Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts (Trustees of Eliot School)

Mission
The Eliot School inspires lifelong learning in craft and creativity for all.

Vision
We cultivate welcoming environments where people convene across a continuum of age, economic means and backgrounds to build skills, craft and community. Our offerings satisfy the human desires to create, engage in self-expression and learn by doing, and our vision builds upon the school's historic role in shaping education in fine and applied arts.

Core Values
Learning and Enjoyment
We provide opportunities to imagine, create and build with head, hands and heart.
We help students learn for personal fulfillment and enjoyment.
We embrace students of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Integrity and Excellence
We hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of excellence.
We conduct ourselves with honesty, fairness and integrity.

Community and Inclusion
We value and promote inclusivity, diversity and equity.
We maintain an open and welcoming environment, where all who enter are treated with dignity and respect.
We are interconnected through high regard for each other as colleagues, partners, teachers, learners and neighbors.

Continuity and Change
We are respectful stewards of our historical role in shaping education.
We adapt our mission and programs over time, keeping our work relevant and contemporary.

1) To provide high quality classes in our schoolhouse, from entry-level introductions through tiers of skill-building to opportunities for advanced craftsmen.
2) To provide high quality classes for children at partner sites, in Boston's public schools, libraries and community centers: school-day programs building mastery through ongoing, sequential, multi-year engagements, and out-of-school-time programs (often for more transitory groups) that may provide an introductory taste or offer longer term pathways toward deeper engagement in craft.
3) To collaborate with principals, teachers, parents and administrators in one cluster of Boston Public Schools (Network E) to develop a model of infrastructure and support for excellent, continuous visual art education for all students in Kindergarten through Grade 8.

* Over 150 years of experience teaching craft and fine arts, both in our schoolhouse and in partnership with Boston's public schools.
* A highly effective administrative staff and a faculty of working artists and artisans.
* A strong system of ongoing evaluation, assessment and feedback for all programs.
* Well managed finances, including a Board-Designated Reserve and Capital Maintenance Fund.
* An engaged, committed Board of Directors and Advisory Council.
* Excellent relations with ongoing funders and donors.
* Regular staff and faculty meetings with a high degree of administrative transparency.
* Clearly stated mission and core values, with full commitment from all stakeholders.
* Active strategic plan, used consistently to set annual goals, objectives and tasks.

We have:
* Continued to improve all programs annually based on evaluation feedback.
* In our schoolhouse, our most recent survey found that 92% of students are very satisfied or satisfied; 95% are likely to recommend the school to others.
* In our schoolhouse, we have now developed pathways from basic to more advanced skills in each area of craft.
* In our partnerships, we have found that 100% of principals rate us highly and would recommend us to other schools.
* In our partnerships, we have added substantial professional development training, mentorship, cross-learning opportunities and other supports for our faculty, to increase their skills and the quality of their work experience.
* In our BPS Network E infrastructure work, we now partner actively with nearly all Network E schools, and have gained strong support from the Assistant Superintendent for the Network.