Impact - Boston Beyond

Big Mission = Big Impact

We’re Achieving Scale and Results

Since 2005, Boston Beyond has mobilized partnerships that engage over 20,000 students per year in after-school and summer learning.

Today, we support more than 300 programs and schools to provide quality out-of-school learning across grade levels and neighborhoods.

Our students learn more

The RAND Corporation’s national study on summer learning, the largest ever, shows that Boston Beyond’s approach achieves significant, long-term impacts on student learning.

Our high-attending summer students outpaced their peers by 25% of a school year in reading and math, and gained an advantage in social and emotional skills. Read more.

Together, we’re changing the learning landscape

Working independently, out-of-school programs have a limited scope and impact. But when providers team up as a network, they can coordinate to reach more children, solve common challenges, and learn from one another’s successes. The result is a powerful feedback loop of continuous improvement and expanding opportunity.

Boston Beyond’s partners are proving that a city, united, has the capacity to help every child flourish.

We’re transforming systems too

Boston Beyond and its partners have collaborated with the Boston Public Schools from the beginning. These relationships have resulted in greater alignment and stronger practice on both sides.

Three of our out-of-school innovations have had a particularly notable impact on schools and district policy:

SUMMER LEARNING FOR ALL: Boston Beyond’s summer learning model has replaced traditional summer school for the city. The district recently committed $3 million to expand engaging, real-world learning opportunities for public school students.
MEASURING FOR IMPACT: A number of schools have adopted Boston Beyond’s measurement tools to assess student growth and program quality across all of their extended-day offerings, including those delivered outside our network.
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING: Our multi-year initiative to more seamlessly assess and support students’ social-emotional development is taking root in seven participating schools, with site teams overseeing implementation during and beyond the school day.

We’re now a state and national model

Our track record in Boston has made us a national model for out-of-school learning, recognized by the National Summer Learning Association. We’re influencing public discourse and policy in our home state as well.

In 2018, the Massachusetts Governor and legislature established a new budget line item to support the development and expansion of high-quality summer learning opportunities based on our model.
In 2019, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education launched this statewide expansion with grants to 19 communities.

Ready to expand opportunity?

Learn from and adapt Boston Beyond’s approach in your state or community.

Learn More

Learning from Summer

RAND’s groundbreaking report on summer learning found a significant, lasting achievement boost in Boston and several peer cities.

I’m so grateful to Boston Beyond and all of our partner organizations that contribute to this community effort, enabling our youth to remain active and engaged, learning all year round.” – BRENDA CASSELLIUS, SUPERINTENDENT, BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS