Epiphany in Progress... The Film

At the beginning of the 1998-1999 school year, Epiphany opened its doors to 41 fifth and sixth graders. The school was modeled on Nativity Prep Academy, a tuition-free Jesuit middle school for low-income, urban boys in grades five through eight founded in 1990 in Boston. The Epiphany School was housed in the annex of the All Saints Church in Boston, although the school was not a project of the church and therefore functioned as a separate entity. The Church charged the school one dollar a year in rent. The school put $295,000 into renovating the church annex and planned to build an additional building in a church-owned lot across the street in order to accommodate two additional grades.

During the school's opening year, three certified teachers, six interns, and several volunteers taught classes. Most of the interns were recent college graduates without formal training in education, and they received minimal structured supervision from other staff members. The interns were housed in a building adjacent to the church and took meals at the school. They were given a small living stipend.

Making the film | About the film crew | Film credits

Feature version | Epiphany School | Epiphany's first year | Epiphany School now |