What would our Boston look like if it was a safer, fairer, and more interesting city for children? This question arrives at Boston Public School (BPS) Kindergarten classrooms from the City of Boston Mayor’s Office each spring. The question, and the design prompt that follows, allow students to work together with their classmates, explore their creativity, and think about their city.

Developed by BPS over 10 years ago, Our Boston asks participating classrooms to choose an idea in response to the Mayor's prompt and build a 3’x4’ model showcasing their design. To develop the model, classrooms work through the design process; first, asking questions of their friends and family, then drawing and building their design. Teachers and volunteer architects guide students through the design process and assist with model-making.

In 2024, the BSA piloted an extension of their Lesson on Architecture visits for architects to assist students with their Our Boston projects before both programs merged for 2025. In 2025 and 2026, all Boston and Cambridge Public School classrooms participated in the expanded program, with volunteers visiting to share the lesson on architecture and returning to assist their paired classroom in the design process of their Our Boston/Our Cambridge project.

As an extension of its partnership through the Kindergarten curriculum, BSA hosts a public exhibition and celebration, Our Boston: Voices from Kindergarten (2019-present), in May. The pop-up exhibition marks the culmination of the Focus on K-2 10-week unit on construction, which houses the BSA’s Kindergarten curriculum, and brings students' ideas about the city to the public. Having adopted the BSA's curriculum and BPS's year-long Focus on K-2 structure, Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) has adapted the prompt to Our Cambridge and hosts an exhibition with the City of Cambridge Mayor's Office.

BSA's commitment to Our Boston/Our Cambridge is part of its larger effort to build early awareness of architecture/design, promote the youth voice in the city, and extend its partnership with local kindergarten classrooms. Through the classroom visits, exhibitions, and celebrations, BSA provides a forum for students, families, teachers, city administrators, and the public to continue the conversations about architecture beyond the walls of the classroom.

2026

Dates
April-May 2026

Locations
Visits: Boston and Cambridge classrooms
Exhibition and Event: BSA Space

Program

Type
Classroom workshops
Event and exhibition

Grade Level
Kindergarten

Timeframe
Exhibition and Celebration: 2019-present
Our Boston Classroom Visits: 2024-present

Timeline
November: Classroom application
December-January: Volunteer application
February: Classroom pairing and visit preparation
March: Classroom visits #1-2
May: Our Boston/Our Cambridge Celebration(s) and Exhibition(s)

Collaborators

Partners
Boston Public Schools K-2 Department
Cambridge Public Schools K-2 Department
City of Boston Office of Early Childhood

Volunteers
Local architects and designers

Volunteers

Sharing your knowledge and interest in architecture/design with local students is essential to building early awareness of built environment. Thank you to our volunteers, both past and present, for your time and energy dedicated to this program.

Support

Thank you to those who have generously supported this program. To support this and other public programs, consider donating to the BSA Foundation.

Learn more about K-12 Design Education