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“It wasn’t hard to find things to do,” said
Head of School Jim Dunaway. “The hard
thing was which ones to do and which ones
not to do.”
In December 2014, MPH’s financial crisis
almost caused the school to close. The community
raised money to pull MPH out
of the ashes. As part of that recovery,
MPH hired Crane MetaMarketing
in January 2016 to help rebrand the
school.
After months of focus groups and
observations, Crane identified areas of
improvement for the school, including
the need for capital improvements,
and created a slogan, “The MPH Effect,”
that highlights MPH’s best qualities,
which include the school’s unique
classroom methods and accepting
atmosphere.
In January, MPH also unveiled a
new logo, website and color schemes
for the school’s new marketing tools.
The new materials feature some of the
same green and blue colors that have
been added to the hallways and classrooms.
These materials will include
new viewbooks, billboards and radio
segments.
The construction is being funded
by a $5 million donation from the
Mezzalingua Family Foundation.
MPH graduate John D. Mezzalingua,
President of the MPH Board of Trustees,
said MPH will continue to be a
leading school of innovation, helping
to prepare students for an ever-changing
world. Separate donations will
fund the financial aid packages, faculty
compensation increases and other
campus upgrades, such as the new
windows recently installed in Bradlee.
“As we isolate out those unique elements
and begin to articulate them broadly — and it
will happen quickly,” Mezzalingua said in an
email, “those who know MPH will smile and
knowingly nod, and those who don’t know
us will inquire and want to know more about
how we can change their children’s lives.”
MPH worked closely with Crane to assist
with the transition into MPH Rising. Christine
Albetta of Crane said that MPH stands
Photo by Chris Hunter
out among the many schools she has visited.
“[We] were so impressed by your talented
faculty,” Albetta said, “who use so many
different approaches and methods in their
classrooms.”
One of MPH’s best qualities is the rela-
Head of School Jim Dunaway looks over renderings for the new STEAM park and fine arts center. Th
tionships that form between students and
faculty. MPH Rising will highlight that.
“Our faculty are who our students are,”
Dunaway said.
The decision to build the gym was made
rather easily by the board, and staff similarly
saw the need for a bigger communal space. A
bigger gym will allow for benefits to the entire
MPH community, including sports practices
finishing earlier, more seating for assemblies
and more space for gym classes.
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