Women's School (Cambridge, Mass.) records

The Women's School (WS) was established in the Fall of 1971 by 20 women who were involved with the recently formed Women's Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  The school was founded as an alternative source of feminist education, and its ideologies were based on socialist-feminism.  The school was operated by a collective, and classes were taught by volunteers. All collective members, students, and teachers were women. Classes were often team taught.  Registration fees were kept low so that all women would be able to participate.

In 1973, the collective developed a formal administrative structure.  Committees were created to select courses, develop special projects, and handle office work and finances.  The number of courses offered continued to grow, and classes on anti-racism, auto mechanics, growing up female, international women's struggles, lesbianism, Marxism, older women, Spanish, and many other topics were offered.

The Women's School closed in 1992.  It was the longest running women's school in the United States.