A non-profit committed to curious learners
Washington Square Academy is a registered public charity. Every gift directly supports an enriched, accessible education for curious, motivated students in our community.
Transformative learning, accessible to those who need it most
WSA is a registered public charity under the Internal Revenue Code 509(a)(2). At the heart of our mission is a commitment to supporting underserved communities and the children of immigrants, ensuring that transformative learning is accessible to those who need it most.
We combine rigorous academics with regular field trips into the rich landscape that is Boston. Our students tour world-class museums and universities; learn about the natural world at farm school and at our annual retreat on Cape Cod; and even travel internationally during summer breaks. The result is quantifiable academic success on the part of happy, well-rounded students.
A Neethling Brain Instrument (NBI) school
Washington Square Academy is a Neethling Brain Instrument (NBI) school. The NBI is a whole-brain thinking assessment that maps how each person naturally prefers to think — across analytical, structured, social, and imaginative modes. Rather than sorting students into fixed categories, it reveals the full range of thinking styles present in every classroom.
We use NBI insights to design lessons that engage all four thinking preferences, help teachers reach every kind of learner, and give students the language to understand their own strengths. The result is a classroom where analytical problem-solvers, careful planners, collaborative communicators, and big-picture dreamers are all challenged and supported — and where students learn to stretch beyond their comfort zone into whole-brain thinking.
Our core values
- 01
Be Kind
We treat one another with empathy, respect, and generosity of spirit.
- 02
Be Determined
We embrace challenge, persevere through setbacks, and finish what we start.
- 03
Be Curious
We ask questions, explore deeply, and let wonder drive our learning.
- 04
Be Grateful
We appreciate our opportunities, our community, and one another.
- 05
Work Hard
We give our best effort and take pride in meaningful, rigorous work.
A lab that grows more than plants
In 2026, WSA received a STEM grant from the Toshiba America Foundation to launch the Integrated Food Systems & Environmental Engineering Lab — a 12-week program where students in grades 6–9 design and build a modern aeroponic growing system from the ground up, applying environmental science, biology, data analysis, and mechanical design.
The produce they grow is donated directly to the Allston Brighton Food Pantry, giving students a vivid, real-world purpose for their work: the systems they engineer help feed their neighbors. The equipment stays at WSA permanently, so the food pantry partnership continues for future cohorts.
“This project is about showing our students that science is something they do, not something they memorize. When a student realizes the irrigation system she engineered is producing food for a family in Allston Brighton, the learning becomes deeply personal.”
Support the WSA mission
As a registered public charity, WSA depends on the generosity of our community. Your tax-deductible gift goes directly toward financial aid, enriched programming, and keeping a transformative education within reach for the families who need it most.
Washington Square Academy is a registered public charity under IRC 509(a)(2). Donations may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.