The Learning Project Inc

What The Learning Project Inc does

The Learning Project Inc operates an independent, nonprofit private elementary school founded in 1973 in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, enrolling approximately 118 students across grades K-6 at a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Its core product is a unified K-6 education that pairs academic rigor with an explicit focus on character education, leveraging the urban Boston setting for place-based learning and cross-age relationships. Supplemental offerings include an After School program and a Financial Assistance program that subsidizes 22% of enrolled students, supporting a deliberately diverse community in which 34% of students identify as people of color and families are drawn from 28 zip codes across the Boston area.

The school's revenue model is a hybrid of recurring tuition and philanthropic support. Tuition from K-6 families is the primary engine, augmented by an Annual Fund that contributes roughly 15% of the operating budget — a participation rate the school notes is materially higher than at most comparable independent schools. Long-term sustainability is buttressed by a portfolio of named endowment funds (McCord Mission, Community Scholarship, Prindle Opportunity, Cliggott Faculty Development, Caroline Schmidt Arts and Inspiration, and Gary Hatton Mental Health and Wellness), and by episodic capital campaigns such as "Building for Tomorrow," which targets $1,973,000 (a numeric reference to the 1973 founding year) for facilities expansion and renovation.

Go-to-market is community-led: the school relies on word-of-mouth, open houses, organic social (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), a Head-of-School blog ("Musings from Marlborough Street"), and a direct admissions process managed through the RenWeb portal. Recent strategic activity centers on a planned prekindergarten program — voted by the Board of Trustees to occupy a floor of the newly acquired building at 263 Clarendon Street — while the main campus remains at the McCord Building, 107 Marlborough Street. The technology stack is intentionally minimal; there are no proprietary platforms, apps, or disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and operations are governed by a Board of Trustees under Head of School Justin Hajj.

Name

The Learning Project Inc

Legal name

The Learning Project

Website

https://www.learningproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Learning Project Inc is an independent, nonprofit K-6 elementary school in Boston's Back Bay, founded in 1973, serving ~118 students through tuition, philanthropic Annual Fund giving, and endowment support, with plans to add a prekindergarten program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Elementary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private/Independent Online K–12 Schools (EDAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM)

Keywords

• Elementary education
• K-6 schooling
• Character education
• Private school tuition
• Financial assistance programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition: Primary revenue from tuition payments for K-6 education. The school also operates a robust financial assistance program, with 22% of students receiving aid.
2. Annual Fund: Annual fundraising initiative that accounts for about 15% of the operating budget - significantly higher than most independent schools. This demonstrates strong community loyalty and support for keeping tuition accessible.
3. Endowment Funds: Multiple endowment funds including McCord Mission Fund, Community Scholarship Fund, Prindle Opportunity Scholarship Fund, Cliggott Faculty Development Fund, Caroline Schmidt Arts and Inspiration Fund, and Gary Hatton Mental Health and Wellness Fund. These provide long-term financial sustainability.
4. Building for Tomorrow Campaign: Capital campaign to raise $1,973,000 (nod to founding year) for renovations at 263 Clarendon Street and McCord Building at 107 Marlborough Street.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Learning Project is an independent private nonprofit elementary school that delivers K-6 education combining academic excellence with explicit character education to approximately 118 students at its Boston Back Bay campus. The school supplements core academics with an after-school program and provides financial assistance to 22% of its student body to keep tuition accessible. Revenue is sustained by tuition, an Annual Fund contributing about 15% of the operating budget, multiple endowment funds, and a current "Building for Tomorrow" capital campaign.

Product overview

The Learning Project is a small elementary school (K-6) founded in 1973, located at 107 Marlborough Street in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood. The school provides a unified educational program combining academic excellence with character education. With an average enrollment of 118 students and a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio, the school offers core academic subjects, special subject classes, after school programming, and financial assistance to approximately 22% of its student body. The institution also operates a Building for Tomorrow Campaign to expand facilities at 263 Clarendon Street and maintain the McCord Building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elementary Education Program (K-6) A core K-6 elementary education program for families with school-age children, combining academic rigor with character education, delivered at the school's Boston Back Bay campus with a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average enrollment of 118 students.
• After School Program Extended-day programming offered to enrolled students beyond regular school hours as part of the school's comprehensive educational services.
• Financial Assistance Program A need-based financial assistance program that provides tuition support to 22% of enrolled students, designed to keep the school's K-6 education accessible to a diverse family base.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 zip codes represented from Boston and beyond
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Fenn School: The Fenn School is an independent boys' school in Concord, MA serving grades 4-9 with a focus on character development and small class sizes. It is comparable to The Learning Project in independent school ethos, small-scale operations, and Boston-area premium positioning.
• Shore Country Day School: Shore Country Day School is a small independent elementary school (PreK-9) in Beverly, MA with similar small-scale, character-focused independent education. It is a direct peer in the Massachusetts independent elementary school segment.
• Charles River School: Charles River School is a small independent elementary school (PreK-8) in Dover, MA with progressive education and small class sizes. It is comparable to The Learning Project in scale, mission, and Massachusetts independent school positioning.
• Kingsley School: Kingsley School is a small independent elementary school in Boston's Back Bay, serving a similarly small student body with a focus on individualized learning. It is the most direct peer to The Learning Project in size, location, and mission within Boston private elementary education.
• Belmont Day School: Belmont Day School is a small independent elementary school (PreK-8) in Belmont, MA with a similar emphasis on character, community, and small class sizes. It is highly comparable in mission, scale, and Boston-area independent school positioning to The Learning Project.
• The Advent School: The Advent School is an independent elementary school in Boston serving a similarly small, diverse student body with project-based and values-driven education. It is comparable to The Learning Project in Boston urban location, scale, and educational philosophy emphasis on character.
• Nashoba Brooks School: Nashoba Brooks School is a small independent elementary school (PreK-8) in Concord, MA with a focus on academic excellence and character development in a small-school environment. It is comparable to The Learning Project in scale, philosophy, and Massachusetts independent school positioning.
• Cambridge Friends School: Cambridge Friends School is a small Quaker independent elementary school (PreK-8) in Cambridge, MA with strong values-based education and small class sizes. It is comparable to The Learning Project in mission, Boston-area location, and small independent school positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Dexter Southfield School: Dexter Southfield School is a larger independent school (PreK-12) in Brookline, MA formed from the merger of Dexter and Southfield. It serves as a broader incumbent in the Boston private school market with similar educational philosophy but materially greater scale and programmatic breadth.
• Buckingham Browne & Nichols (BB&N): BB&N is a much larger independent school (K-12) in Cambridge, MA operating as a broad incumbent in the Boston independent education market. While far larger than The Learning Project, it competes for similar Boston-area families and represents the scaled alternative in the local private school ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thelearningprojectschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-learning-project-elementary-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelearningproject/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Learning Project Inc