Everyone is a Learner

We are a non-profit educational service agency, committed to reaching and educating learners of all ages, and experienced in working with educators to help students learn and succeed.

We know that everyone is a learner from the day they are born, and we know how to create classrooms and other environments in which every learner can flourish. We know how to reach, inspire, support and educate children, youth and adults, and we help others to do the same.

Professional Development

CES Professional Development helps districts, schools, and individuals improve educator and student performance with open enrollment events, tailored site-based learning, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), coaching, and consulting.

Consulting at CES

First, we listen. CES provides services that build school, district, and educator capacity to support the use of effective, research-based instructional practices to engage and motivate learners of all kinds. We also work with communities, community organizations, and others to provide expertise, evaluation, and advisory services.

Children, Youth, and Families

CES offers direct, cost-effective, quality services and programs for vulnerable children, youth and families. Birth – 22 Programs at CES include educational and learning programs provided directly to students and children that address gaps for students with unique needs. CES also provides resources, teaching, evaluation and assistance to parents and families.

Business Services

CES provides a variety of cost-effective business services to districts, schools, community organizations, municipalities, and businesses. Special member pricing is typically available for these services for clients in CES member districts.

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Find Events and Courses

Browse and register for professional development, conferences, and graduate level and licensure preparation courses.

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Find Careers

CES is always growing! The CES workforce includes an average of over 800 staff members across our programs. Take a look at our many openings across the state, in our most exciting program areas.

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Explore our Expertise

CES consultants work with schools and districts, educators, and community organizations, as well as private industry. View our areas of focus and learn how our experience can benefit you.

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Learn How We Support Students

In western Massachusetts and statewide, CES manages programs and services that focus on the educational, social-emotional, and health needs of children and youth

What We Do

The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) is a public nonprofit, educational service agency that offers direct and support services to its 37 member school districts and to various state and district-level clients across New England. The work of CES divides roughly into three areas: a range of direct services for children and youth particularly those at risk; professional development and training for educators and professionals; and consulting services including community health, research and evaluation, and business services for districts, schools, and community organizations.

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Students are at the heart of our work

Founded in 1974, we are a Massachusetts educational collaborative governed by representatives from our 37-member school districts in Hampshire and Franklin Counties. We work with children, youth, and adult learners; families; schools, districts, and educators; and community members in the Pioneer Valley and across Massachusetts to create and improve educational opportunities both in and out of the classroom and ensure that every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. We are a community of innovative and effective professionals dedicated to improving education.

Our Mission

The mission of the Collaborative for Educational Services is to develop and foster lifelong learning and to provide opportunities for wellbeing for all of the communities we work with, through collaboration and leadership.

Our Vision

We envision a society with equitable communities, led by the people within them. We envision a learning system within and deeply connected to those communities, which centers the histories and cultural identities of Black, Indigenous, People of color, and other marginalized groups, and supports all children and young people to discover their gifts and move boldly towards their futures.

Orange box with the following text: 6,000+ individuals received direct service from CES programs
Orange box with the following text: 5,644+ Educators participated in CES professional development.
Orange box with the following text: 164 consulting contracts.

Social Justice and Equity is critical to our mission, reflected in our organization’s Values

A Culture of Community and Care: We will look out for and support each other, celebrate each other’s successes and grieve each other’s losses. We will live out an ethic of community care, learn from mistakes, and be challenged to do better. We will foster speech and discourse, formal and informal, that promotes equity, justice, and understanding.

Equity and Inclusion: We will work to eliminate racism and other injustice and oppression, and promote inclusion and equity at CES and in our community by identifying and dismantling all forms of social oppression. Our vision of social justice is intersectional and means working to transform all types of oppression, including racism, ableism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, adultism, ageism, transgender oppression, and religious oppression. 

Self-awareness and Growth: We will continually reflect on our own cultures and identities, and how they relate to or allocate power and privilege; and we will learn about and partner with others to challenge our own biases. We will make a personal commitment to growth toward equity, inclusion, and a community of care; and know that learning happens when we commit to being brave. 

Action and Transformation: We will take action, speak up, and propose solutions when we see oppression or discrimination; knowing that saying nothing means colluding with oppression. We strive to decolonize teaching practices, learning methods, and curricula through the accurate inclusion of the voices of people and cultures most impacted by white-supremacist narratives. We will be willing to make mistakes, and learn from both our mistakes and successes, in order to grow.

 

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CES has been a tremendous resource to our schools. The opportunities you offer for administrators and teachers to gather and share experiences, resources, etc., have been enormously helpful. The workshops have been outstanding.

— Professional Development Participant

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Upcoming Offerings

The Collaborative for Educational Services provides professional development, continuing education, coaching and technical assistance online, in hybrid form, and in person. Our open enrollment courses, workshops, and other learning can also be brought on site to schools, districts and organizations, and customized to meet your organization’s needs. To the right are just a few of our open enrollment, active upcoming offerings. Please click the button below to see more.

Apr 10 2024
Youth Mental Health – Blended Learning Virtual Version

Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to

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Apr 10 2024
N8tive Education Practices PLC

The Native Education Practices PLC is designed to connect K-12 educators with Native and Indigenous educators, knowledge keepers, advocates, and community members. The goal is to support K-12

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Apr 12 2024
Sensory Motor Development in Young Children: Activities and Strategies that Help with Learning, Attention and Behavior

This course offers an overview of what healthy brain development means, and how parents, teachers, and child care providers can use specific activities and environments to challenge and build crucial

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Apr 24 2024
Annual Educational Team Leaders Seminar

This annual ETL (Educational Team Leaders) Seminar is offered for people from Massachusetts who chair IEP team meetings. Each year, we will select topics of interest to support IEP Team Leaders to

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Recent Posts Our Blog

Student-Centered Programs Help Kids Feel Connected

“I love creating a community in the building and the students are part of that. The After School Program helps our kids to feel connected and that they have a voice.” – Lesley Wilson, JFK Middle School Principal, 2007 The first CES After School/21st Century Learning Programs began in 1999, to serve 7 district middle schools through a three ...

Emerging America shares stories of advocacy

“On behalf of CES, the Emerging America program works nationally in conversation with the Library of Congress and many other partners to support the full inclusion of students with disabilities in history and civics education. That includes development and sharing of stories of disabled advocates for equal rights so that students who are so ...
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