They inspire our youth and stimulate their interests in future STEM pursuits and professions.  Program guests have included bioengineering grad students, an etymology researcher, electrical engineer, video game designers, digital artists, photographers, and videographers.

Annually, our students meet college students and admissions staff, and take campus tours that include Montgomery College, The Universities at Shady Grove, Towson University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, and American University.  New for 2022: University of Maryland College Park.


Classroom Assistants

Passion for Learning engages high school and college students—including many P4L program alums.  For the current 2023-24 school year, 10 MCPS high school students are coaching and mentoring their younger peers. Our thanks go out to:

David, Jane, Liya, Luisa, Parsa, Sara, Tsion, Ismael, Emmanuel, and Zena.

Share by: