Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/555185
176 | SEPTEMBER 2015 nshoremag.com in-depth PLACES photographs courtesy of Peabody Learning Academy BY SARAH SHEMKUS Peabody Learning Academy provides a nurturing scholastic environment for at-risk teens. Mall Hall In many ways, it was a typical high school graduation scene. Smiling teenagers in gowns and mortar- boards snapped selfies and posed for family photos before the cer- emony. Proud parents held bou- quets of flowers and shouted words of encouragement as their children walked across the stage. Scholar- ships were awarded, and a keynote speaker offered words of advice. What made the Peabody Learn- ing Academy's graduation last June a bit different, however, was the setting. Instead of an auditorium or a gym, this class of 15 students celebrated their successful com- pletion of high school in the same place they had attended classes: the Northshore Mall. "We have some people who come to the mall to get a cup of coffee or to shop at Macy's, but you came for an entirely different reason: to get a high school educa- PLA addresses the needs of a diverse student population.