KIPP CHARTER SCHOOLS

I love “fly on the wall” assignments where I’m asked to immerse myself within an environment (as much as you can with a camera in your hand) and capture candid, day-in-the-life images that convey a story.

Happy, and fully engaged students and faculty is the heartening story I encountered when I visited the three Massachusetts KIPP charter schools in Mattapan and Lynn, serving over 2,000 K-12 students from some of the state’s most underserved communities.

Founded 15 years ago, KIPP’s approach is structured around high expectations for academics, conduct and character, with the goal of having all students attend college. KIPP is on track to reach its goal of having alumni graduate from college 5X higher than the national average.

The schools also have an active community component and keep facilities open into the evening so local families and residents can take advantage of learning opportunities from English as Second Language (ELS), to Financial Literary, and Zumba classes.

Admission into the schools is very limited and granted by lottery for families that apply. I am not an educational expert, but it seems that raising the cap on charter schools in the state would allow for more young people to reach their full potential and provide the state with a ready labor force.

I love looking back at these photos into these vibrant, happy faces knowing they likely have a very bright future ahead of them.

Learn more, http://kippma.org/