Jonathan Levi Architects
The new Dearborn STEM 6-12 Early College Academy in Boston
The new Dearborn STEM 6-12 Early College Academy in Boston
The new Dearborn STEM 6-12 Early College Academy in Boston
The new Dearborn STEM 6-12 Early College Academy in Boston
The new Dearborn STEM 6-12 Early College Academy in Boston

Boston district opens its first newly constructed school in 15 years

Aug. 23, 2018
The Dearborn STEM 6-12 Early College Academy is being touted as a model for future school projects.

The Boston school district is unveiling the new $73 million Dearborn STEM 6-12 Early College Academy — a facility that officials say is Boston's first new school construction project in 15 years and a model for future projects.

The Boston Herald reports that the 128,000-square-foot facility in the Roxbury neighborhood is outfitted with flexible indoor and outdoor learning classrooms, two fabrication labs, a dance studio, gymnasium, 3D printers, a media center and laser die cutters as tools.

“This is the first brand-new school opening in Boston in 15 years,” says Patrick Brophy, the mayor’s chief of operations. “This will be the standard-bearer.”

The academy is at the same location as the previous Henry Dearborn School, built in 1913.

The facility — with about $37 million of the cost reimbursed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority — is the culmination of six years of planning, design and construction. Students have been housed at Jeremiah Burke High School in Dorchester as construction was underway.

With open, spacious classrooms, the building resembles a college facility and is designed to support the learning that happens inside with its focus on computer science, engineering, health and life sciences and college readiness.

The academy was designed to serve 600 students by 2020. Currently, there are 488 students with 60 staff. Eighty-five percent of students are non-white, with 49 percent of students as English language learners. Seventy-nine percent are low-income.

It was designed to link to the neighborhood and serve as a teaching tool for students.

“Families and kids in the neighborhood needed an opportunity for a building that would serve them better,” says Pam Pelletier, director of Boston’s K-12 Science & Technology/Engineering.

Sponsored Recommendations

How to design flexible learning spaces that teachers love and use

Unlock the potential of flexible learning spaces with expert guidance from school districts and educational furniture providers. Discover how to seamlessly integrate adaptive ...

Blurring the Lines in Education Design: K–12 to Higher Ed to Corporate America

Discover the seamless integration of educational and corporate design principles, shaping tomorrow's leaders from kindergarten to boardroom. Explore innovative classroom layouts...

Room to Learn: Furniture Solutions for Education

Preparing students for the future. Utilizing our experience in the education market, we offer a dynamic selection of products that pair technology with furniture to help stimulate...

Transforming Education: A Case Study in Progressive Classroom Design

Discover how Workspace Interiors and the Baldwin School District reshaped learning environments in Long Island, New York, creating pedagogically responsive spaces that foster ...