To make childcare more affordable to the workforce, North Central chamber partners with Applewild School

A man in a dark grey suit, light blue button down, and dark blue tie shakes hands with a woman in a purple jacket and dark grey pants while they both hold a green sign that reads "Applewild"

Photo I Courtesy of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce (From left) Roy Nascimento, president and CEO of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, and Amy Jolly, head of school at Applewild School

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By Mica Kanner-Mascolo

To enhance educational access for the families of North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce members, the Fitchburg-based chamber has partnered with Applewild School, a private day and boarding school for preschool through ninth grade students with campuses in Fitchburg and Devens.

The partnership will afford chamber members an application fee waver for the school’s preschool through ninth grade programs, worth $70; a $1,500 tuition discount for kindergarten through ninth grade students; and preferential enrollment access for preschool-aged children, according to a Thursday press release from the Chamber.

"This isn't just about discounted tuition; it's about breaking down barriers to employment and providing our members with access to quality childcare and education,” Roy Nascimento, the chamber’s president and CEO, said in the release. “We're not only enhancing the value of chamber membership but also catalyzing economic growth and family prosperity in our region."

Academic year 2024-2025 tuition and fees for preschool students ranges between $100 and $305 per week depending on the number of hours and days per week a child attends school, according to Applewild’s website. Tuition for day students in kindergarten through ninth grade ranges and increases with age between $16,200 per year and $26,000 per year. For boarding students grades fourth through ninth, tuition and boarding costs range from $63,500 for five days a week to $72,300 for seven days a week.

"We see this as an opportunity to extend our educational expertise to a broader range of local families,” Amy Jolly, head of school at Applewild School, said in the release. “This partnership … allows us to contribute more directly to its economic vitality by supporting working families with high-quality educational options."

With 700 members, the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce is the second largest chamber of commerce in Central Massachusetts when ranked by total membership, according to data provided to WBJ’s Research Department. Founded in 1984, the chamber has 16 full-time equivalent employees.

Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.