As part of this year’s SXSW EDU conference, Map Academy was selected to record a live episode of Education Disruption. In this episode, you’ll hear from Map alumni Reggie and Aja about their previous school experiences, how they found their way to Map and what makes it different, and their plans for life after high school. The session also features Co-Founder and Co-Director Rachel Babcock.

Many thanks to Reggie and Aja for sharing their stories on the SXSW stage and with our Education Disruption listeners, and to SXSW EDU for giving us this platform to share how we’re doing high school differently.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

Map Academy’s model was designed with flexibility built-in, making it ideal for students who can’t attend school on a traditional schedule — including those who are working full-time to support themselves and their families, like Sophia. Sophia struggled with mental health and family issues, causing instability that disrupted her education. Her experience at her last school was challenging, and she wasn’t getting the support she needed to stay engaged, so she dropped out. Then, she found her way to Map.

Map’s flexible schedule allows her to keep her job as a full-time certified nursing assistant while pursuing her high school diploma. Sophia worked with Map social worker Mike Balaschi, who helped establish boundaries around academic expectations while still allowing Sophia the accommodations she needed to balance work, life, and school.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

Youth development requires meeting students where they’re at. At Map Academy, that means understanding that some students might have experienced trauma that has caused them to struggle in previous schools. That’s why Map educators prioritize fostering mutual trust with their students.

In this episode, we hear from Anre Dowell (Community Support Partner). During his time at Map, Anre used his youth development experience to build strong, genuine relationships with students — including Anthony and Carlie, who also share their stories in this episode. Anthony and Carlie say that Anre consistently pushed them to engage. But first, Anre got to know them, what brought them to Map, and the reasons why they might not be able to focus on academics. “If you lock in and you keep going back … we'll eventually build the bond,” Anre says.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

In order for an educational practice to be truly student-centered, teachers must understand their students — their strengths, weaknesses, hopes, and lives beyond the classroom. With trusting relationships in place, learning experiences are more effective because they are tailored to student needs.

In this episode of Education Disruption, we hear Ryan’s story. Map's flexible, student-centered approach — cultivated during one-on-one time with history teacher Avia during COVID — helped him re-engage with high school, avoid dropping out, and incorporate his passions into his education.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

At Map Academy, we know that life — including struggles with mental health — can get in the way of learning. And oftentimes, in traditional schools, students who fall behind aren’t given the support they need to catch up academically. This, unfortunately, happened to Jenna. She struggled to get back on track after missing a lot of school. Then, she found her way to Map. 

In this episode, we hear how Map’s flexible, self-paced approach, welcoming community, and built-in mental health supports helped Jenna re-engage with her education and earn her high school diploma.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

Map Academy students are survivors — many have been forced to navigate challenges beyond their years. To help students through these obstacles, Map offers wraparound supports, like social workers who help students tackle a wide range of barriers — from hunger, to housing insecurity, to substance misuse, and more. And, crucially, staff works hard to ensure students know that Map will be there for them when they’re ready and able to re-engage with their education.

This persistent yet patient approach is key to the success of Map students like Maria. As a working student, she fell off track academically in traditional school, then fell into a cycle of substance misuse. In this episode, we follow her recovery journey and hear how Map has supported her along the way to her diploma.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

Integral to Map Academy’s unique, student-centered approach is time — for students to work at their own pace, for teachers to build trusting relationships with learners, and for staff to adjust to Map’s model. Map works hard to find staff with the patience and flexibility needed to foster Map’s supportive student and staff culture — in this episode, we hear from three of them: Steve (Teaching & Learning Co-Lead and Humanities Teacher), Shiobhan (Humanities Teacher), and Mike (Wraparound Co-Lead and Social Worker).

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy — a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

We’re back with a brand new season of Education Disruption, with more stories from the Map Academy community. In this episode, we hear from Jade, who came to Map after her anxiety made it difficult to stay on track at her traditional high school. Jade worked closely with Mike, Wraparound Co-Lead and Social Worker at Map. We also hear from him about how Map’s trauma-informed and competency-based model helps students like Jade re-engage with their education, grow emotionally, and make progress towards their goals.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/themapacademy

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

After more than a year of adapting their model to meet the needs of the COVID-19 pandemic, Map Academy teachers, staff, and students are preparing for their in-person reopening. And while Map’s focus at the moment is making sure they can reopen safely, founders Josh and Rachel are also thinking ahead to more long-term goals and aspirations—in particular, housing for students. A residential program could potentially be a game-changer for a school like Map.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter:

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org

One of the requirements to graduate from Map Academy is a post-secondary plan, ensuring that students leave Map with meaningful, actionable steps to take toward a career or college. Co-founders Rachel and Josh recognize that what happens after high school is just as important as getting a diploma. In this episode, they share their insights about the post-secondary planning process, some of the challenges their students have faced, and their hopes for a 13th year that would allow them to provide more structured support to their learners after graduation.

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Education Disruption is a podcast by Rachel Babcock and Josh Charpentier, founders of Map Academy—a free, public charter high school open to all Massachusetts students.

More about Map Academy: themapacademy.org

Follow us on Twitter:  

This podcast is a Hairpin production: hairpin.org