UMass Comes to Springfield

UMass & Towersquare (owned by Mass Mutual) have formed a unique partnership in offering local citizens the opportunity to attend UMass right in downtown Springfield. The university will lease over 27,000 square feet on the 2nd floor of the building just in time...

Mini-Medical School for Teens & Adults

Dr. Peter Blain from Baystate Medical Center is the director of Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership (BSEP). BSEP helps Springfield-area kids prepare themselves for a possible future in health care. As part of the program, students focus on: career exploration...

Web Premiere: Mini-Medical School for Teens & Adults

Dr. Peter Blain from Baystate Medical Center is the director of Baystate Springfield Educational Partnership (BSEP). BSEP helps Springfield-area kids prepare themselves for a possible future in health care. As part of the program, students focus on: career exploration...

Lower Pioneer Valley Early Learning Center

Lower Pioneer Valley Early Learning Center (LPVELC) is a childcare facility at the Lower Pioneer Valley Educational Collaborative, a vocational school that provides career and technical education to high school students. The LPV Early Learning Center is the first...

Gerena School Follow Up

Last season on Connecting Point, we brought you the series “Divided We Stand A Street in Our School” that focused on the Gerena School in Springfield’s North End. Recently, it was announced that the school had exited Level 4 status by successfully meeting...

School Safety

Connecting Point Contributor Carolee McGrath visits the Enfield Public School System to talk with parents and administrators about their decision to place armed guards in the schools. Enfield Public...

Commissioner of Higher Education

Richard Freeland, Massachusetts’ Commissioner of Higher Education, was in Springfield Wednesday for a meeting with local business leaders. He also sat down with Jim Madigan to discuss the investigation into financial practices at Westfield State University under...

Gerena Teacher Round Table

Connecting Point’s Carolee McGrath sits down with Burt Freedman, Enrique “Henry” Figueredo and Ursula Hogan at Gerena School to talk about their memories as teachers when the school was known as New North Community School. They describe the school as being state...

Gerena Community Agencies

Community leaders share their thoughts for the Gerena School tunnel and discuss the importance of the various agencies that once occupied that space. Many of them have played a vital role in coordinating programs inside the community space and share their thoughts....

Gerena Community Voices

Since opening in 1975, the Gerena School has truly been a resource for the North End. It was designed to be a multi-purpose structure, providing not only a school for the children, but a community space for residents to enjoy. Producer Zydalis Zayas shares stories...

Gerena Success Stories

Connecting Points Carolee McGrath spends the day at Gerena with Principal Diane Gagnon and teacher Solivette Santiago. They tour the school and get an inside look at the classrooms, the students and the teachers. They highlight the academic progress the students have...