Our Impact

15 years. Real results.


Every student is capable of rigorous, grade-level work when high expectations are met with high-quality support, all within a joyful, identity-affirming learning environment.

Our academic program gives every student access to grade-level content and the support to master it, while building the social-emotional skills that help them thrive. Behind that program are the adults who make it work: leaders equipped to lead, teachers who grow through coaching and data, and schools that run smoothly so classrooms can stay focused on learning.

The result: UP students consistently outpace their peers across Massachusetts in academic growth.

97%

students of color

42%

multilingual
learners

17%

students with disabilities

73%

students from Dorchester

Since 2022

UP students have grown their proficiency in ELA and math at nearly 10x the rate of schools serving similar students across Boston Public Schools and the state.

ELA

Math

  • “I really enjoy seeing our students progress. The way we do things at UP gives students a lot of agency and preserves dignity in a way that I do not think all schools can.”

    —Up Teacher

  • "My child has transformed drastically since being here. He used to not like going to school or wanting to learn but has since grown a passion for it."

    —UP Parent

  • "This was my first time teaching and I feel like I have learned so much and have improved as a teacher. They have done a wonderful job at coaching me the way I best respond to."

    —Up Teacher

  • "Our teachers have high expectations because they know we can accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves. This school has helped me become my best self. I feel like I’m able to be my true self no matter what."

    —UP Student

  • "Experiencing year after year of teachers who believed in me in moments when my energy faltered, empowered me to pick up right where I left off and come back stronger. UP helps students reach for a brighter future that isn’t bound by a location"

    —UP Alum

Ready for high school & beyond


By the time students leave 8th grade, they're ready for what's next:

  • Academically prepared with strong academic skills, built through years of rigorous, grade-level learning

  • Inspired by real-world experiences, exploring careers and buiding durable skills alongside 20+ Boston companies

  • Supported in choosing a high school that fits their goals, with 1 in 4 eighth graders accepted to a Boston exam school in 2025

Take a look inside one of our award-winning career experiences, where students pitched designs for a teen center in their community to Suffolk Construction.