Private School, Public Purpose

1. Outreach programs that inspire

Four long-standing initiatives—Andover Bread Loaf, the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers, (MS)², and PALS—spur academic and professional growth among local and national students of all ages and remain models for best practices. Writing workshops, STEM enrichment, mentoring, career counseling, and more help drive educational empowerment and are coupled with meaningful financial assistance.

2. Coursework with a conscience

Andover is dedicated to leveraging academic classes for the greater good. For instance, students in courses like Project-Based Statistics, the Spanish Department’s Community Engagement in the City of Lawrence, and Writing for Change use data analysis, language, and their own writing skills to examine the concepts of social responsibility and citizenship through dynamic lenses.

3. Building community partnerships

The Office of Community Engagement fosters trusting and mutually beneficial relationships between PA students and local partners to address community-identified needs. In the spirit of non sibi, nearly 400 students traditionally participate in over 30 direct engagement programs each week in mindful, collaborative ways: visiting the elderly, teaching coding skills, providing music lessons, promoting STEM education, and much more.

4. Museums devoted to dialogue

The Addison Gallery of American Art welcomes over 2,500 local K–12 students each year and collaborates with community partners for tours, experiential learning, and professional development. Meanwhile, the Peabody Institute for Archaeology remains a national leader in repatriation conversations, co-sponsoring human rights and justice panels and actively consulting with 18 Indigenous nations on the return of sacred objects.

5. Mindfulness at the Tang

Since 2014, the Tang Institute has forged numerous educational partnerships on issues of ethics, pedagogy, and interdisciplinary learning, most recently with its Workshop concept. However, the Tang also presents free public programming like the Mindfulness Speaker Series—now in its fourth year.Compelling speakers tackle a variety of timely issues, including compassionate engagement, cultivating a healthy mindset, finding a balance, youth mental health, and stress management.

How can Andover best live its values? Share your insights at [email protected].

Originally printed in The Vista: Views from the Knowledge & Goodness Campaign, spring 2021