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Barr Foundation

@barrfdn

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What can happen when a high school centers the students it serves? In Brockton, the results are gaining statewide recognition.

Promise College and Career Academy has been named a 2026 School of Recognition by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for its progress toward improving student outcomes.

The recognition reflects the hard work of students, educators, families, and the wider school community. It also shows what is possible when schools shape learning around what young people need to grow, succeed, and prepare for their futures.

Congratulations to the entire @promisepanthers_brocktonma community on this well-earned recognition.

#StudentSuccess #Brocktonma by @barrfdn

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5 hours ago

Uncertainty feels like the new norm, but our partners are answering with collaboration and collective power.

Here's what that looks like across our work lately.

🎨 In the arts...
Leaders from arts, philanthropy, government, and media met to tackle artist wages and affordability. If we want the benefits that artists bring to our communities, we need to make sure they can afford to live, and create here.

🤝 In climate...
Local grassroots organizations joined forces at Tables Upon Tables to use their expertise and networks to advance equitable solutions across housing, transit, energy, and civic engagement. Interconnected needs demand interconnected solutions.

🎓 In education...
A new @CRPE study shows that superintendents agree that change is needed, but diverge on where to start. Interventions like ending tracking and adding collaborative planning time can help students and keep teachers. It takes all of us to get there.

Read the full update at the link in our bio. by @barrfdn

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5 days ago

A new kind of class renewed one teacher’s excitement about teaching.

Susie Smith was considering leaving the profession when she had the opportunity to teach Students and the Law, a Springpoint Transformative Learning Experience.

With support from @Harvardlaw students, her class examined real First Amendment cases, developed arguments, and participated in a moot court experience.

Students discovered a more active and relevant way to learn. Susie rediscovered what was possible in her classroom.

Learn more about Springpoint’s project-based learning experiences at the link in our bio. by @barrfdn

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6 days ago

Boston’s waterfront belongs to all of us. Making sure everyone can access it, enjoy it, and feel welcome there takes all of us, too.

At the Waterfront for All Summit, @bostonharbornow and the @bostonwaterfrontcoalition brought together community groups, environmental advocates, businesses, researchers, and public agencies.

Using new data alongside community knowledge, participants explored who visits Boston’s waterfront, who faces barriers, and how transportation, design, affordability, and climate resilience shape people’s experiences.

The goal is a shared path toward a waterfront that is cleaner, more accessible, more resilient, and welcoming to everyone.

Swipe through for a look inside the conversations and connections moving that work forward.

#WaterfrontAccess #ClimateResilience #BostonHarbor by @barrfdn

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7 days ago

Two weeks after picking up violins for the first time, these young musicians were already practicing together.

That early spark is what @roseconservatory is creating for children across Brockton.

Founded by Brockton native and music educator Greg Fernandes, the program has grown from five students in 2021 to more than 50 today. Students learn music theory, voice, piano, African drums, and string instruments as members of Brockton’s first and only youth orchestra.

Rose Conservatory also provides tutoring, daily meals, and family support, creating a place where young people can build confidence, explore their creativity, and feel connected to their community.

Because every child deserves the opportunity to discover what music can bring out in them.

Learn more through the @WBUR story at the link in our bio. by @barrfdn

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8 days ago

What does hands-on learning look like when it is rigorous, relevant, and connected to students’ lives?

Students might investigate how misinformation shapes their perspectives. They might document the effects of gentrification in their neighborhood through photography. Or they might use financial literacy and math to determine whether their business idea could succeed.

These are three of the project-based units offered through @Springpoint’s Transformative Learning Experiences. Each unit connects academic learning with complex questions, real-world issues, and opportunities for students to create work that has purpose beyond the classroom.

Across TLE classrooms, students and teachers report meaningful results:

92% of students could see how their learning connected to issues in their lives or communities.

93% felt proud of the project they completed.

100% of teachers agreed that the experience challenged students to do rigorous work.

Swipe through for a closer look at three Transformative Learning Experiences, then explore Springpoint’s complete catalog through the link in our bio. by @barrfdn

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14 days ago

Thanks to all who joined us for last week's Creative Labor, Creative Conditions convening!

The convening encompassed three events:

» Thursday evening's C1 Fall Kick Back (slides 2-8), where our community came together at @ibaboston's beautiful new space to party and take action, with performances from @amandasheaallday, @djcha_, @neoncalypso, and @sixfootstax. Stay tuned for another post with more photos from the Kick Back, including highlights from our community partners and food partners!

» Thursday's Theatre for Public Good National Summit (slides 9-16), which brought together leaders from 10 theatres across the country to launch the Theatre for Public Good movement. Representatives were in the room from Alaska, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Washington DC.

» Friday's Creative Labor: A Boston Cultural Policy Summit (slides 1 + 17-20), in collaboration with the newly formed Arts Activate Boston coalition (pictured on slide 20). This event featured a morning chat with Ali Noorani, president and CEO of the @barrfdn; Sam Gill, president and CEO of the @dorisdukefdn; alongside two of C1’s co-founders and leaders, Shawn LaCount and Summer L. Williams. You can access the video of the chat at howlround.com, or visit the link in our bio!

📸: @anni.elly by @barrfdn

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18 days ago

The story behind the new mural in Meier Hall at @SalemState shows the power of public art for the public, by the public.

Inspired by murals and activations facilitated across Salem by @urban.art.museum, a group of students, faculty, and community advocates got together to reimagine a 60-year-old piece. They asked: what if this space drew us in, reflected us, inspired us?

The new mural by @deshriastudio and @theivorybunny celebrates Salem's immigrant histories, leaders who fought for progress, and students making meaning on the campus today.

Appreciating every ounce of effort poured into this labor of love by @northshorecdc, @ssu_hsi_msi, and @hare_and_howl_studios.

Read more about the process at the link in bio.

#publicart #communityart #salemma by @barrfdn

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19 days ago

Join Barr's Climate team!

We're hiring for a Program Officer to work across all three of our climate strategies: Mobility, Clean Energy, and Climate Resilience.

Among other responsibilities, the PO will:

🌎 Evaluate new proposals, conduct site visits, actively assist organizations in improving the quality of proposals and activities, manage active grants, assess their progress, and analyze and act on financial and programmatic reports.

🌎 Contribute to assessment and modifications of strategy in response to new knowledge, changes in context, and new perspectives, and serve as a thought partner on the Climate team.

🌎 Collaborate with the Communications team to share learnings, shape public narratives on climate issues, and generate positive attention for the work, ideas, and voices of our partners to contribute to the fields of climate, nonprofits, and philanthropy.

💼 Salary: $135,000 to $145,000
🏢 Location: Hybrid, In-office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

Learn more and apply at the link in bio. by @barrfdn

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20 days ago

That vacant lot on your block could become a place to pick fruit, find shade, and spend time with neighbors.

Boston’s food forests turn underused land into public, edible green spaces filled with fruit trees, berry bushes, native plants, and places to gather. Each one is shaped and cared for by the people who live nearby.

The Frederick Douglass Peace Park in Roxbury shows what that can look like. Neighbors worked with the @bostonfoodforestcoalition to restore the park, adding food forest plants, an improved pathway, and more space for community connection while honoring the history of the neighborhood.

Want to get involved? You can visit a food forest, join a community workday, volunteer, or help identify a future site.

Swipe through for scenes from the Frederick Douglass Peace Park grand opening.

P.S. If you’d like to see a food forest built in your neighborhood, the Boston Food Forest Coalition has a form on its website where people can report vacant lots that might be good candidates for renovation. Visit the link in our bio.

Photos: @agniephoto by @barrfdn

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21 days ago

Who gets to shape the stories told in our public spaces?

At a recent EPIX cohort gathering in New Bedford, public art leaders from across Massachusetts came together to exchange ideas, build relationships, and imagine what becomes possible when communities help shape the places they share.

EPIX, short for Engage Public Imagination eXchange, brings together organizations working to create public art and cultural experiences rooted in justice and belonging.

Their work creates space for more people to see their cultures, experiences, and stories reflected in public life. It also shows how art can invite connection, spark joy, and help communities imagine their futures together.

Swipe through for a look inside the gathering and the people helping shape public art across Massachusetts.

Photos: Miranda Photo Co. by @barrfdn

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a month ago

A thriving public art scene begins with people who care about how their community looks, feels, and represents them.

This summer, members of the EPIX public art cohort gathered in New Bedford to explore the city’s public art and connect with artists, producers, and community partners from across Massachusetts.

Hosted by @_DATMA and partners from the City of New Bedford, the gathering offered a closer look at how community involvement is shaping a public art scene rooted in local stories, shared spaces, and a strong sense of place.

The people creating and producing public art in our communities are helping us see ourselves, one another, and where we live in new ways.

Watch for a glimpse of the people and partnerships helping public art thrive in New Bedford. taken in New Bedford, Massachusetts by @barrfdn

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a month ago