Community Partners

At Dexter Southfield, the curriculum extends far beyond campus, with programming and opportunities for experiential learning and research with renowned institutions such as Harvard Medical School, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and MIT.

Harvard MEDScience
This innovative course combines classroom learning with hands-on clinical lessons in a Harvard Medical School (HMS) simulation lab. Students learn about different systems in the human body and then shift class to HMS weekly to work with HMS instructors on responsive mannequins. The program immerses students into the real world of sophisticated experimental lab research and medicine, fosters in them an intense interest in life sciences, and develops a foundation for critical thinking, self-reflection, and effective communication.

Museum of the Fine Arts Boston Docent Program
Dexter Southfield partners with the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) to provide both students and faculty with unlimited access to field trips at the Museum—and Upper School students the opportunity to become student docents. Students in Classes 10-12 who are interested in art may apply and interview for the Docent Training Program. After a series of training sessions at the MFA, students are qualified to educate younger Dexter Southfield students and provide “insider” tours of the Museum. The program develops skills in research, communication and presentation, leadership, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving. 

MIT CubeSat
Dexter Southfield participates in the Climate CubeSat Co-Build (C3) offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Space Exploration Initiative. C3 allows students to experience the process of engineering by building and launching a small satellite—lifted by a balloon—which takes optical and IR images to investigate our planet’s changing climate. The project is divided into smaller sub-projects that allow students to sample different areas, including mechanical engineering, power supply, data collection and transmission, and software. The program develops skills in research, communication and presentation, leadership, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving.