All of the member schools of ProArts maintain active involvement at the Boston Arts Academy. Explore below to discover the variety of programs and collaborations past, present, and future between ProArts and the BAA.

Berklee College of Music

Berklee College of Music and the Boston Arts Academy continue to collaborate on a number of initiatives including:

1) The Berklee City Music Saturday Preparatory School: The Preparatory School, located on site at the BAA, serves Boston Public School students in grades 6 thru 8. It is designed to provide those students with a challenging music education curriculum. Programming and instruction is geared toward putting these students on
par with students from affluent school districts. Two key objectives of the Prep School are: 1. To prepare middle school students for entry into the BAA. 2. To prepare students for entry into the Berklee City Music Upper School. The Prep School is directed under the leadership of the Music Director for the BAA.

2) The Berklee City Music Saturday Upper School: The Berklee City Music Saturday Upper School offers rigorous, tailored classroom and musical training for Boston high school students. Through this school, located on the campus of Berklee College of Music, the program enables the college to provide intensive, focused instruction that will prepare students to successfully meet the challenges they will face in higher-education. Approximate 15 to 20 % of entering students come from the City Music Preparatory school.

3) Saturday School faculty outreach: Faculty from the Berklee City Music Saturday Upper School, participate as adjunct faculty at the Boston Arts Academy, providing private lesson instruction and tutoring in various music related subjects. In some cases these faculty may also be a part of the regular college faculty.

4) Dual Enrollment: Boston Arts Academy seniors are invited, based on academic pre-requisites, to take select courses at Berklee College of Music for both high school credit and transferable credit to Berklee, should they apply and are accepted.

In addition to the above, Berklee provides work-study students and college interns to the BAA. The college was instrumental in the design of both the music technology lab and the recording studio, providing consultation and equipment.

Boston Architectural Center

The BAC is proud to connect with area arts schools to help promote a sharing of resources and inspiration. The BAC is excited about supporting BAA students pursue their interests in design. Our degrees in architecture, interior design, and design studies appeal to high school students who love art, computers, decorating, engineering, and many other subjects. We enjoy speaking with students each year at the annual BAA Pro Arts college fair. BAA students benefit from an open admission policy--quite unusual for a design school--whereby all students who apply are admitted. There are many ways to connect with and learn more about the BAC. BAA students who wish to get a taste of design school while still in high school can participate in Center Summer Academy (CSA), our highly successful summer program for high school students. Open to incoming 10th - 12th graders, the mini-studio allows students to explore design hands-on through a 5-week program. This past year we awarded $7000 in scholarship monies to CSA participants. BAA staff can take advantage of cross registration through our degree course offerings. We are happy to arrange for students--individually or with their class (like a studio art class)--to visit, chat, and tour with us any day of the week

The Boston Conservatory

The Boston Conservatory has enjoyed a close and on-going partnership with the BAA since 1998. The following areas have been implemented and have been successful for a select number of BAA students.

1) Cross-Registration: Each semester qualified Juniors and Seniors from the BAA may take select undergraduate courses from the Boston Conservatory. These courses are on a space available arrangement however; for the last four semesters there have been BAA students taking Conservatory level courses. Courses taken in past semesters: Italian, French, Psychology, Dance Technique.

2) Summer Programs: The Boston Conservatory's "Summer Dance Program " and "Vocal and Chorale Summer Institute" offer full and partial scholarships to BAA students for focused summer study.

3) Concerts/Events: The BAA has performed end of semester music concerts and piano recitals at Conservatory performance venues. This includes the Main Stage theater and Seully Hall. As well, the Conservatory provides tickets to Main Stage productions....last year BAA students saw Bernstein"s "Candide" and Gilbert and Sullivan's "Le Gondoliere."

4) Tutors: Boston Conservatory students assist as tutors for academic help and teach weekly half hour music lessons in the Music Department. More than 30 hours of instruction and tutoring are provided.

5) Shadowing Day: BAA students follow a Conservatory student through a day of classes, lessons and ensembles.

Emerson College

Emerson College and the Boston Arts Academy have partnered on several projects over the past four years:

1) Dual Enrollment: Ten students have taken advantage of dual enrollment. The cost of the courses is fully covered by the College. If the student has successfully completed the course, is accepted, and enrolls in one of Emerson’s degree programs, he/she may apply the credits earned through Dual Enrollment to their Emerson degree. The majority of the students have enrolled in one of our Expository Writing classes, although other introductory courses are available.

2) Student Scholarships/Faculty Stipends: Emerson offers up to two 1/2 tuition renewable scholarships to incoming first year or transfer students who are City of Boston residents and graduates of the BAA with demonstrated financial need and academic achievement. Currently, six BAA students receive this scholarship. Emerson offers one course per semester for a total of four courses per year to BAA staff members. Two BAA faculty members have received this benefit.

3) Student Teachers, Observers, Volunteers: One or two Emerson students have served as student teachers each year. Several students observe during the year and often assist in acting classes or in conduct audition workshops. This fall the entire Community Involvement class, which enrolls 21 students, is volunteering at the BAA, mentoring seniors on their grant/writing projects.

4) Emerson Faculty/Staff/Visiting Artist Involvement: Each year at least one staff member has volunteered to serve as a grant reviewer. For the last two years, three staff members have reviewed these grants and this year the 21 students who are in the Community Involvement course will serve as panelists. When Whoopi Goldberg visited Emerson in 2002 as part of our Visiting Artist Series, BAA students were invited to meet with her in an informal discussion session as well as attend her Master Class.

5) Other Opportunities: Emerson has made tickets available to the BAA for our Emerson Stage performances. We have conducted workshops on the college admission process and have held college tours specifically designed for BAA students. Although not yet scheduled, Theatre Education may be resuming summer theatre workshops.

Massachusetts College of Art

Massachusetts College of Art has been deeply committed to the success of the BAA since its founding. Through the years, MassArt and the BAA have developed a mutually beneficial relationship. The following programs illustrate the range of ongoing activities and partnership programs that have been developed:

1) Looking to Learn- Each semester BAA students explore the Contemporary exhibitions held at MassArt through Looking to Learn, MassArt’s educational program for exhibitions. Looking to Learn worked with a BAA senior advisory group and the Earthly Delights exhibition at MassArt in the late winter.

2) Teen Curators- Each semester BAA students have joined the UrbanArt’s Teen Curators Program, supervised by MassArt’s Looking to Learn program. This program, funded by the Cloud Foundation has now been formally made the curators for exhibitions at the Cloud Foundation!

3) Summer Programs- MassArt’s “Summer Studios” and “Creative Vacations” offer full and partial scholarships to BAA students for intensive summer visual art classes. For students entering the BAA, in need of more focused study in the visual arts prior to their entrance to the BAA, MassArt’s “Creative Vacations” offers full scholarships.

4) BAA Summer Program Assistantship- For the Summer Studios and Creative Vacations programs in July and August, MassArt hires a graduating BAA student who will be entering MassArt, nominated by the Boston Arts Academy Visual Arts Team, to be the Program Assistant.

5) Dual Enrollment-Qualified Juniors and Seniors from the BAA have elected to take select MassArt undergraduate courses. These courses have been offered to BAA students on a space available basis. BAA students have taken Photography, Painting and Ceramics classes at MassArt.

6) Student Teacher Practicum- MassArt Graduate and Undergraduate students in the Art Education Department have been working as Student teachers at the BAA for full year commitments. This relationship is beneficial for both the BAA students and the MassArt students.

7) John Hancock Scholars- With MassArt graduate student mentors, selected BAA students conceptualized and ran a summer day camp art program for children at the Mission Hill Community Center.

8) Mentoring- Over the years MassArt has developed a weekly BPS mentoring program. This program is designed to encourage retention.

9) MassArt's Center for Art and Community Partnerships is committed to looking into further collaborative efforts and partnering opportunities with the BAA through on-going discussions. A member of the BAA visual arts faculty serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Art and Community Partnerships.

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is proud of its relationship with the Boston Arts Academy. A founding member of the BAA, the Museum School participated in all phases of its curricular and physical development, from locating an appropriate site and the introduction of an interdisciplinary curriculum for students who excel in all arts to its present form. Offering student teacher and intern placements, visits to special exhibits at the Museum of Fine Arts, and invitations to attend MFA Open Houses are just some of the contributions made by the SMFA/MFA to the Boston Arts Academy. Currently, The School of the Museum of Fine Arts Dual Enrollment program is offered to Boston art Academy seniors who have demonstrated the ability to succeed in college level classes. Students who participate in this program earn credits that meet the requirements for high school graduation and may transfer to higher education institutions.