The Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association (MCMA), founded in 1795 by Paul Revere and other notable craftsmen of his time, is one of the oldest charitable organizations in the United States. MCMA is also one of Schools for Children’s oldest and most committed supporters, providing grants and equipment for nearly 40 years.
In its earliest days, the MCMA’s mission was to promote the mechanical arts and trades. More recently, the organization has worked to provide support to organizations that offer vocational programs. At both Dearborn Academy in Newton and Seaport Academy in Chelsea, MCMA’s generosity has shaped and helped grow experiential learning programs.
MCMA has worked with Dearborn since the mid-1980s. Thomas von Huene, Vocational Coordinator, Woodworking and Metalworking Teacher at Dearborn and MCMA member, recalls the longstanding relationship.
“It goes back 30 years. Mechanics have donated anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 in equipment per year. When the program moved [from Arlington to Newton], we needed to restore the shops. So we reached out to Mechanics. They helped us get up and running with the new facilities.”
In more recent years, Dearborn Academy has switched gears to focus on academic rigor and college prep – a rarity among therapeutic schools. Even with this shift, the programs provided by MCMA’s generosity are still an integral part of the curriculum.
“Woodworking, metal and jewelry shops, studio arts, pottery, ceramics, fiber arts, computer lab, and even a music studio, a set of offerings greatly enhanced by the MCMA grants over the years, help build hands-on skills that carry over into other subjects and help put academics into a real-life context,” said Rebecca Altepeter, Dearborn’s Head of School.
The creative and practical skills acquired in these classes often stay with the students and can even become an important creative outlet (a wonderful thing in our age of screen-related activity and doom-scrolling) or even a side gig. One recent student enjoys crochet, while another makes and sells cutting boards.
Items students make can be sold at Dearborn’s twice-annual Festival of the Arts, held in December and in late Spring. Stay tuned for dates.
At Seaport Academy, the vocational curriculum offers students a gateway into the trades. John Charow, Vocational Director/Lead Teacher, has been with Seaport for 20 years and has played a key role in the evolution of the school’s vocational programs.
In Seaport’s professional kitchen, students prepare the school’s lunches. In the newly installed music studio, students record music. Seaport’s woodworking studio, which last year acquired a specialized table saw through MCMA’s generosity, has inspired students to explore other vocational programs. Off-campus programs offered include blacksmithing at Prospect Hill Forge in Waltham and pottery at Mudflats Studio in Somerville. At the blacksmith shop, pictured below, Seaport students recently completed dragon heads made from wrought iron, using tools that they made by hand.
Each program not only offers students a taste of what it might be like to work in these fields,
but also valuable experience. One recent student learned to weld in the blacksmith shop. After graduation, he applied for a job working at an exhaust company, where he was selected for the position because he was the only applicant with welding experience.
Seaport Academy and Dearborn Academy are two very different therapeutic schools. Seaport Academy offers a flexible curriculum designed to help students reconnect to their sense of curiosity through hands-on, experiential programs. Dearborn Academy offers a focus on social/emotional support, academic excellence, and college prep. But at both schools, students can find lasting benefits from hands-on experiential learning.
MCMA’s contributions have provided opportunities for students to explore their creativity, build confidence, and gain practical skills that will stay with them as they move forward into adulthood.
