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Scenes from the 2019 Innovator Symposium
On Thursday, October 24, Acera School buzzed with activity. In the Commons, parents and kids interacted with computers, explored soft robotics, and watched self-driving cars in action. In the Innovation Hub, they dissected flowers, took on design challenges,… Read More
Category: Acera News, AceraBlogPost, Innovation in Education | October 31, 2019 | kerry
Save the Date! Acera’s Innovator Symposium is October 24
What does an ocean-going robot do? What really is the secret life of bees? What does super-resolution microscopy look like? What can we learn about the earliest stages of heart disease? How can artificial intelligence help people make personal decisions? What will healing therapies… Read More
Category: Acera News, AceraBlogPost, Innovation in Education, Uncategorized | October 8, 2019 | kerry
AceraEI secures $50k Amgen Foundation grant towards life sciences training for public schools
The Amgen Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the global biotechnology company Amgen, has awarded $50,000 to Acera: The Massachusetts School for Science, Technology and Leadership and its public outreach division, Acera Education Innovations (AceraEI). The grant will support… Read More
Category: Acera News, Blog, Innovation in Education | September 10, 2019 | kerry
Join Us For Assessment Day!
Saturday, November 16 & December 7, 2019; March 14, 2020 Assessment Days offer an opportunity for parents to find out more about their child’s learning style, and gain knowledge to advocate for their child more effectively. It also… Read More
Category: Acera News, AceraBlogPost, Blog, Uncategorized | September 5, 2019 | Acera
AceraEI offers free workshops for public school science teachers
Acera’s Education Innovation Initiative (AceraEI) is pleased to announce its third Life Sciences Change Agent Teacher (LSCAT) Workshop series in the fall of 2019! Gene Editing with CRISPR: October 18 and November 15, 2019 February 7 and March… Read More
Category: Acera News, AceraBlogPost, Innovation in Education | August 26, 2019 | kerry
What I did on my summer vacation: the teachers’ version!
We love hearing about what students are up to over summer vacation, be it a cool STEM camp, a great trip with family, or time spent at the beach or in a park. And we’re equally interested in… Read More
Category: Acera News, AceraBlogPost, Innovation in Education | August 12, 2019 | kerry
Registration for After School Enrichment Programs is Open, and Girls Who Code is back!
Are your kids excited to learn? We’re excited to help! Registration for Acera’s 2019-2020 After School Enrichment Programs is open. Our hands-on, STEAM-based after-school enrichment programs are open to all kids ages 4-15. Classes include programming and robotics,… Read More
Category: Acera News, AceraBlogPost, Blog, from the classroom | July 25, 2019 | kerry
Courtney Dickinson on what’s possible in education
Courtney Dickinson sits down with Allen Saakyan of Simulation Series to discuss why she founded Acera, her 10 Tools to Transform Schools, and her mission to help build the next generation of scientists, innovators, and leaders.
Category: @CourtneyofAcera, Acera News, AceraBlogPost, Blog, Innovation in Education, Uncategorized | July 23, 2019 | kerry
Acera students place first in state – and 15th worldwide – in math meet
Students at Acera: The Massachusetts School of Science, Creativity and Leadership in Winchester placed first in the state – and 15th worldwide – in the Middle School 1-400 Division of Purple Comet Math Meet. The spring 2019 event… Read More
Category: Acera News, AceraBlogPost, from the classroom, Uncategorized | May 24, 2019 | kerry
Five Ways to Spark Flexible Thinking and Courage in Math Class…and Beyond
By Courtney Dickinson What if math was a place where kids’ problem solving and deep thinking skills could come alive, and a place where they grow in their confidence and adaptability? Mathematics learning at school can be… Read More
Category: @CourtneyofAcera, Acera News, AceraBlogPost | April 22, 2019 | kerry
Tech Hub enables students to emerge as community-minded technologists able to solve problems to benefit the whole school. More a philosophy than a place, Tech Hub can start as simply a cart in a cafeteria with one student fired up to be a knowledgable, technically skillful community member. Concurrently developing emotional intelligence skills and a wide array of technological abilities, Tech Hub members model and spread an attitude of fearlessness at using STEM tools to solve real problems.
Small children can understand big ideas, and computer science is no exception. Acera’s hands-on “Computers and Me” curriculum introduces early elementary students to computer science concepts, and is one example of many creative ways computational thinking and technical fluency can be developed throughout K-12 education, starting at age 5. Pilot-tested and ready to translate for adoption by public schools, these computer science learning approaches help students become facile and fearless.
What if math classes are organized based on what each student is ready to learn, rather than by age? This f
How can educators unleash the initiative and creativity inherent in all children? 
At Acera, we believe a school’s success can be measured far beyond its standardized test scores. How happy are its students? Do they feel a sense of purpose at school? Are they developing a capacity for perspective taking and problem solving? Can they stick to something even when it’s hard? Acera’s Education Innovation team is working to change how we measure education to include students’ wellbeing, habits of mind, and feeling of belonging at school.