Students from a range of backgrounds in Boston, Massachusetts live in the shadow of the world-class universities and competitive private boarding high schools that populate the region and contribute to its academic-centric culture.
Beacon Academy offers a unique opportunity for a handful of public school students each year who would otherwise not have access to those spaces: it’s a gap year after 8th grade that prepares students who are primarily students of color and/or from low income families to be able to exit the under-funded public school system and enter the elite world of the New England private boarding school.
This film is an intimate look at its operation and the true impact of this transition on three young students who embark on this journey across the education gap. It follows them through the fast-paced gap year as they learn how to adapt to more rigorous academic demands than they’ve ever had; to dream more expansive futures for themselves, and… to prepare to enter a world totally unlike where they come from–one built on privilege, whiteness and exclusion.
While certain life skills learned at Beacon Academy are undeniably beneficial, this approach begs the question: are these students being challenged to discover their true nature, or are they being molded into someone else's vision of success? The film ends with reflections from the three featured students nearing the end of four years of high school, where they address this big question with new perspectives.