Dearborn Selected as a STEM Tech Career Academy

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has selected Dearborn STEM Academy, in partnership with Franklin Cummings Tech, as one of its first  STEM Tech Career Academies. An initiative of the Massachusetts Workforce Skills Cabinet, these Academies align education, workforce, and economic development strategies across the state. The new six-year programs will enable high school students to earn a high school diploma and a post-secondary credential at no cost. 

As the first Boston Public School to receive state designation for its Computer Science pathway (2019) and Early College partnership with Wentworth Institute of Technology (2020), The Dearborn has served as a model for area high schools.. Through our partnership with Franklin Cummings Tech, all Dearborn seniors are automatically accepted into the college, providing a direct path to college for students who may be facing structural barriers that impede their access to higher education. 

A third of Dearborn 10-12th grade students have taken at least one Early College course, and 60% of seniors participating in Early College are taking more than one course. To date _ students have taken at least one Early College course. While our Early College participation rates are among the highest in Boston Public Schools, our STEM Tech Career Academy designation will likely encourage even more students to participate.

Our goal is for all Dearborn students to be engaged citizens prepared to enter a purposeful, wealth-building career six years after high school graduation, and to access the incredible STEM opportunities available to them here in Boston.

To continue supporting graduates as they navigate the challenges that come after high school, we have launched Dearborn Next, a comprehensive support program for our graduates ages 18-24. The program will build on our school faculty’s relationships with each graduate to follow their career trajectory and support them in accomplishing their goals. The program content will include mentoring, advising, and advocating for students as they attend a four-year college, two-year college, vocational training programs, the military, and more. Program staff will walk alongside alumni when they hit setbacks that might otherwise discourage them and will help them pivot to the next opportunity so that they continue on the road to success in a rewarding career.