A leader among America's progressive independent schools, The Cambridge School of Weston (CSW) has been at the forefront of educational innovation since 1886. At CSW, creative, motivated students embrace challenging work and address complex questions — with curiosity and courage. Inspired by the diverse perspectives and high expectations of our justice-minded community, they find and develop what is extraordinary in themselves and in the world around them.

Located in Weston, MA.
All genders, grades 9–12, and PG
Day and Boarding
Enrollment: 300

Relevant & Topical Coursework

  • U.S. History of Education

    In "U.S. History of Education," students trace the history of the K-12 American education system from the one-room schoolhouses of the colonial period to the "Race to the Top" and "No Child Left Behind" programs of today. 

  • Caribbean Literature

    "Caribbean Literature" focuses on colonial literature, anti-colonial literature, and post-colonial literature in the Caribbean. Students study fabulism, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry alongside linguistic groups such as Anglophone, Hispanophone, Francophone, and Dutch.

  • Ethics of Science

    In "Ethics of Science," students study current ethical issues in science, such as stem cell research, human cloning, testing on human and animal subjects, genetic modification of agricultural crops and animals, military research, regulation of research, and ownership of intellectual property.

  • Film Remix

    In "Film Remix," students learn how to remix found video footage and other digital media, exploring the potential of this artistic technique as a tool for self-expression as well as political action. In addition to studying montage and mash-ups, students also examine artists who have used this technique in their work.

  • Love: Chemistry or Culture?

    In "Love: Chemistry or Culture?" students consider the role of evolution in reproduction and in sexual selection, as well as gender fluidity in animals and humans, and the biomolecules involved in attraction and attachment.

  • Neotropics of Latin America

    In "Neotropics of Latin America," a joint offering of the language and science departments, students spend a mod (six weeks) in Panama to study the intersection between economic development, conservation, and sustainable agriculture, living in homestays and exploring tropical ecosystems.

  • Robotics Design

    In "Robotics Design," students learn how to program, design, and build versatile and reliable robots using sensors to effectively inform robot actions. 

  • U.S. Constitution

    Students in the "U.S. Constitution" class examine the roots and development of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and apply the document practically to several real and fictional Supreme Court cases. At the end of the course, students prepare and present oral arguments for a mock Supreme Court in two cases, and sit as a justice for one. 

  • Advanced Writing Workshop

    In "Advanced Writing Workshop," students study the impact of audience, motive, and method on one’s writing and writing experience, exploring the differences between writing for yourself, for your peers, and for publication. 

  • The Art of Prediction

    What is Science? What is History? What is Truth? In "The Art of Prediction" Students explore how innovations in science and political thought in the 19th and 20th centuries profoundly changed widely accepted worldviews, as truth and universal law gave way to a new emphasis on uncertainty, chance, and probability. 

  • Multi-Variable Calculus

    A rarity at the high school level, "Multi-Variable Calculus" covers topics such as vector functions, partial derivatives, multiple integrals, and vector calculus. Through this class, students further their logical thinking while also being introduced to different abstract topics in mathematics. 

  • STEAM: From Virtual to Reality

    "STEAM: From Virtual to Reality" introduces students to the technological tools of programming or graphic communication (CAD) to help them create tangible solutions to real-life problems.

  • Current Events in the Spanish Speaking World

    In this course, students examine current events in the Spanish-speaking world along with their historical roots. Each week is dedicated to a different region of the Spanish-speaking world. Sources include articles from Spanish-language newspapers and magazines, podcasts, news clips, and blogs.
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Did You Know?

  • WE SET THE PACE

    Every other Wednesday, in lieu of the core academic classes, CSW students participate in PACE: Promoting Awareness and Community Engagement, a four-year co-curriculum designed so that all CSW students develop self-awareness, social consciousness, healthy living habits, and leadership skills required to meet the demands of an increasingly complex and diverse world.

  • SOCIAL JUSTICE ISN'T A TREND — IT'S A LIFESYLE.

    Our thoughtfully designed social justice courses examine historical and contemporary issues from the perspectives of non-western cultures and/or historically oppressed groups; disseminate structures of power and privilege — their history, causes, and effects; and study models of social change, with the goal of advancing human rights and equity.

  • NO TWO SCHEDULES ARE ALIKE.

    In addition to off-campus learning opportunities, students can select from over 250 courses per year across a wide variety of subject-areas and pursuits. No two student schedules are alike.

  • WE RUN ON MODS.

    In place of a traditional semester or trimester model, the CSW calendar year is divided into six, six-week modules in a framework we know as the Mod System. During each mod, students take three blocks of academic classes that meet every day, usually for  90 minutes. This setup allows for breadth, depth, and curricular agency you won't find at any other school.

  • STUDENT VOICE MATTERS HERE.

    CSW is proud to be one of two independent schools in the nation to have students serve on its Board of Trustees with full voting privileges. One boarding and one day student are elected by the student body to serve one-year terms as full voting members, representing student views to the board.

  • WE LIVE SUSTAINABLY.

    CSW's Garthwaite Center for Science and Art was constructed of materials and systems that reflect an emphasis on sustainability, including composting toilets, a wood pellet boiler, passive solar collection system, and non-toxic materials and finishings.

Meet CSW Students


CSW in the News

  • Zoe Coehn '14 Selected for the Currents New Media Festival in Santa Fe
    Zoe Coehn '14 Selected for the Currents New Media Festival in Santa Fe
  • Rebecca Parkhill '85 Receives MassBay Presidential Award on Behalf of Metrowest Women’s Fund
    Rebecca Parkhill '85 Receives MassBay Presidential Award on Behalf of Metrowest Women’s Fund
  • Alisa Amador '14 Almost Quit Music, Then NPR Tiny Desk Called
    Alisa Amador '14 Almost Quit Music, Then NPR Tiny Desk Called

Upcoming Events

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Campus Headlines

Ready to leave the ordinary behind?

45 Georgian Road | Weston, MA 02493 | 781-642-8600

CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.