News  Trial Court Awarded $25,000 Cummings Foundation Grant to Expand Community Engagement Through Civic Education

WOBURN, MA — The Trial Court has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Woburn-based Cummings Foundation to support and expand community engagement programming that promotes civic education, community trust, and cross-generational connections throughout Middlesex County.

The grant will support the continuation and expansion of the Middlesex Superior Court’s Youth Art Showcase, a Massachusetts Trial Court community engagement program administered by the Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Over the past two years, the program has connected students, families, educators, and community members with the judicial system through art and civic education. The funding will also help broaden participation among older adults and other historically underserved populations, creating new opportunities for meaningful interaction with the justice system outside of traditional court proceedings.

The award is part of Cummings Foundation's annual grant program, which distributed $35 million this year to 150 nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts. Middlesex Superior Court will receive funding over three years.

"The Youth Art Showcase has demonstrated the power of bringing people together in a courthouse setting to learn, connect, and engage with their community,” said Middlesex Superior Court Clerk Michael A. Sullivan. "This generous support from the Cummings Foundation will allow us to build on that success, expand our reach, and continue fostering greater understanding of the judicial system while strengthening public trust in the courts."

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