First Mass IDEAS grants awarded to 3 school design teams

Congratulations to the first-ever Mass IDEAS grant recipients!

  • TechBoston Academy of Boston Public Schools

  • Wildflower Schools, an ecosystem of decentralized Montessori micro-schools

  • New Bedford Cheironeum, a potential new charter school

The grants were provided to support the teams' work to test the prototypes they developed at Mass IDEAS' School Design Institute in February. TechBoston, a pilot school with students in grades 6-12, will use the grant to include students and families in a process to redesign the middle school. Wildflower's grant funds will support the development of a Montessori middle school in Falmouth—modeled to fit the community's needs by training and supporting students to develop a map of community assets that will influence the school's design. Finally, funding will support the Cheironeum team to engage with students, parents, and other New Bedford stakeholders to seek their questions, feedback, and input about components of the proposed school model.

Mass IDEAS was pleased to be able to make these grants—and to host the School Design Institute on which they were based—using funding generously provided by the Barr Foundation and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. Additional grants will be forthcoming following the second School Design Institute.

Mass IDEAS Team