Located in Boston, Massachusetts, North Bennet Street School (NBSS) offers intensive, hands-on training in traditional trades and fine craftsmanship, helping students to achieve meaningful lives and livelihoods. For more than a century, the exceptional programs, master faculty and inspiring community have encouraged individual growth, curiosity, technical mastery and commitment to excellence. The school's reputation for excellence and value attracts students from around the world.

A three-minute introduction to the full-time programs at NBSS.

An advanced piano student working on a grand piano.

We teach and uphold the principles and practices of the craftsmanship tradition — including skillful use of hand tools and power equipment, informed choice of materials, creative problem-solving grounded in knowledge of the best practices of the craft and a dedication to the highest quality work. The full-time programs, continuing education workshops and short courses provide a transformative experience for people who share a passion for materials, creative work and careers that employ hand skills to produce objects that last.

Individuals interested in full-time programs are encouraged to visit NBSS and attend one of our information sessions which include a tour our facilities and an opportunity talk to admissions staff, faculty and current students.

The Philosophy of Sloyd

Pauline Agassiz Shaw, the school's founder, was a visionary educator and proponent of the Swedish system of manual training known as “sloyd” which means “craft” or “hand skills.”  The sloyd method focused on the development of character and intellectual capacity as well as technical skills. The method encourages students to systematically develop hand skills along with an understanding of tools, materials, processes and a sense of care and commitment to excellence. Shaw saw the school’s mission as teaching the “whole person” both how to make a living and how to live a fuller life.

Today, the philosophy of sloyd remains at the heart of the school. Full-time programs provide intensive, hands-on training in a structured framework with a focus on practical projects. Each project builds on previous learning and requires students to solve increasingly complex problems.

View a CRAFT IN AMERICA video of NBSS President Miguel Gómez-Ibáñez discussing NBSS programs, sloyd, and social value of hand skills. (2:21 minutes)

Full-time programs and continuing education

North Bennet Street School classes are small, with a student teacher ratio of 12:1 or less. Students work closely with instructors, who are masters of their craft, and with each other in an inspiring and supportive environment. The school offers full-time, professional programs in bookbinding, cabinet and furniture making, carpentry, jewelry making and repair, locksmithing, piano technology, preservation carpentry, and violin making and repair. Full-time programs range from nine months to three years. In addition, the school offers more than 70 workshops and short-term courses each year through our continuing education department.

NBSS Facilities

Located in Boston’s historic North End, North Bennet Street School’s 45,000 SF main facility includes a central 19th-century brick plus three attached smaller buildings. The school has workshops and classrooms that provide the space, equipment and machinery necessary for proper instruction in the various fields of training offered at the school. Support services located in the school's main facility include admissions, academic and student services and administrative offices. At the corner of Salem and North Bennet streets, the school is easily identified by a large clock mounted over the North Bennet Street School sign. Nine miles from our main campus, a second location of 10,000 square feet at 60 Lowell Street in Arlington, Massachusetts, houses the Carpentry and Preservation Carpentry programs. A light-filled space near the waterfront in South Boston is home to the Locksmithing program.

NBSS Accreditation

North Bennet Street School’s full time programs are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). ACCSC is a private, nonprofit, accrediting organization dedicated to ensuring educational quality and integrity in America's postsecondary career schools. ACCSC accredits more than 800 postsecondary schools and colleges in the United States and Puerto Rico, annually serving more than 250,000 students.

Hiring a student or Graduate

Employers interested in hiring a graduate of North Bennet Street School are encouraged to post their job on the school's job board. Details and the job listing form are online here. Individuals interested in hiring a student or graduate to do a single project or commission, should complete the online commission form. Details on the process and the form are online here.

Contact us

North Bennet Street School
39 North Bennet Street
Boston MA 02113
617-227-0155
617-227-9292 (fax)
info@nbss.edu

For a complete staff directory, click here.