Overview
- Martinez and his wife Carolina publicly launched the program at a back‑to‑school event in Lawrence where he spoke with students and distributed school supplies and gift bags.
- The afterschool effort will operate across seven Lawrence elementary schools and is planned to reach hundreds of third‑ and fourth‑grade students with modern technology and coding instruction.
- Carolina Martinez said the couple chose early grades because starting young boosts later motivation and resourcefulness among students.
- South Lawrence East Principal Lori Butterfield said the program is meant to move children from using apps and games to creating software and tools at a time when many are already using AI and other technologies.
- Pedro Martinez framed the effort as a personal commitment rooted in his childhood struggles and long ties to Lawrence while organizers have not yet disclosed the program’s name, funding sources, detailed curriculum, or long‑term operations.