History and Context of Place Based Boston
In 2016, partners along the Trails to Freedom came together to increase access to historic downtown Boston for both BPS teachers and their students. To do this, we provide funding for programs and transportation. In addition to bringing students to our sites, our key mission of Place Based Boston is to promote the methods and principles of Place Based Teaching and Learning. Our vision is to deepen engagement of students along the place-based teaching and learning continuum through creative collaboration among teachers and site educators. Youth participating in place-based experiences will learn content, skills and values that enable them to evaluate and address authentic needs in their communities and participate fully in civic life. Our goal is that every Boston public and charter school student will participate in a meaningful and relevant PBB experience at least once during their K-12 tenure.
Please join us to deepen our knowledge of our city, its history, and what lessons we can take with us to build a better, more equitable future. We offer professional development options, free and reduced cost programming and transportation for your classrooms, and a group of knowledgeable, friendly site staff to help you utilize their resources on your own. If you’re interested in visiting any of our sites with your students, explore our offerings.
We offer professional development opportunities.
As part of our commitment to fostering a community focused on place-based teaching and learning, we regularly provide opportunities for teachers to add to their skills. We also share events that are ‘Place-Based Boston Approved’ so you know they will provide quality content in line with our mission and philosophy.
Upcoming Opportunities
Stay Tuned!
Upcoming opportunities are in the works, but in the mean time, please reach out to any of our partner sites for field trip inquires and reservations!
Past Opportunities
July 2024
Bringing the Campus of Boston into Your Classroom: Teaching with Historic Places
Professional Development for Boston Area Public School Teachers
Place-based teaching and learning is an approach designed to engage learners in the stories and resources of a place to activate interdisciplinary learning. Boston’s richness of place-based resources expands across the city and links neighborhoods and schoolyards to sites of international significance. In this course, teachers will work with museum, historic site and national park educators to explore the value of place-based teaching and learning, on site and in your classroom. In 2024, as we make our way toward 2026 and the 250th anniversary of the nation, we are excited to welcome teachers to an in-person experience and introduce you to our sites and all they have to offer students in their own city.
Course Details:
FREE for Boston area public school teachers who teach in the following school districts
Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Malden, Medford, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Winthrop
Graduate Credits
Participants will be partnered with Place-Based Boston sites to complete their final projects
Dates:
Monday, July 15th
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM - Virtual pre-course session to go through capstone requirements and answer questions
Monday, July 29th – Friday, August 2nd
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM - In person throughout downtown Boston
Tuesday, August 20th
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Virtual teacher project share out
Contact Us: With specific questions, email adrienne.n.turnbull@gmail.com OR placebasedboston@gmail.com
