Clark University and Worcester Public Schools Put Long-Running Partnership Into Writing
WORCESTER, MA — Clark University and the Worcester Public Schools have put a decades-old working relationship into a written agreement. The two institutions announced Thursday that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding, known as an MOU, at a ceremony at Claremont Academy.
An MOU is a formal statement of how two parties plan to work together. According to the announcement, issued by WPS, this one sets a framework for collaboration on teaching and learning, research, professional development and community engagement. Under it, Clark and WPS say they will work together in eight areas:
- Curriculum development and classroom partnerships between Clark faculty, students and WPS educators
- Internships, practica, clinical experiences and other field placements for Clark students in WPS schools
- Joint research and faculty collaborations
- Professional development for WPS teachers, administrators and staff
- Expansion and support of scholarship opportunities for Worcester students
- Summer and afterschool enrichment programs
- Creation and growth of dual enrollment and early college programs
- A “Grow Our Own” teacher pipeline initiative for Worcester students, paraprofessionals and community members interested in careers in education
“This MOU formalizes our promise of expanding and strengthening our partnership with the city, especially in the area of K-12 education,” Clark President David Fithian said in the announcement.
A pipeline that already exists
The teacher pipeline is the part of the partnership with the clearest numbers behind it. According to the announcement, Clark’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program has long fed teaching and administrative jobs in the district. As of September 2025, 217 Clark alumni were employed by WPS, and about 120 WPS teachers are MAT graduates. Twenty-two candidates are currently enrolled in the program, and several attended Thursday’s ceremony.
The announcement describes the “Grow Our Own” initiative only as a program designed to support people interested in education careers. It does not say who would be eligible, how it would work or when it would begin.
Superintendent Brian E. Allen has a personal connection to the agreement. He is a Worcester native and a graduate of South High Community School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Clark in 1992 and a certificate of advanced graduate studies in conflict management there in 2004. Allen said the collaboration “not only provides life-changing opportunities for district students, graduates and educators, it helps Clark’s faculty further enhance their own pedagogy and programming.”
Scholarships and early college access
The announcement also outlines what Clark says it already offers Worcester students, some of it dating back well before the MOU.
Students from Claremont Academy and University Park Campus School (UPCS) have been able to enroll in Clark classes for more than 15 years, according to the announcement, which says that predates state and city initiatives. Since 2000, more than 165 Worcester residents have attended Clark tuition-free through its UPP Scholarship Program. In 2023, the university widened the UPP Scholarship Zone by 26 streets, which Clark says made an additional 1,100 students eligible. This fall, eight UPCS graduates and two South High graduates are attending Clark tuition-free with UPP scholarships.
UPCS turns 30 next year, according to the announcement. Laurie Ross, Clark’s associate provost and dean of the college, said “we are making higher education more accessible for Worcester students” through the partnership.
Other work between the two
The announcement lists several projects that Clark faculty and departments already have underway in Worcester. Clark’s Education Department works with WPS to evaluate, design and expand bilingual offerings. Historians at the university’s Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies are working with high schools to teach students about genocide. Clark faculty also give place-based STEM demonstrations at local waterways. The announcement does not say whether any of these projects are covered by the new MOU or were already in place.
The ceremony
Claremont Academy is one of six Clark partner schools, according to the announcement, which does not name the other five. It says the ceremony brought together leaders from both institutions, almost all of whom have personal ties to Clark. Speakers included:
- Anahit Marutyan, a Claremont Academy graduate who is now a Clark sophomore
- Nate Kapiloff, a MAT graduate and mentor in the Bruce Wells Scholars Upward Bound program
- Eduard Arriaga-Arango, an associate professor and chair of Clark’s Department of Language, Literature & Culture, who spoke about the Herencia y Cultura Hispánicas program, which connects Spanish-speaking undergraduates and Worcester residents through language
What happens next
The announcement says the MOU requires Clark and WPS leaders to meet regularly to assess progress, look for new opportunities and make sure the partnership keeps meeting the needs of students and educators. It does not say how often they will meet.
The announcement also does not say how long the agreement lasts, what it costs, who will pay for the programs it describes, or who signed it for each institution. The text of the MOU was not included with the announcement. Media inquiries can go to WPS communications at communications@worcesterschools.net.
🔎 W.U.W. Verification Box
- Project / Topic: A Memorandum of Understanding between Clark University and the Worcester Public Schools covering teacher preparation, college access, scholarships, joint research and enrichment programs.
- Current Status: According to the WPS announcement, the MOU was signed and publicly marked at a ceremony at Claremont Academy on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
- Key Dates or Decisions: The MOU signing was announced September 17, 2026. The Clark alumni and MAT graduate figures are as of September 2025, and the UPP Scholarship Zone expansion took place in 2023.
- Estimated Cost: The announcement does not identify a cost or funding source for the agreement or the programs it describes.
- Timeline: The announcement does not state how long the MOU lasts, when its programs begin or how often leaders will meet, beyond saying they must meet regularly.
- Immediate Next Steps: Clark and WPS leaders are required under the MOU to meet regularly to assess progress and identify new collaboration opportunities.
- Primary Sources: A Worcester Public Schools press release dated September 17, 2026, including statements from Clark President David Fithian, Superintendent Brian E. Allen and Clark’s Laurie Ross. What’s Up Worcester has not independently verified the enrollment, alumni and scholarship figures, and has not reviewed the MOU document itself.
- What We Do Not Yet Know: The announcement does not say who signed the MOU, how long it lasts, how it will be funded, how the “Grow Our Own” initiative will work, or which of the described programs are new and which already existed.
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