The Edwards Project is an initiative from the Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation designed to capture the full story behind our mission through the voices of the people, programs, and partnerships that make it possible.

For more than 20 years, the JCECF has helped build a pathway into medicine for students who might not otherwise see themselves in those roles. While the Edwards Scholar program is often the most visible expression of that work, the real impact has always been shaped by something broader: mentorship, early exposure, long-term support, and a network of educators and professionals committed to guiding students from high school through medical school and beyond. 

We launched The Edwards Project to document this system in action. Through a series of conversations, our plan is to bring forward the experiences of those who have built, participated in, and benefited from this model. The goal is not just to highlight outcomes, but to better understand how those outcomes are created: what works, what evolves over time, and what it takes to sustain a pathway that supports students across nearly a decade of education.

Our first episode focuses on the cardiovascular inquiry panel featuring a conversation between:

• Brian McDonald, Executive Director, Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation
• Sarah Lehrian Sells, Robbins Bridge Program Manager, CWRU School of Medicine
• Dr. Suhib Jamal, Physician Advisor, The Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foudnation
• James Krouse, Communications Director, Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation  

In the episode, we talk about the panel which included alumni who once sat in those same high school seats return to speak with students who are just beginning to consider their future.  We cover how a hands-on physical diagnosis seminar complete with heart dissections and practical instruction has evolved into a forum where students, alumni, and physicians come together to share insight across different stages of the journey.

That evolution reveals a larger idea at the center of the Edwards model: students benefit not just from access, but from perspective.

The Edwards Project will continue to build on conversations like this highlighting the programs, relationships, and ideas that have shaped the Foundation’s work. Over time, it will serve as a living record of how this model has developed and how it continues to open doors for future generations of Edwards Scholars.