Originally posted on MassNonprofit News
A groundbreaking innovation is taking root in Massachusetts, one that gives every student, from Boston to the Berkshires, access to advanced courses and educators far beyond their school walls. Campus Without Walls has launched a live, online course-sharing system that connects students via technology to rigorous, culturally relevant classes taught by outstanding educators and industry partners across the Commonwealth. Its guiding idea is simple and bold: One State – One Classroom.
The impact is immediate and personal. Cynthia, a student in a public school in Springfield who dreams of becoming an engineer, can now enroll in STEM Robotics, a course not offered in her school, but taught by a highly skilled teacher in Boston. Meanwhile, Greg in Dorchester can take Green Chemistry and Sustainability, a class that explores the real-world implications of chemical exposure in everyday household products and cosmetics, taught live by a great teacher in Merrimack Valley. Examples like these show how Campus Without Walls is bringing opportunity directly into classrooms across the state.
Two-year, 12-school pilot launched
On November 6, Campus Without Walls launched a two-year pilot with 12 high schools across seven school districts in Massachusetts, with each school awarded up to a $25,000 planning grant through the initiative, totaling $250,000 in educational investments. This launch follows years of planning, partnership-building, and philanthropy. Together, the participating schools represent urban, suburban, and rural public school communities across the Commonwealth. The long-term plan is to also include private and parochial schools to provide an even greater mix of courses for students to choose from.
The benefits to schools are clear: expanded access to career-connected advanced courses; opportunities to learn from teachers with diverse backgrounds; direct engagement with industry partners; and greater student agency to choose classes that spark their interests and passions. Campus Without Walls also creates a connected learning ecosystem that brings students together across schools and communities. Through shared classes and collaborative projects, students gain both academic opportunity and cross-cultural understanding, laying the foundation for a generation better prepared to build a more inclusive and equitable society. This work is especially critical at a time when Massachusetts schools are becoming increasingly segregated by race and socioeconomic status.
Ayele Shakur, co-founder of Campus Without Walls and Vice President and Executive Director of the Redstone Family Foundation, said she saw years ago how geography and funding often limit access to high-quality teaching and learning. She explained that under-resourced districts often struggle to retain seasoned teachers and frequently lack advanced or specialized courses, while well-resourced districts may lack culturally relevant content and diverse perspectives, which prompted the question of how to change that reality.
Unlike the chaotic remote learning experienced during pandemic school closures, the Campus Without Walls technology model is live, synchronous, and student-driven. Students will Zoom into project-based classes taught live by highly recommended and deeply experienced educators. Schools contribute their strongest educators and courses, and industry partners offer real-world content in high-demand fields such as healthcare, biotech, and finance. Campus Without Walls manages statewide scheduling, enrollment, technology, professional development, and the evaluation carried out by the American Institutes for Research (AIR).
The courses are innovative and engaging, making them highly appealing to students statewide who will register through a Campus Without Walls online catalog. Semester-long and year-long courses will include: Green Chemistry, Spanish for Healthcare, Phlebotomy certification, Biotechnology, Robotics, Business for Entrepreneurship, and more. In addition, modules offered by Industry Partners include: Mission: Diagnosis – A 3-Day Shift in the ER offered by Harvard MedScience; Life on You: Microbes, Medicine & Mind by Emmanuel College; and Investing 101: Smart Money Moves for Teens by CFA Society, to name a few.
Chad d’Entremont, co-founder of Campus Without Walls and Executive Director of the Rennie Center for Education Research and Policy, explained that the pilot is only the beginning of a much larger statewide vision. He said the goal is to build a network where outstanding educators and dedicated industry partners share courses that will serve thousands of students and prepare them for college, technical training, and careers.
Shakur emphasized that philanthropic support has been essential in bringing the model to this stage and that private funding as well as state support are critical as Campus Without Walls expands. Past and present funders include the Redstone Family Foundation, The Boston Foundation, New Schools Venture Fund, Trefler Foundation, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Eastern Bank Foundation, Cabot Charitable Trust, and American Student Assistance Foundation (ASA).
During the kickoff convening, 44 educators and school representatives came together to begin planning for the Spring 2026 pilot, and full launch in the 2026–2027 school year. Shakur said. “The excitement and commitment to the work were palpable. With so many schools grappling with staff shortages and shrinking budgets, this model offers a low-cost way to give every student access to high-quality, future-ready learning.”
About Campus Without Walls
Campus Without Walls (CWW) is a groundbreaking, statewide ecosystem that reimagines public education by connecting schools, educators, and industry partners across Massachusetts. Through a live, virtual, credit-bearing course exchange paired with real-world, work-based learning, CWW enables students to access advanced coursework, industry-designed modules, and authentic employer engagement, regardless of a student’s zip code or school assignment. Students remain in their home schools while Zooming live into courses taught by the state’s best educators and earning credit toward graduation; while teachers gain meaningful leadership opportunities, and districts expand their variety of course offerings to meet students’ passions and interests.