Our Stories
Our doors opened in 1986, when founders Tricia Morrow, Joyce Mallory, and Donna DeVaughn worked together with local families who wanted a school where their children could be free to be themselves. A triple-decker home in Egleston Square was transformed into three mixed-age classrooms; the home across the street eventually housed one more class.
Stories from the early years often involved saying “Yes!” to seemingly bold ideas that were actually quite simple; they were always about surrounding children with the riches of community, art, and justice. Should we put on elaborate theatre productions? Should we visit a student’s family home in Puerto Rico? Should we hike in the White Mountains? Should we partner with community organizers? Yes! Yes! Yes!
Between 2020 and 2025, Donna, Joyce, and Tricia, along with other founding teachers, retired. They did so knowing that there was a dedicated team of staff and a loving network of alumni and supporters who would carry on the mission of Neighborhood School. We are beholden to the founders’ unwavering commitment to love and justice in the classroom.
Throughout the years, NS students and supporters have documented these stories about the learning and liberation that happens in our community.
"Local Students Get First-Hand Learning at the State House"
Clink the link to read a newspaper article about students supporting undocumented immigrant rights at the MA State House.
"The Roots We Follow" Playbill
Click to read our curriculum guide for a play written and produced by Neighborhood School students and staff. Based on Indigenous botanist and researcher Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass and performed at the Museum of Science.
Racial Justice Club
Students at NS learn to investigate and dismantle systems of oppression at multiple levels: internalized, interpersonal, ideological, and institutional. The oldest students have leadership opportunities to create clubs to put their learning into action, both within and outside the NS community.
Arts at Neighborhood School
Creativity is in the air we breathe at NS. As Toni Morrison said,
“I think of beauty as an absolute necessity. I don’t think it’s a privilege or an indulgence, it’s not even a quest. I think it’s almost like knowledge, which is to say, it’s what we were born for…. The startle and the wonder of being in this place. This overwhelming beauty… is an absolute necessity.”
Teaching Justice with Love
Even during the injustice of the Covid-19 pandemic, NS teachers and families stayed connected and committed to each other. Watch how we learned outside for most of the lockdown, and hear from alum about how NS taught them to act on their convictions for equity.
Thematic Projects Grounded in Critical Action
At NS, students engage in interdisciplinary learning through partnerships with local grassroots organizations. This is an example of a project that tied together literacy, social studies, and social emotional standards.