Gardner Extended Services School

Over the past three years, the Thomas Gardner Elementary School, a Boston Public School, has been transformed from a traditional school to an Extended Services School. A school-community-university partnership has guided the development and implementation of the Gardner Extended Services School (GESS). The partners include the Thomas Gardner Elementary School; the Allston-Brighton Family YMCA, which services as the “lead agency;” Boston College (Schools of Education, Law, Social Work, Management, Nursing, and Arts & Sciences) and the Allston-Brighton Healthy Boston Neighborhood Coalition. The GESS is built on a vision that:

• is committed to improving the life chances of children and families
• links resources of school, community and university in an on-going partnership
• integrates educational enrichment activities with curriculum standards and instructional strategies
• builds on developmental strengths of children and families
• promotes career awareness
• requires collaboration across professions

The goals of the Extended Services School are to enable students to become more successful learners and productive citizens, and to offer families opportunities for support and enrichment.

The Allston-Brighton neighborhood, home to the Gardner Extended Services School, is among the most culturally and ethnically diverse in Boston. As many as 36 different languages are represented in the school’s K-5 student body. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of its 500 students are learning English as a second language (ESL). Currently, 49% of students identify as Hispanic, 23% as African American, 17% as Caucasian, and 11% as Asian. Eighty percent (80%) of the GESS students are meet the federal poverty guidelines to participate in the Free or Reduced Price Lunch Program.