History, Mission and Vision

Our Mission

Building 21 is a nonprofit organization established in 2014 whose mission is to build learner-centered pathways for all young people to have the future they want.

Our Vision

At Building 21, we believe that ALL students are resilient with unique gifts and talents and have a desire to succeed. We create a safe, equitable, and caring environment where ALL community members feel valued. By personalizing learning and engaging students in rigorous, relevant, and real world experiences, students can tap into their passions and make a positive impact on the world around them.

Our Learning Model

Our Name

We derived our name from the famous Building 20 at M.I.T. that was a cradle of innovation and divergent thinking for over 50 years. A New Yorker article described Building 20 this way:

“Building 20 was home to the Laboratory for Nuclear Science, the Linguistics Department, and the machine shop. There was a particle accelerator, the R.O.T.C., a piano repair facility, and a cell-culture lab.

Building 20 became a strange, chaotic domain, full of groups who had been thrown together by chance…by the time it was finally demolished, in 1998, Building 20 had become a legend of innovation, widely regarded as one of the most creative spaces in the world.”

Our name speaks to the unlimited capacity for creativity, innovation and self-realization when individuals are free to pursue their passions and interests. The change from “20” to “21” indicates our intention to build on the inspirational example of Building 20 while also acknowledging the challenges and opportunities facing our educational system in the 21st century.