Charmaine Lujares is the Senior Director of the Advancement Mobility Program (AMP Up) at EMPath, a three-year collaboration with the Boston Housing Authority and Cambridge Housing Authority. Participants in AMP Up work towards increasing their income and fulfilling their career and educational ambitions. Additionally, AMP Up is a randomized control study conducted in partnership with Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led by Professor Lawrence Katz.

With a decade-long tenure at EMPath, Charmaine has held various organizational roles. Charmaine began her career at EMPath as a Mobility Mentor, supporting and guiding participants in shelters or stably housed in the Boston community. She then progressed to manage three long-term economic coaching programs, serving as Senior Coordinator for the Massachusetts Learning Education Asset Program (MassLEAP) and the Young Parent Program before assuming the role of Director of the Choice Whittier Project.

Charmaine earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Simmons College, and later became a Licensed Certified Social Worker. Passionate about addressing social equity, homelessness, and domestic violence, Charmaine is dedicated to positively impacting her community.