Baystate Academy Charter Public School Slates Open House for July 2

SPRINGFIELD — On Wednesday, July 2, Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno and area legislators and community leaders will welcome the community to tour the brand-new Baystate Academy Charter Public School location on Roosevelt Avenue.

The innovative health-sciences charter school is holding a sneak peek of the building and soon-to-be-completed renovations for parents, community partners, and the press from 10 to 11 a.m. on July 2. Students will start classes in the new school building this August.

In its first two years of operation, the school has been housed in the former Our Lady of the Rosary Church on Franklin Street in Springfield, and served grades 6 through 8. The growing charter school uses the acclaimed expeditionary-learning model to ignite passion for learning, teach important skills like critical thinking and perseverance, and build students’ capacity to succeed in college and beyond.

“Students in Springfield deserve a top-notch education, and Baystate Academy is helping to make that possible. We’re very proud to have Baystate Academy bringing a rigorous college-prep curriculum to our children that emphasizes excellence in science and math,” said board president Frank Robinson, Baystate Health’s vice president of Community Relations and Public Health.

Baystate Academy grew out of the Baystate Health Springfield Educational Partnership, which employs Baystate Health’s resources and staff to offer educational programs designed to give students better access to healthcare career pathways. The academy will partner with Baystate Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, and local colleges and universities to bring in medical and health-science professionals to emphasize the importance of a college degree in realizing students’ potential. When Baystate Academy has students in grades 10, 11, and 12, they will have access to summer internships and jobs at these and other area institutions.

“We need a more diverse group of young people preparing for careers in medicine, nursing, physical therapy, medical research, and other health
professions,” said Baystate Academy Executive Director Tim Sneed. “They’re bright, they’re capable, and they have big dreams. In the long run, our hope is to help reduce health inequities by preparing the young people of Springfield for success in health professions.”