On Dec. 8, the Chesterton Schools Network announced that it had won the 2025 $1 Million Yass Prize, which is considered the "Pulitzer Prize of Education Innovation." According to the Yass Prize press release, "... Chesterton was chosen for its extraordinary ability to empower families, its rapid expansion to more than 70 schools currently, and its proven model for restoring deep thinking, character formation, and joy to the high school experience."

In 2026, it is remarkable that an education grounded in the traditions of Ancient Greece and Rome can be considered innovative. At a time when modern education has moved away from much of the great thought of the Western civilization, Chesterton Academy's ability to offer this experience is exceptional. It is also innovative, especially in the Boston suburbs, to be affordable, with low tuition ($10,500) and generous financial aid available.

Although all Chesterton Academies are independent private schools, they share a common curriculum and approach to education. The three pillars of a Chesterton education are the development of students' intellect, character, and spirituality, all in the pursuit of what is good, what is true, and what is beautiful. This holistic approach nurtures the intellect through the study of the great classics of Western tradition. Students pursue virtue and leadership through their participation in the Chesterton House System. Students are further invited into a deeper relationship with Christ through frequent access to the sacraments, intentional liturgical living, and opportunities for service that flow from and are sustained by a vibrant life of prayer.

Chesterton Academy has revived the "lost tools of learning" at a time when many schools have become overly dependent on iPads, Chromebooks, and online content. Rather than replacing thinking with technology, Chesterton Academy embraces a purposeful low-tech approach that centers on primary sources, real books, Socratic dialogue, logic, and critical thinking. Students aren't indoctrinated or compelled to regurgitate information, but are invited to think deeply, clearly, and independently.

As a Chesterton Academy, we are encouraged to maximize the innate joy that comes from learning the Truth. As G. K. Chesterton observed, "...there is a whole truth of things, and ... in knowing it and speaking it we are happy." In a world plagued by relativism, Chesterton Academy offers a refreshing escape to the Truth and rest in Him who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life.

The doors of our school opened on Sept. 2 under the mantle of Our Lady the Immaculata. Our students have already attended over 70 Masses together, including a special Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated by West Regional Bishop Robert P. Reed and a daily Mass before Christmas with the retired priests at Regina Cleri residence.

They are working their way through the ancient classics, the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey," ancient history and philosophy, theology, Euclidean geometry, astronomy and more. They sang traditional Latin Advent hymns for their Advent Lessons and Carols concert, learned calligraphy in art, and the Polka and the Virginia Reel in dance class. In addition to their classes, they collected baby items for Birthright, made sandwiches for the homeless, and participated in after-school sports, including cross country, ski club, and basketball.

Perhaps the best part of growing a small school is watching the bonds of friendships form that are rooted in something far more authentic and enduring than the often-artificial world of online social life. The students are not sheltered from that world but are tethered to something real and eternal.

We invite you and your family to come and see Chesterton Academy. While our priority application deadline has passed, we are still enrolling students for both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years on a rolling basis.



MADELINE WILLIAMS IS A PARENT AND FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER OF CHESTERTON ACADEMY OF THE IMMACULATA (INFO@CHESTERTONMA.ORG OR 508-834-9849). CHESTERTON ACADEMY OF THE IMMACULATA IS A JOYFULLY CATHOLIC, CLASSICAL HIGH SCHOOL LOCATED IN FRAMINGHAM AT ST. STEPHEN PARISH SCHOOL THAT OPENED SEPTEMBER 2025.