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The Stampede is On: We Need 200 to Unlock $23K
A Generous Donor has offered a major incentive for 401 Gives. It is not the amount of dollars but the number of contriutors.
Celebrating a Woman This Month
Dear Friends,
This International Women’s History Month, we recognize someone who quietly and powerfully shapes the heart of FabNewport: Samantha—our “Keeper of All Things,” the Wiz, our Chief Operating Officer.
Sam holds together the essential threads of our work—budgets, schedules, transportation, insurance—with a kind of quiet authority rooted in empathy and care. She does it all while making time for children and families, ensuring that everyone who walks through our doors feels seen, supported, and valued.
But Sam is more than an exceptional operator. She is a designer, a mentor, and a creator. Alongside earning her MBA, she completed a certificate at IYRS School of Technology & Trades, and now uses her design skills to shape FabNewport’s storytelling and coach young people in bringing their ideas to life.
Her impact shows up in the smallest and most meaningful ways. Arthur, a learner who has been with us for three years, was so inspired by Sam’s presence that he dyed his hair blue to match hers. “She became a role model,” he shared. The summer cooking team often fills Sam’s lunch with small treats—a simple, heartfelt expression of gratitude.
“I wanted to work with good people who wanted to do good things in the world,” Sam says. Four years full-time and more than a decade connected to FabNewport, she continues to embody exactly that.
At FabNewport, we believe young people thrive when they are surrounded by adults who model care, creativity, and possibility. Sam is one of those adults—steady, imaginative, and deeply committed to building a world where every young person belongs.
Ellen/Steve/Chris
“When I started learning on my own, I didn’t think I would like working with other people or helping other people. But this taught me that when you work with others, you feel better. When you help people, you make them feel better—and you make yourself feel better too.”
The Endless Summer Planning Continues
On March 19th, 30 parents, caregivers, partners, and young people gathered for our second dinner conversation about what our learner-centered microschool, Endless Summer, could be.
In three intentional breakout spaces—Safety and Structure, Equity and Inclusion, and Sustainability and Legality—something powerful surfaced. People shared openly about what learning has been, what it is right now, and what it could be if we are bold enough to build something different.
“My child has an IEP,” one parent shared. “I think this opportunity would be amazing for my son because he learns by doing. I was told he needed the IEP and I trusted that—but he feels different because of it. I worry about that. I think this school will help him not feel so different.”
We heard hope—for spaces where children are known, where they feel safe to be themselves, where learning connects to their lives and their futures.
We heard fear—the kind that comes with trying something new. The uncertainty of stepping outside traditional systems. The weight of making the “right” choice for a child.
And we heard trust.
“I trust FabNewport to always work with me when it comes to my children,” shared a mother of a Heart Club learner. “You always work with families, not against them. That’s why I believe in this. I was so excited when I first heard you talk about it. I want my son and my nephew to come.”
Families are trusting us with their stories, their concerns, their dreams, and their questions. We do not take that lightly. When families open up like this, it means they are searching for something more—and asking, “Can we build it together?”
The answer is yes.
But only if we keep doing exactly what we did that night: Listening deeply. Telling the truth. Holding space for both hope and fear. And building, together.
