Madeleine Steczynski

Madeleine Steczynski founded ZUMIX in 1991 in response to the worst year of violence in Boston’s history. The goal was to engage kids, through popular music and public performance, as positive change agents in a neighborhood that was going through significant economic and demographic struggles. She began the program in her studio apartment with twenty-four youth, and currently serves more than 1,000 youth annually out of a beautifully renovated firehouse in East Boston.

ZUMIX has received numerous awards, including the National Arts and Humanities Youth Programs Award. For twenty-four years, ZUMIX has served as a catalyst for youth and community development, harnessing the energy of emerging young artists and the passion of residents, to help people connect, communicate, and envision a brighter future for East Boston.