Boston Green Academy is Ready for a Sustainable Future

This year, EdVestors held an open call for the School on the Move Prize, seeking the stories of Boston Public Schools that are creating and continuously improving learning environments where all students thrive. Eight semifinalists have been selected to advance to the next round, and three finalists will be celebrated at the School on the Move Prize Ceremony on November 8. Regardless of the outcome, each semifinalist has a story that we can learn from.

On Earth Day, students at Boston Green Academy (BGA) celebrated with a “Trashion Show”, parading recycled fashion down the runway. But sustainability isn’t a once-a-year concern at the grades 6-12 school in Brighton. BGA is on a mission to prepare Boston’s youth every day to meet the challenge of climate change and environmentalism. 

The growing sustainability sector is full of opportunities that students of color don’t always have access to, while the effects of climate change affect their communities disproportionately. BGA is looking to change that. Students can enroll in an Environmental Science career pathway, take AP Environmental Science, experience hands-on outdoor learning with nonprofit partners, and complete capstone internships in green careers. Each grade dives deep into a green topic each year, culminating in a final showcase. 

To live up to its mission of preparing all students for the future, BGA is increasing inclusion and making coursework more rigorous. Educators have worked since 2016 to improve classroom engagement and rigor through instructional rounds. The school has targeted its pandemic funding towards dual certification in special education, reading and math interventionists, and tutoring. 

This work is essential because students with disabilities make up 32% of BGA’s population, ten points higher than the BPS average. BGA’s Learning for Independence program provides 5 years of support to transition students with complex disabilities to their next step, including a year of hybrid work/school. The school’s dedication to serving students with disabilities is reflected in higher graduation and college attendance rates and a lower dropout rate for disabled students than BPS’s average.

A decade after its founding, BGA is setting a sustainable course for the next ten years as a school on the move.

Learn more about Boston Green Academy here.