New Bedford 2020 - VHB.com

A City Master Plan New Bedford 2020Higher EducationUniversity of Massachusetts (UMass) Dartmouth—The cityis the site of two UMass Dartmouth graduate and postgraduateprograms: the School for Marine Science andTechnology (SMAST) campus located on 2.6 acres at FortRodman on the shore of Clark’s Cove of Buzzards Bay; and asatellite visual arts campus, the College of Visual andPerforming Arts (CVPA), located in the former Star Storebuilding in downtown New Bedford. In addition, manystudents travel to the main campus of UMass Dartmouthlocated in the neighboring town of Dartmouth.Bristol Community College (BCC)—The BCC has a campusin downtown New Bedford serving over 1,500 students, Credit: John Robsonoffering both day and evening courses, plus a weekend ‘fast track’ program. The New Bedford campus providesthe same services available at BCC’s Fall River campus. Through workforce development, communitypartnerships, and various grant projects, the campus has successfully established itself as a leading contributorin the revitalization of the greater New Bedford region. Furthermore, in response to the community’s need forEnglish for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), and General EquivalencyDiploma (GED) instruction, the campus also offers the Pathway to a Career project, an innovative project thatoffers ESOL/ABE/GED classes free of charge to the greater New Bedford community.Fisher College—New Bedford is home to one of Fisher College's neighborhood campuses, offering a variety ofAssociate, Bachelor, and Certificate programs from their Church Street location.Public SchoolsGreater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School (GNBVT)—The GNBVT, a large vocationalhigh school—administered by the state—that serves New Bedford, Dartmouth and Fairhaven. GNBVT’s corestudent body is comprised of grades of 9 through 12, and the school also offers affordable adult educationthrough evening classes. GNBVT’s curriculum mixes academic instruction with career and technicaleducation. The blend develops students that are capable of pursuing higher education and/or entering theworkforce with a competitive advantage.New Bedford Public SchoolsThe New Bedford Public School’s administrative functions are headquartered in the former high schoolbuilding on County Street. The System consists of 20 elementary schools, three middle schools, and one highschool that provide a variety of programs. In 2009, New Bedford Public Schools had a total enrollment ofapproximately 13,000 students. The school system is in the process of improving its facilities through majorschool upgrades and consolidations, having rebuilt several of its schools in recent years. Table 10-1 (on thefollowing page) provides a list of the New Bedford public schools.Education10-3