North Quabbin Notebook: July 29, 2025

LaunchSpace is on the third floor of the Orange Innovation Center at 131 West Main St. in Orange.

LaunchSpace is on the third floor of the Orange Innovation Center at 131 West Main St. in Orange. FILE PHOTO

Published: 07-29-2025 12:20 PM
Kudos for LaunchSpace

ORANGE — LaunchSpace, the nonprofit workshop on the Orange Innovation Center’s third floor, recently received a Workforce Development Leadership Award from the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Workforce Board. The award recognizes the organization’s innovative and community-driven approach to workforce development in the region.

“LaunchSpace has created a powerful, hands-on program that helps young people gain the skills, confidence, and creativity to shape their own futures,” Sarah Wilson, the Workforce Board’s executive director, said in a statement. “Their commitment to workforce development in a rural community, and their ability to adapt and grow, is exactly the kind of innovation we need.”

Students gathered at the LaunchSpace Makerspace in Orange on June 4 and 5 to celebrate the completion of the Engage 2024 Fall and Discover 2024 Fall cohorts. The Engage cohort (ages 16 to 23) presented business ideas and career goals during a public showcase on June 4. The following day marked the first-ever graduation of the new Discover program, which introduces younger teens (ages 13 to 15) to creative technologies, teamwork, and problem-solving through studio-based learning.

“These young people are not just learning technical skills — they’re building the foundation for their futures,” said Brianna Drohen, LaunchSpace’s CEO, said in a press release. “We’re helping rural youth tap into their creativity, build confidence, and see themselves as capable, valuable contributors to their communities and the economy.”

VN to hold dementia presentations

WENDELL — Village Neighbors, a nonprofit that provides services to people ages 60 and up in Leverett, Shutesbury, Wendell and New Salem, plans to offer a free presentation on dementia at the Wendell Free Library on Thursday.

“The Many Faces of Dementia” is scheduled to last from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and will be followed by a question-and-answer session and refreshments. The presenter will be Linda Puzan, who brings decades of experience in the fields of dementia care and memory support. This event is part of a series of presentations and activities sponsored by Village Neighbors, the councils on aging of Leverett, New Salem, Shutesbury and Wendell. A Zoom-specific presentation is scheduled for 7 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 20 at inyurl.com/DementiaFaces.