NorthStar Learning Centers was founded in 1974 during the civil rights movement in New Bedford, beginning with a simple but powerful mission: to provide community childcare for families who needed it most.
More than 50 years later, early education remains at the heart of the organization’s mission and it remains deeply committed to its founding values: culturally competent care, research-informed programming, and an unwavering focus on uplifting communities of color. NorthStar Learning Center has evolved into a constellation of powerful programs that support residents from birth through adulthood. By partnering deeply with schools, public agencies, health research institutions, and local nonprofits, NorthStar addresses the systemic challenges facing families across the region.
Programs That Create Lasting Impact
NorthStar’s work spans a wide range of services designed to support children, youth, and families facing significant challenges, including
• Early Education & Care: NorthStar operates full-day, year-round programs for infants through kindergarten. The organization actively seeks out children who have been expelled from other programs and maintains a strict “no suspension or expulsion” policy, ensuring that every child has a place to learn and grow. The results of this program are striking: 96% of NorthStar’s early childhood graduates are kindergarten-ready, compared to roughly 70% statewide.
• School-Age and Youth Programs: Through specialized afterschool programs and youth development initiatives, NorthStar supports elementary and middle school students with academic enrichment, leadership development, and social-emotional growth.
• Young Adult Support and Violence Prevention: Recognizing the complex challenges that older youth face, NorthStar offers trauma-informed programs designed to support healing, life skills development, and pathways to education and employment.
• Family Services and Mental Health: The organization also operates family support programs and a licensed mental health clinic, ensuring that both children and their caregivers have access to the resources they need to thrive.
A New Center for Learning, Growth, and Dignity
In 2017, NorthStar made a bold decision: to build a new Early Education and Community Center that would better serve families across the New Bedford community. That vision became reality in 2024 with the opening of a 17,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility designed to support early childhood education, family engagement, and community connection.
But for NorthStar, the building represents far more than physical infrastructure.
It is a place where educators can do their best work, where children feel safe and inspired to learn, and where families can gather in community. The center includes a commercial kitchen that allows children to enjoy home-cooked meals, while also providing opportunities for families to cook, learn, and share meals together.
This approach mirrors PCI’s philosophy. We don’t simply provide capital; we invest in organizations and partnerships that strengthen communities for the long term. In tandem with our partners on this loan, Mass Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) and Boston Children’s Hospital, PCI was proud to support the development of NorthStar’s new center with $5.175 million in financing to help turn an ambitious vision into a lasting community resource.
Why PCI Invests in NorthStar
The impact of NorthStar’s work is often visible in powerful, human moments.
On the first day the new center opened, NorthStar held a themed dress-up day for students. One family chose to dress their young son as a doctor, complete with scrubs, a white coat, and a stethoscope. It was a small moment, but one filled with meaning. In that choice, the child’s mother expressed a bold and hopeful vision for his future, one grounded not in limitation, but in possibility.
That spirit of belief is at the heart of NorthStar’s mission. Every child who walks through its doors is seen not just for who they are today, but for who they can become. At PCI, we are proud to stand alongside our partners like NorthStar Learning Centers who demonstrate what’s possible when mission-driven organizations, communities, and investors work together to create brighter futures.
