Community Charter School of Cambridge

What Community Charter School of Cambridge does

Community Charter School of Cambridge (CCSC) is a free, open-enrollment charter public school serving approximately 500-600 students in grades 6 through 12 at a single campus located at 245 Bent Street in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 2005 under a five-year charter granted by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, CCSC operates with class sizes of 16-22 students and a teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1:10, positioning itself as a small-school environment explicitly focused on closing opportunity gaps for a diverse urban student body. Its core educational offering comprises a middle school program (grades 6-8, including a mandatory Summer Academy for incoming students) and a college-preparatory high school program (grades 9-12) with honors and AP coursework, dual-enrollment options, and a mandatory 100-hour senior internship at one of 30+ host organizations. Supplementary programmatic modules include a College and Career Counseling program, an Alumni Persistence Program (launched 2022-23), a competitive athletics program competing in the Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization (MCSAO) and Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), and clubs/extracurriculars such as Robotics, National Honor Society, and Harvard Model Congress. The school also operates free meal and transportation services.

CCSC's technology stack is built entirely on third-party K-12 ed-tech products rather than proprietary systems: Google Workspace for Education, PowerSchool Student Information System, MyDash (a manual staff behavioral-tracking dashboard), TalkingPoints (multilingual text-based family communication), and a 1:1 Chromebook program. The school maintains no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, software products, or technology platform. Enrollment is conducted through a lottery system open to all Massachusetts residents with preference for Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, and Revere families and siblings of currently enrolled students, supported by multilingual outreach in 12 languages.

The school's revenue model is structured as a Massachusetts public charter school: per-pupil state funding (the primary revenue stream) supplemented by tax-deductible donations to its affiliated 501(c)(3) entity, Community Charter School of Cambridge Foundation (EIN 20-3179850), which funds the Alumni Persistence Program, field trips, extracurricular programming, wellness activities, and professional development. Notable institutional support includes selection as a 2025 recipient of the Cummings Foundation's $30 Million Grant Program. The school is governed by a 14-member Board of Trustees chaired by Uche Amaechi (Harvard Graduate School of Education lecturer), with current Head of School Becki Norris and Principal Naatuere Ajanaku leading day-to-day operations.

Name

Community Charter School of Cambridge

Legal name

Community Charter School of Cambridge

Website

https://ccscambridge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Community Charter School of Cambridge (CCSC) is a free, open-enrollment charter public school in Kendall Square serving grades 6-12, founded in 2005 under a Massachusetts state charter. It delivers a college-preparatory curriculum with small class sizes (16-22), AP coursework, a mandatory 100-hour senior internship program, and a post-graduation Alumni Persistence Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter Public School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• Secondary education services
• College preparatory programs
• Public school education
• K-12 education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil State Funding: Charter public schools receive per-pupil funding from the state of Massachusetts based on enrollment. CCSC operates under a five-year charter granted by the Commonwealth's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
2. Donations and Grants (Annual Fund): Tax-deductible donations to CCSC's 501(c)(3) entity (EIN 20-3179850) fund college and career experiences, field trips, extracurricular programming, wellness activities, and professional development. Also receives grants like Cummings Foundation $30 Million Grant Program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Community Charter School of Cambridge is a free, open-enrollment charter public school serving students in grades 6 through 12. It delivers a college-preparatory academic program aligned with Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks, augmented by a mandatory 100-hour senior internship, a College and Career Counseling program, and an Alumni Persistence Program that supports graduates through postsecondary transitions. The school operates under a five-year charter from the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and serves a diverse student body drawn primarily from Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, and Revere.

Product overview

Community Charter School of Cambridge (CCSC) is a charter public school serving grades 6-12 with a single, unified educational program built around academic rigor, real-world experience, and postsecondary preparation. The core offering consists of a middle school program (grades 6-8) and a high school program (grades 9-12), which together deliver a standards-aligned college-preparatory curriculum. These are supplemented by integrated support modules including a College and Career Counseling Program, a mandatory Senior Internship Program (100-hour spring internship for seniors), and an Alumni Persistence Program providing post-graduation coaching and emergency funding. Additional enrichment modules include an Athletics Program (competing in MCSAO and MIAA), Clubs and Extracurricular Activities (e.g., Robotics, National Honor Society), Summer Academy (mandatory orientation for grades 6-8), and a Nutrition Program providing free meals to all students. Transportation services and volunteer programs round out the school's supplementary offerings. The school does not operate as a multi-product technology platform; all offerings are components of a single educational program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Middle School Program (Grades 6-8) A rigorous middle school curriculum for grades 6-8 covering science, math, humanities, art, ESL, wellness and movement, and special education support, designed to prepare students for high school success. All new middle school students are required to attend Summer Academy before starting.
• High School Program (Grades 9-12) A college-preparatory high school program for grades 9-12 offering honors and AP coursework across English, math, science, history, and Spanish, along with a comprehensive college and career counseling program.
• College and Career Counseling Program A counseling program providing campus visits, job shadowing, forums with professionals and alumni, career days, individualized guidance on school fit and financial aid, and support for vocational or training pathways.
• Senior Internship Program

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Allium Montessori SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization for student interns
• Blue Hill Observatory & Science Center Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization for student interns
• Brigham and Women's HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization including Department of Radiation Oncology
• Cambridge City CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization including Mayor's Office
• EF Education FirstminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization for student interns
• SasakiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization - architecture and design firm
• StartUp GrindminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization - startup community platform
• The Clubhouse NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization - youth technology network
• The Foundry ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner2025 Senior Internship Program host organization
• DuetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal partner program providing additional resources for alumni
• Per ScholasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal partner program providing technology training for alumni
• YearUpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal partner program providing career development for alumni
• CityYearminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal partner program providing service opportunities for alumni
• AmeriCorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal partner program providing national service opportunities for alumni
• Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization (MCSAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCSC competes in MCSAO allowing participation at middle school, junior varsity, and varsity levels across multiple sports
• Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCSC competes in MIAA allowing high-level athletic competition
• Cambridge Public Schools Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides bus transportation for Cambridge residents in grades 6-8 who live more than 1.5 miles from school
• Center for Restorative Justice at Suffolk UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides training and coaching for CCSC's Restorative Justice and Transformative Justice practices

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prospect Hill Academy Charter School: Cambridge-based independent charter school serving grades K-12 with a college-preparatory mission. Most direct geographic and model peer; CCSC Director of Curriculum previously taught there for 9 years, and CCSC co-founder Emma Stellman later served as its Chief Academic Officer.
• Boston Collegiate Charter School: Dorchester-based charter school serving grades 5-12 with college-prep focus and small-school model. Directly comparable to CCSC in grades served, urban Massachusetts charter positioning, and emphasis on closing opportunity gaps; CCSC board member Kim Scheltz previously served there as Math Department Head.
• MATCH Charter Public School: Boston-based charter public school serving grades K-12 with extended-day college-prep model and teacher-residency program. Directly comparable as a single-organization Massachusetts charter school focused on closing opportunity gaps.
• Codman Academy Charter Public School: Boston-based charter school serving grades K-12 with college-prep mission and emphasis on extended learning time. Comparable small-school Massachusetts charter model with similar opportunity-gap focus.
• Phoenix Academy Public Charter High School: Lawrence, MA-based charter public high school serving grades 9-12 with college and career prep focus. Comparable urban Massachusetts charter high-school model with attention to opportunity-gap closing for diverse student populations.

Regional players

• Brooke Charter Schools: Boston-based charter school network operating multiple campuses serving grades K-12. Comparable Massachusetts charter college-prep model; differs as a multi-site network rather than single-site operation, providing a contrast point for scaling.
• Excel Academy Charter Schools: East Boston-based charter network serving grades K-12 with college-prep mission. Comparable Massachusetts urban charter positioning to CCSC; differs as a multi-campus network.
• City on a Hill Charter Public Schools: Boston-based charter school network with campuses in Boston and Brockton serving grades 9-12. Comparable urban Massachusetts college-prep charter positioning with similar grade range and demographic focus.
• Salem Academy Charter School: Salem, MA-based charter school serving grades 6-12 with college-prep mission. Closest grade-range match to CCSC (grades 6-12) within the Massachusetts charter system; serves a different geography but follows a similar small-school, college-prep model.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Academy Boston: Boston region of the national KIPP charter network, serving grades K-12 with college-prep focus. Comparable Massachusetts urban charter positioning, but operates as part of a national multi-site network rather than independent single-site.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CCSCambridge
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCf4RJwmSIi15EqGNC9ISXbg/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/communitycharterschoolcambridge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-charter-school-of-cambridge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Charter School of Cambridge