Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center

Mother Caroline Academy (MCA) is a private, tuition free school for girls in grades 4-8 from limited financial means. It serves girls of all faiths, races and cultures from Boston neighborhoods. The mission of the school is to provide a high-quality education that develops the individual gifts of each student and prepares her for success in competitive secondary schools and college. The Academy emphasizes the importance of scholarship, leadership, spiritual, and character development.

A Brief History of Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center 

Mother Caroline Academy is named after Mother Caroline Friess, a German born member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND). Mother Caroline came to the United States during the mid 1800’s with the responsibility of running hundreds of schools particularly for boys and girls living in poverty. A child’s country of origin, religious beliefs, or race made no difference.

In 1993, led by Sister Rita Brereton, SSND, Reverend Gerald Osterman, and Reverend William Francis, Mother Caroline Academy (MCA), a middle school for girls (grades 5 – 8) opened its doors and welcomed the first class into a small converted convent on Bird Street in Dorchester. With a commitment to Boston families with limited financial means, MCA was established to provide a high-quality education and prepare girls for competitive secondary schools.

In 1996, with the purchase of a vacated old welfare building on Blue Hill Avenue, a group of dedicated volunteers undertook a successful capital campaign. They purchased the old welfare building at 515 Blue Hill Avenue for one dollar from the City of Boston, and transformed it from a symbol of dependence to a center of hope and opportunity. The new facility, Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center (MCAEC) opened its doors in 1998. Focusing on the needs of the whole family, through the years MCAEC has provided a range of educational programs for parents and adult family members of Academy students.

To this day, MCA students aspire to be doctors, engineers, designers, artists, business owners, educators and community leaders. Through an excellent education in a safe environment, our students develop the academic skills, resiliency, self-confidence and strength of character needed to prepare themselves for lives of purpose.

Knowing that education has the power to transform lives, MCA families are invested in setting their daughters on a path of promise that leads to high school, college and a life of opportunity. With no public or other tuition-free option for girls in the City of Boston, MCA opens a door to lifelong opportunity for girls and their families.

Academic Program

• While the school day begins promptly at 8:00am, students can arrive between 7:15am-8:00am. The academic day ends at 3:15pm.
• Accredited by the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE)
• Curriculum includes Math, Science, English, History, Social Studies, Art, Physical Education
• Extended Day Program – Monday – Thursday from 8:00-4:45 with Evening Study for grades 5-8 Tuesday & Thursday from 4:45-6:15. Breakfast and lunch provided each day.
• Teacher/Student Ratio – With AmeriCorps and Professional Educators on staff, the teacher to student ratio is 1:11.
• Afternoon activities include Athletics, Student Clubs, Art, Girls Scouts, and Science Club for Girls.

The After-School Program

• The after-school activities program runs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:45pm to 4:45pm. 
• On Tuesdays and Thursdays, students in grades 5-8 can stay for Evening Study from 4:45pm to 6:15pm. During this time, students spend the late afternoon in a quiet environment doing their homework and/or receiving tutoring.
• Students
• All girls – grades 4-8
• 2016-2017 enrollment – 75 students
• Students must apply to MCA
• Current student demographics – Academy girls come from families within the lowest income brackets and many come from neighborhoods marked by concentrated poverty in Boston.