July 1, 2020, Yarmouth, Maine: North Yarmouth Academy (NYA) students, faculty, and staff will be welcomed into the Bicentennial Learning Commons when they return to campus. The completion of the nearly one million dollar renovation has transformed the former library and student lounge into a two-story, modern, welcoming space for information technology, online education, tutoring, collaboration, content creation, meeting, reading, and study.
Lead donors for the project Alexander Cabot ’01 and James Cabot ‘98 selected the name Bicentennial Learning Commons to honor the Academy’s more than two century history. “We are deeply appreciative of our parents’ commitment both to our formal education at NYA and beyond and to our informal education through family travel, visits to museums and learning from and through them about the world around us. Our parents, Lewis and Susan Cabot, raised us to be inquisitive and engaged global citizens. NYA likewise educates its students to learn from and engage with the world around them and has done so for more than 200 years. It is a remarkable history. We are so pleased to be able to honor our parents and particularly our mother, a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a trained English teacher and a lifelong corrector of bad grammar. We are honored to be able to invest to make the love of learning available to current and future generations of NYA students, to create a beautiful space for on-campus collaboration and study and to celebrate the unique and vibrant history of the Academy in this way,” said James Cabot ‘98.
With more than 4,400 square feet, the Learning Commons offers floor-to-ceiling windows, three private study rooms with projection to plasma screens and white boards, as well as several semi-private spaces, faculty offices, and an intentionally designed outdoor area that provides opportunity for additional interaction and engagement. Stacks of books are located throughout the facility, as are device charging stations.
“We know that learning should not be confined exclusively to the classroom or the lab. The Bicentennial Learning Commons allows for expanded collaboration in a space designed to reflect the many different ways students learn, study, and socialize,” said Head of School Ben Jackson.
The capital project was completely funded by gifts from donors, a true testament to the dedication of NYA families and their commitment to the future of the Academy. NYA is deeply grateful to Jessie and Nick Alberding P’18, P’21; Renée and James ‘98 Cabot P’30, P’32, P’36; Alex Cabot ’01; the Davis Family Foundation; Judith and Grant Dinmore GP’23, GP’24; Alice Ingraham GP’28, GP’30; MaryBeth and Christopher Lorenz P’28, P’30; Gail and Case Lynch GP’29, GP’31; Martha Barrett and Stephen Malcom P’15, P’17; Barbara and Scott Marr P’17; Christopher and Amy Mazzurco; Nicholas and Elizabeth Mazzurco; Kim and Lincoln ‘75 Merrill P’04, P’06; Lori and Christopher Poulin P’22; Anne Thompson Schutz ‘88 and Sigmund Schutz P’23, P’24; Hua Huang and Lijian Shen P’20; Holly and Lee Thibodeau P’21, P’25; for their leadership and generosity.
Construction began in the summer of 2019 and was completed this spring. A formal dedication will be held in September 2020.
North Yarmouth Academy is an independent, college preparatory, coeducational school for toddlers to students in grade twelve with an enrollment of over 360 students. Since 1814, NYA has fostered integrity, character, and intellect in its students. For more information, please contact NYA at 207-847-5423 or information@nya.org.
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