Worcester Academy-- an urban boarding school

So often it seems that we lose track of schools located in unique locales. Visiting Worcester Academy in Worcester, MA, I found myself thinking "when was the last time that I found myself on the campus of an urban boarding school?" Maybe never?

Worcester is a good sized school- 600 total students with an upper school boarding program of 150 and urban it is. Worcester relishes its urban setting and makes the city of Worcester's cultural institutions part and parcel of the lesson plans.

Using the surrounding museums, architecture and cultural resources, Worcester faculty take their students beyond the classroom holding classes in neighboring cultural institutions. Rather than the occasional day long field trip into the city- bookended by bumpy, noisy, and bouncy rides on a yellow 44 passenger school bus- Worcester students enjoy and benefit from a succession small, regular, city experiences.

Susanne Carpenter, Worcester's Director of Admission, explains how the Worcester Art Museum Museum becomes the classroom for students.  

"Students taking the upper school elective "Thinking Like Leonardo" explore the nature of the creative process by studying Da Vinci as a creative thinker, scientist, artist, engineer and inventor. A portion of the course is dedicated to understanding the power of one's senses and how Da Vinci explored his world through his various senses. To bring this concept to life, students head downtown to visit the Worcester Art Museum for "Flora in Winter" when the Museum comes alive filled with floral displays by skilled artisans from across New England.  Students are exposed to a rich feast for the senses by exploring the sites and smells of these creative floral artistic interpretations as well as the contrast of the museum's rich art collection. "

At Worcester the vibrancy of urban community is part of the experience. Check out the school's web site to learn more.