NorthStar Learning Centers, Inc. is a nonprofit organization with a mission “to help young people overcome poverty, discrimination, educational disadvantage, violence, and other adversity through learning essential competencies and hopefulness with which they can transform their lives and communities.”

Founded in 1974, birthed from community-led action inspired by the civil rights movement, residents of the West End of the City of New Bedford organized to address the needs of sytemically oppressed, underrepresented, and chronically underserved cultural communities.

The initial community need NorthStar addressed was a single preschool center located in public housing.  NorthStar has since evolved to a constellation of programs that together serve New Bedford children from one month old to adulthood. While NorthStar has experienced significant growth, we remain grounded in our original intent to serve children and families marginalized by racism and other forms of prejudice and bias.

In July of 2019, as NorthStar engaged in conversations with cross sector community members around early childhood education and care as a critical area of investment in New Bedford. Soon it became evident that investing in early education and development was on the minds of many across the region of the South Coast.  NorthStar saw the opportunity to convene cross-sector leaders, to developed an aligned and shared vision for affordable and accessible high quality early childhood education and development.  At the center of this initiative is the importance of listening and uplifting to the voices on the ground, remaining rooted in the pursuit of racial, economic, and social justice.

The Steering Committee is comprised of visionary cross-sector leaders tasked with determining shared norms, guiding principles, strategic goals and new initiatives.