• What is the "Pilot" School?

    The Gardner is a Pilot School within Boston. Pilot Schools were intended “to provide models of educational excellence that help to foster widespread educational reform in all Boston public schools.” Pilot Schools are unique public in that they have greater control over many aspects of school organizations than other schools.  Pilots have flexibility in the budget, staffing, organization of the school day, school calendar, governance, curriculum, and educational mission.  GPA operates under a governing board comprised of parents, teachers, community members, and university partners.  

    What makes GPA unique? Exploring our Full-Service Model. 

    GPA brings educators, families, and community partners together to offer a range of opportunities, supports, and services to children and their families and communities. Within the GPA building, we offer students and their families expanded learning opportunities that are motivating and engaging during the school day, after school, and in the summer and offer Essential health and social supports and services while engaging families and communities as assets in the lives of their children and youth.

    Key Priorities:

    • Promoting high expectations and academic achievement for all
    • Establishing a community of learners (staff, students, parents, and community) driven by a shared vision and a shared responsibility
    • Explicitly teaching and fostering respect for human differences
    • Addressing the needs of the “whole child” to support their cognitive, social, emotional, moral, cultural and physical development

    Within our full-service model, GPA provides the following programs and services to our students, families, and community:

    • Adult Education for parents and the community
    • After-school Programming/ Before School Programming (YMCA)
    • Family Programs (MindMatters, Technology Goes Home)
    • Friday Arts Initiative (Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Art Resource Collaborative for Kids (ARCK), Playworks, and Young Audiences of Massachusetts (YAMA))
    • Music opportunities in after school (Boston String Academy, Boston College School of Music, Crescendo Program through Boston Philharmonic Orchestra)
    • Health Services (Charles River Community Health)
    • Vision Services (New England Eye-on-Sight Mobile Vision Clinic)
    • Dental Services (Smart Smiles)
    • Mental Health Services and Student Support (Alliance for Inclusion and Prevention (AIP), City Connects)
    • Mentoring (Harvard Business School, Boston College, Boston Partners in Education, Strong Women Strong Girls, Big Sisters)
    • Middle School Out of School Time (Robotics)
    • Physical Education (BOKS, Playworks, America Scores, Tenacity, Boston Ballet, and DEA Youth Dance)
    • Tutoring and ISEE Prep (Harvard Education Portal, Boston Public Schools)
    • University Partnerships (Harvard University, Boston College, Lesley University, Boston University, Tufts University, Wheelock College) 
    • 5 week Summer Enrichment Program