Community Collaborations

MCLA - A Leading Partner for Berkshire County

Growing from our history in the arts, sciences and professional programs, we participate and are lead partners in many regional endeavors.  Here are a few highlights:

Berkshire Compact for Education

MCLA is the lead partner in the Berkshire Compact for Education, regarded as a model for collaboration across the county. The Compact's initial goal is to significantly increase county residents' aspirations for and access to higher education. Another challenge is to prepare our youth for the increasingly technical jobs that have replaced our once prevalent manufacturing jobs and family-owned businesses.

STEM Pipeline

As the lead partner of the Berkshire STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Pipeline Network, MCLA is providing preK-16 teachers and students with training and an expanded curriculum to motivate and inspire more area residents to enter the STEM fields.

Berkshire Cultural Resource Center

North Adams is  recognized nationally as the home of the Country's largest museum of contemporary art, MASS MoCA. The Berkshire Cultural Resource Center is a collaborative project spearheaded by MCLA with a focus to sustain and advance this and other centers for art in the area. When we work to provide training and resources to local artists, art managers, and creative workers, we inspire and support a growing artistic and cultural economy. BCRC programs include MCLA Gallery 51, B-HIP, MCLA Presents! and Berkshire ArtStart.

Berkshire Environmental Resource Center

The Center is an asset to both MCLA students and the community at large. It plays an important role in supplementing the Environmental Studies major, and also serves as a research and policy center to promote environmental awareness and preservation. We strive to increase the effectiveness of our outreach through workshops and a speaker series, and to be a strong model for environmental education nationwide.