Worcester’s Women Entrepreneurs: Lauren Monroe

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

George Charles Allen, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

The child of entrepreneurial parents, Lauren Monroe carries on the family tradition with her startup, Worcester Think Tank.

Lauren Monroe of Worcester is changing the face of science education for youth in Central Massachusetts with her own innovative ideas for creative discovery in the 21st century. A passionate world-traveler, singer, songwriter, actress, and self-proclaimed “science nerd,” Monroe is founder and director of Worcester Think Tank LLC, formed in 2008 at the Sprinkler Factory on Harlow Street.

Graduating from UMASS Amherst with a BS in Chemistry in 2002, Monroe took to the high seas with Peace Boat, a chartered educational cruise ship that circumnavigates the globe twice each year. Its mission: educating international students about real world social, political and environmental issues.

Extensively touring and educating students from nearly 16 countries inspired her to develop what would become the core mission of Worcester Think Tank. “Working and traveling abroad gave me insight on the value of education through experience,” she said, “and I came back to the states with renewed inspiration to study and teach science."

Worcester Think Tank

Tutoring science independently after returning from overseas, Monroe quickly observed a greater need within the community for her love of innovative, hands-on science teaching.

“I recognized a niche in providing hands-on science education to the home schooled community,” she said. “After burning a small hole in a client’s table, I also recognized the need for a more appropriate space to hold my classes!”

Worcester Think Tank LLC, an alternative education center for the arts and sciences, is now home to many budding Da Vinci’s between the ages of 6 and 18 in and around Central Massachusetts. Its core mission is to enrich the education for both after school students and home schooled children.

Empowering the imagination of youth

Restless with the rigors of a textbook-and-lecture approach to science, Monroe designed Think Tank to empower the creative imagination of youth by fostering an environment for free inquiry across academic boundaries. “I began to envision an educational environment with more freedom to move about disciplines,” she said, “and with more flexibility in time to complete projects.”

Monroe described Think Tank's focus being in interdisciplinary science, technology and creative arts programs with small class sizes, innovative curricula and hands-on, project-based learning. "Being an independent enterprise has allowed for a free environment in which unique and innovative ideas are capable of moving into a curriculum and practiced quickly,” she said.

Growth, community and collaboration

Think Tank’s first year began with the help of two home school families, 5 part-time teachers, and nearly 25 students. Today the innovative education center has rapidly grown to enroll over 80 students, taught by 2 full-time staff, 20 part-time teachers and 12 interns. Monroe takes greatest pride in the diversity of teachers at Think Tank.

“I am most proud of Think Tank’s instructional team,” she said, “as we have scientists, artists, professionals, teachers and students working with us and everyone one of them is superb at what they do.”

Think Tank also firmly believes in community networking. "Similar ventures in the area shouldn't be perceived as a threat," she said. "Like-minded ventures can help support one another in a community." This outreach has inspired collaboration with many institutions throughout Central Massachusetts. Monroe cites her partnership with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) as particularly exciting.

“We have received 14 exceptionally bright pharmaceutical graduate students as interns over the past two years,” she said. MCPHS students regularly teach courses ranging from genetics to debate and rhetoric.

A family of entrepreneurs and educators

Monroe hails from a background rich in educational entrepreneurship. Her father, Robert Monroe, a local musician and music educator, played with The Swing Band, a 16-piece band specializing in jazz and swing tunes from the ‘30s and ‘40s.

“In the 1990s,” Monroe said, “he spent a lot of time trying to re-invigorate music organizations that gave playing opportunities to youth in Central Massachusetts.”

A teacher for several decades at the Burgess Elementary School in Sturbridge, Monroe's mother, Christine Haller, quickly embraced the rise of computer technology and took strides to ensure the school was ready for education in the 21st century. “She influenced the school to support her in creating a computer classroom,” Monroe said, “and transitioning her into a new role as Burgess’s first technology educator! By the mid-1990s she ensured every classroom was wired for internet access.”

As for Monroe’s advice to other young women thinking about entrepreneurship?

“Be sure you love it!” she said. “You’re going to devote 60 plus hours a week on your venture and this may be the case for a long time. There will be staff, client, website, networking, and financial ups and down. If you believe that you are good at what you do and that there is a need for the service or product you provide, learn and evolve from your mistakes and carry on.”

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