Back to School with Community: How Google and Lucy Vasserman Spark Possibility for Students
As students across the country head back to school this fall, we’re reminded that learning is most powerful when communities come together. At Citizen Schools, our mission is made possible through the dedication of educators, families, and community partners like Google—whose employees, like Lucy Vasserman, bring real-world expertise into classrooms.
Lucy, Google Jigsaw Head of Engineering, has been a Career Mentor with Citizen Schools since 2014. Inspired by her own first computer science class in middle school, she knows how transformative early exposure to STEM can be. Today, she shares that spark with students by helping them see themselves as future engineers, problem-solvers, and innovators.
“Back to school is a reminder that students don’t learn alone. When teachers, mentors, and community partners like Google step in, we help students discover possibilities they may never have imagined.”
Through our programming that pairs teachers with career mentors, Lucy collaborates with educators to design hands-on projects that make learning relevant. From coding exercises to brainstorming climate solutions with students, Lucy demonstrates how partnerships with companies like Google can open doors for young people who might otherwise never see themselves in these fields.
Beyond the classroom, Lucy serves as a Citizen Schools Champion, recruiting colleagues and peers to volunteer—expanding the impact of Google’s community partnership and ensuring that even more students can benefit from mentor relationships.
This school year, thanks to the commitment of community partners like Google and mentors like Lucy, thousands of students will return to classrooms with not just new school supplies—but new networks of support, encouragement, and opportunity.