City Year Helps Ready New Mary Lyon Elementary School For Students' Arrival

City Year Boston and Bain Capital took on a beautification project in July at the Mary Lyon Elementary School, with 200-plus volunteers coming together to help prepare the school for its first year in the upper building.

City Year Helps Ready New Mary Lyon Elementary School For Students' Arrival

One of the Boston Public Schools' (BPS) longtime partners has helped shape a beautiful new beginning for the Mary Lyon Elementary School community.

City Year Boston took on a beautification project this summer in Brighton at Lyon Elementary. City Year arranged for 200-plus volunteers from Bain Capital to participate in transformative days of service in July and August.

With Lyon Elementary moving across the street into the former Mary Lyon Pilot High School in school year 2026-27, BPS contacted City Year to City Year last spring to see if they would be interested in helping support the community in this process. City Year enthusiastically agreed and worked closely with the new Lyon Elementary Principal Jackie Carolan on a project that reflected the school’s commitment to creating a positive and welcoming environment for its students and staff.

Murals that align with Lyon Elementary's core values highlight the design of the school's new space. Between the paw prints scattered throughout the building to the ROAR (Respect, Optimism, Achievement, Responsibility) mural along the back wall of the cafeteria, the school’s pride is on display for all to see. Students who visit the library will read, learn, and grow under a mural depicting one of Boston’s most iconic sights: the Charles River Esplanade.

Prior to starting their work, City Year volunteers heard from Carolan why the project is so important to the community. “This is a big year for us, at the Lyon,” she explained, “The Lyon was established in 1992 by Dr. Mary Nash. ... She pioneered inclusion in this school before inclusion was a thing. And now we see the district adopting inclusion across all the schools. With our move to the upper building, it gave us the opportunity to add K0 (three-year-old PreK). The work that you will do today will make this building feel like a fresh start, and a really exciting beginning for our school.”

The volunteers also worked hard to beautify the exterior and interior of the building. In addition to painting murals, they built outdoor furniture and packed supply kits for the students.

We are deeply grateful for the support of Bain Capital and City Year. Their time and effort helps ensure Lyon Elementary students, staff and families will return to a welcoming environment that they will call home for years to come.

Home › Resources & Support

Resources & Support

Explore free and trusted resources that support learning at home, curriculum planning, specialized learning needs, and transitions back to Boston Public Schools.

Open Resources & Support PDF View Homeschool Requirements

Learning

Learning at Home

Families may use a variety of educational resources to supplement their homeschool program.

Boston Public Library — Homework Help & Student Resources

Free academic resources, online learning tools, practice exercises, eBooks, and test-preparation resources.

Khan Academy — Free Online Learning

Free lessons and practice in math, science, computing, economics, reading and language arts, and more.

Smithsonian Learning Lab

Free digital learning resources from the Smithsonian, including images, videos, audio, lesson plans, and educator-created collections.

Curriculum

Curriculum & Instructional Materials

Families are not required to purchase a particular packaged curriculum. These resources may help families understand Massachusetts learning standards and identify instructional materials.

Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks

Review Massachusetts learning standards and curriculum frameworks by subject area.

CK-12 Foundation — Free Digital Curriculum

Free digital textbooks, lessons, activities, simulations, and practice resources across multiple subjects.

Massachusetts Home Education Information

State information regarding Massachusetts laws and court decisions related to home education.

Community

Community Resources

Boston offers extensive opportunities for learning beyond the home.

Boston Public Library

Explore library locations, books, digital resources, children's and teen programming, research tools, and educational events.

Smithsonian Learning Lab

Students can explore museum collections and primary-source materials online for project-based and independent learning.

Families may also incorporate museums, cultural institutions, community programs, field trips, libraries, recreation, and other educational experiences into their homeschool program.

Support

Specialized Supports & Autism Resources

Resources for students with disabilities and specific learning needs.

Autism Speaks — School & Education Resources

Information and toolkits for families supporting autistic children in educational settings.

AANE — Asperger/Autism Network

New England-based information, programs, webinars, and supports for autistic individuals and their families.

Massachusetts Autism Resources

Massachusetts information and resources for autistic individuals and families.

Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals — Parent Resources

Information about special education rights, dispute resolution, mediation, and related Massachusetts processes.

Please note:

These resources are provided for informational purposes. Inclusion on this page does not constitute BPS endorsement of a particular curriculum, organization, program, or instructional approach.

Transitions

Returning to Boston Public Schools

Families may decide to return to BPS at any point. BPS Welcome Services can assist families with registration and school assignment.

Current registration requirements, documentation, and online registration information.

BPS Welcome Center Locations

Find Welcome Center locations, hours, telephone numbers, and available language support.

Residency

Boston Residency

Review acceptable documents for verifying Boston residency.

BPS Residency Policy & Acceptable Documents

Review current acceptable documents for verifying Boston residency.

School Athletics Coming Soon

Homeschool-specific guidance on eligibility, participation requirements, registration, and access to interscholastic athletic programs is being developed.

Helpful Links

Quick access to resources families may need most often.

Massachusetts Home Education MA Curriculum Frameworks Boston Public Library BPS Welcome Services BPS Residency Requirements BPS Homeschooling Office

We are here to help

Contact the BPS Homeschooling Office with questions about your submission, requirements, or homeschool records.

BPS Homeschooling OfficeOffice of Expanded Learning Opportunities
2300 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119

Email the Office