Nativity School of Worcester

What Nativity School of Worcester does

Nativity School of Worcester is a nonprofit, tuition-free private middle school founded in 2003 and headquartered at 67 Lincoln Street, Worcester, Massachusetts. It serves approximately 96 students in grades 5–8 from under-resourced Worcester families (average household income $43,750), with eligibility tied to free/reduced lunch or fuel assistance program qualification. The school operates a co-divisional model comprising the Chick Weiss Boys Division (56 students, grades 5–8) and the Julie Power Girls Division (40 students, grades 5–7, opened July 2024), delivering single-sex academics with integrated social and extracurricular programming. Core programmatic elements include an eight-period academic day (Language Arts, Reading, Social Studies, Mathematics, Religion, Science, Spanish, Renaissance/arts), a mandatory Summer of Service session, an after-school program, the Nativity Teaching Fellowship, and a Graduate Support Program that provides mentorship through high school and college placement.

The school is a member of the Nativity Miguel Coalition of Schools, a national network of 64 schools serving over 5,000 middle-school-age students in 27 states. Its revenue model is entirely donation-dependent: tuition is fully free for every student (~$25,000 annual value per student), with families paying only a $250 activity fee. Operating support comes from individual donors, foundations, and corporations; FY25 fundraising totaled $6M from 899 donors, and the school completed a $25M "Access & Impact" capital campaign in November 2025, growing the endowment from approximately $5M to $12M. NEASC accreditation since 2010 provides third-party quality validation.

Technology footprint is intentionally limited: NWEA MAP testing measures academic progress, and standard web/donation platforms (DonorPerfect) support admissions and giving. There is no proprietary software product, SaaS offering, or AI capability. Headcount totals approximately 25 full-time staff (5 department heads, 8 Nativity Teaching Fellows, 12 administrators/staff), governed by a Board of Trustees currently chaired by Veronica Listerud, with Tom McKenney as President since 2021 and Andrea Bazarian as Principal since 2022.

Name

Nativity School of Worcester

Legal name

Nativity School of Worcester, Inc.

Website

https://nativityworcester.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nativity School of Worcester is a nonprofit, tuition-free private middle school in Worcester, MA serving 96 under-resourced students in grades 5–8 through a co-divisional (boys/girls) model with lifelong graduate support, funded entirely by charitable donations and an endowment of approximately $12.5M.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Middle School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Single-Sex (Boys/Girls) Private Schools (EDAJABAK)

Keywords

• Tuition-free middle school
• Private middle school education
• College preparation services
• Graduate support programs
• Teaching fellowship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Worcester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The school operates as a tuition-free institution relying entirely on charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Raised $6M in FY25 from 899 donors. Completed a historic $25M capital campaign 'Access & Impact: The Campaign for Nativity School of Worcester'.
2. Parental Activity Fee: A $250 parental activity fee is the only cost to families, compared to $25,000 total value provided per student.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nativity School of Worcester is a tuition-free, NEASC-accredited independent middle school that delivers a holistic, faith- and Ignatian-values-based education to approximately 96 students in grades 5–8 from under-resourced Worcester, MA households, through a co-divisional model with single-sex academics and integrated social experiences. Beyond the school day and year, it operates an After-School Program, a mandatory Summer of Service, a two-year Teaching Fellowship for recent college graduates, and a lifelong Graduate Support Program providing high school and post-secondary placement and mentorship, with all program costs funded by charitable donations.

Product overview

Nativity School of Worcester is a tuition-free, accredited, independent middle school offering a holistic, faith-based education rooted in Ignatian values to students of all faiths from under-resourced communities in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school operates a co-divisional model featuring the Chick Weiss Boys Division and Julie Power Girls Division, serving 96 students in grades 5–8 across two academic divisions. Core programmatic offerings include an eight-period academic day (Language Arts, Reading, Social Studies, Mathematics, Religion, Science, Spanish, and Renaissance/arts), a mandatory Summer of Service session, an After-School Program (sports and evening study), a two-year Nativity Teaching Fellowship, and a Graduate Support Program providing high school and post-secondary placement, mentorship, and financial aid through Nancy's Fund. The school does not offer software products, technology platforms, or SaaS offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Julie Power Girls Division: The girls division of Nativity School of Worcester, named in honor of Julie Power following a $3M gift from the J.D. Power Family.
• Chick Weiss Boys Division
• Nativity Fellows Program

Products and services

• Middle School Academic Program (Grades 5–8) Full tuition-free academic program for grades 5–8 covering Language Arts, Reading, Social Studies, Mathematics, Religion, Science, Spanish, and Renaissance (arts), with small class sizes (max 17) and a 1:4 adult-to-student ratio, delivered under the co-divisional single-sex Chick Weiss Boys Division and Julie Power Girls Division model. Targeted at under-resourced Worcester, MA families eligible for free/reduced lunch or fuel assistance.
• After-School Program After-school program providing sports, evening study, and tutoring for enrolled students, supplementing the regular academic day with supervised enrichment and academic support.
• Summer of Service Session Mandatory three-week Summer of Service program for students, including service-learning placements at partner sites such as Community Harvest Project, The Village (Worcester), Veteran's Inc., and El Buen Samaritano.
• Graduate Support Program (High School and Post-Secondary) Lifelong post-graduate support program covering high school placement and post-secondary placement and support, including mentorship, college access counseling, and tuition assistance through Nancy's Fund for Nativity Worcester graduates.
• Teaching Fellowship Program Two-year Teaching Fellowship program for recent college graduates passionate about education, offering tuition-free graduate degree opportunities in partnership with Assumption University (School Counseling M.A., Special Education M.A., MBA, Clinical Counseling Psychology M.A.) and reduced-cost M.A.T. with Clark University.
• Family Engagement Program Family engagement programming that partners with parents and guardians of enrolled students to support student success, including the $250 annual parental activity fee and ongoing family communications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of graduates complete high school (vs. 75% national average for low-income students)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nativity Miguel Coalition of SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971Nativity Worcester is part of the Nativity Miguel Coalition of Schools, a national network of 64 schools serving over 5,000 students in 27 states. The model began with Nativity Mission Center in NYC in 1971.
• Assumption UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellows have opportunity to pursue graduate degree programs (School Counseling M.A., Special Education M.A., Business/MBA, Clinical Counseling Psychology M.A.) free of tuition costs. Also pursuing Master's in School Counseling at Assumption University.
• Clark UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellows may pursue Master's in the Art of Teaching (M.A.T.) at reduced cost. Additional out-of-pocket costs may apply; Educational Award can be used to cover remaining tuition.
• Worcester Regional Chamber of CommerceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInstitutional membership supporting community connections and business engagement for the school.
• AISNE - Association of Independent Schools in New EnglandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInstitutional membership in association of independent schools in New England for professional development and networking.
• Highland Street FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor seventeenth consecutive year, 8th-grade students participate in Highland Street Foundation's Youth Philanthropy Initiative, learning about philanthropy and disbursing $5,000 in grant funds to local organizations.
• College of the Holy CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner - senior administration of Holy Cross developed the idea of establishing Nativity School in Worcester in late 1990s. University president Michael McFarland, S.J., and Charles Weiss, Ph.D. championed the school. Volunteers from Holy Cross provide evening study tutoring support.
• Assumption CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUndergraduate volunteers from Assumption College support evening study program, working directly with students on academic subjects alongside Nativity Worcester staff.
• Community Harvest ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three service-learning sites during Summer of Service 2025, focusing on specific community service area.
• The Village (Worcester)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService-learning site during Summer of Service 2025, one of three community organizations where students performed service.
• Veteran's Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService-learning site during Summer of Service 2025, providing community service opportunities for students.
• El Buen SamaritanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerService-learning site during Summer of Service 2025, one of three community organizations participating in program.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Prep for Prep: New York-based nonprofit identifying and preparing high-achieving students of color for placement in independent schools and selective colleges. Shares Nativity Worcester's mission of educational access for under-resourced students and a structured pathway to selective secondary education.
• Nativity Prep Boston: A Jesuit, tuition-free middle school in Boston serving low-income students of all faiths. Operates within the same Nativity Miguel Coalition network using an essentially identical model (extended day/year, graduate support, faith-based formation), making it the closest comparable peer to Nativity Worcester.
• Match Charter School: Boston-based tuition-free public charter school serving low-income students from kindergarten through college completion, with an extended day and teacher-residency model. Shares Nativity Worcester's New England geography, mission population, and extended-time academic model.
• KIPP Massachusetts: Public charter network operating tuition-free schools serving under-resourced communities in Massachusetts with extended day, college-prep focus, and alumni support through college. Same target population and college-access mission as Nativity Worcester, though operating under a public charter rather than independent model.
• SEED Schools: Network of urban, tuition-free college-prep boarding and day schools serving low-income students. Shares Nativity Worcester's holistic, residential-adjacent model with extended day, summer programming, and lifelong alumni support, though SEED primarily operates at the high-school level.
• Breakthrough Collaborative: National nonprofit network of summer and academic-year programs preparing high-achieving middle-school students from under-resourced communities for selective high schools and colleges. Shares Nativity Worcester's middle-school focus, summer programming, and college-prep pipeline mission.
• Eagle Academy Foundation: National network of all-boys public schools serving young men of color in urban communities. Shares Nativity Worcester's single-sex instructional philosophy, extended-day model, and college-prep mission, though Eagle Academy operates as public schools rather than independent.

Broad incumbents

• Uncommon Schools: National public charter network of 55+ schools serving low-income communities across multiple states with extended day, college-prep curriculum, and alumni support. Same population and college-access mission as Nativity Worcester, operating at significantly larger network scale.
• Cristo Rey Network: National network of 37 Catholic, college-prep high schools serving low-income students of all faiths, integrating corporate work-study into the curriculum. Shares the Jesuit-inspired, mission-driven character of Nativity Worcester while operating at high-school rather than middle-school level and at much larger network scale.

Others

• City Year: National nonprofit placing near-peer mentors in under-resourced schools to improve attendance, behavior, and course performance. Adjacent ecosystem participant — Nativity Worcester's own Nativity Fellows Program follows a similar service-through-education model, and both organizations leverage recent-graduate talent to support student outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nativityschoolofworcester
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nativityworcester
• Instagraminstagram.com/nativityworcester

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Nativity School of Worcester