For the past few years, the MassHire Merrimack Valley Workforce Board (MassHire) and Sueños Basketball have provided workforce training and employment opportunities for young people through Youthworks. This collaboration has grown far beyond the basketball court—empowering young people in Lawrence with mentorship, professional development, and leadership opportunities that change the trajectory of their lives.  

The Youthworks Grant Program, administered by Commonwealth Corporation on behalf of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, serves as the backbone of this partnership. By providing critical funding and support, Youthworks enables MassHire to connect youth with meaningful employment and training experiences. These funds allow Sueños to pay teen coaches and deliver leadership workshops—all while building a future-ready workforce. 

“This partnership through MassHire has been very important for us,” says Jackie Marte- Dilone, Co-Founder of Sueños.  “Over the last eight to nine years, we’ve been able to offer jobs and project-based learning to more than 200 kids. We’re so grateful, because without MassHire, we wouldn’t be able to pay the kids or provide the workshops and skills they gain through programs like Signal Success.” 

Sueños Basketball was founded to foster holistic development—not just athletic, but mental, emotional, and social growth. Today, they deliver on that mission by supporting the young participants they serve but also empowering the youth who help bring the program to life working through YouthWorks. “We provide leadership training, soft skills, and the belief that youth can thrive no matter their background,” Marte-Dilone explains. “We know not everyone will go pro, but everyone deserves a chance to succeed in life.” 

The alignment between Sueños’ mission and MassHire’s Youthworks program, has created a seamless pipeline where teens build life skills, gain work experience, and develop into community leaders. 

Yevette Garcia, Youth Service Specialist at Masshire Merrimack Valley, describes the program as a model for youth empowerment. YouthWorks participants as young as 14 begin in the Leadership Academy, where they are introduced to leadership principles, community service, and financial literacy. As they grow, they transition into coaching roles, mentoring younger athletes and leading summer basketball camps.

The program also collaborates with Northern Essex Community College, where students attend leadership workshops led by local leaders and state representatives—giving youth direct exposure to real-world opportunities and role models. The youth participants also have access to Signal Success, YouthWorks’ work readiness curriculum designed to help young people develop skills needed to succeed in school, work, and life.  

Laisha Calcano, a YouthWorks participant who joined Sueños in 7th grade, shares her journey: “Joining Sueños Basketball in 7th grade was a turning point in my life, a lifeline in a city that often felt like it was working against me. Growing up in the Hancock housing projects of Lawrence, surrounded by violence, trauma, and neglect, it was easy to feel like just another statistic. But Sueños gave me something I hadn’t experienced before: structure, mentorship, and belief. It wasn’t just about basketball; it was about discipline, purpose, and possibility.”  

Calcano has come full circle as she now works at Sueños thanks to YouthWorks. “Through MassHire, I transitioned from being a player in the program to working with Sueños for several years, and today, I proudly serve as the Program Coordinator. That journey from participant to leader reflects exactly what happens when we invest in our youth. The values I gained are resilience, teamwork, and leadership, which have stayed with me far beyond the court,” she explains. 

Marte-Dilone emphasizes that the impact extends beyond basketball; youth are also encouraged to give back, participating in civic projects like 84 movement (a youth-focused public health initiative run by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Health Resources in Action), where they explore ways to improve local education systems. 

“We don’t just support the child—we support the whole family,” says Marte-Dilone. “With the help of CommCorp, Mass Hire, and other community partners, we’re building a generation of resilient, purpose-driven leaders.” 

Sueños Basketball continues to grow, thanks to the state’s ongoing investment through Youthworks. This initiative isn’t just building great athletes; it’s nurturing future leaders and engaged community members and empowering young people for years to come.