We are a non-profit educational service agency, committed to reaching and educating learners of all ages, and experienced in working with educators to help students learn and succeed.

Founded in 1974, we are governed by representatives from our member school districts in Hampshire and Franklin Counties. We work with children, youth and adult learners; families; schools, districts, and educators; and community members in the Pioneer Valley and across Massachusetts to create and improve educational opportunities both in and out of the classroom and ensure that every child has the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

We are a community of innovative and effective professionals dedicated to improving education. We know that everyone is a learner from the day they are born, and we know how to create classrooms and other environments in which every learner can flourish. We know how to reach, inspire, support and educate children, youth and adults, and we help others to do the same.

CES directs major initiatives in Early Childhood, Special Education, After School Programs, Professional Development, Educator Licensure, Technology in Education, Social Justice in Education, English Learner Education, and the education of vulnerable youth.

CES is committed to the belief that everyone is a learner, and to our mission to develop and foster educational excellence and opportunities for all learners through collaboration and leadership.

Social Justice and Equity work has always been critical to that mission.

We understand that all forms of oppression are damaging. As we at CES set our sights on understanding and taking action together to challenge racism and support equity, we also commit to making our work intersectional by taking on sexism, classism, heterosexism, youth oppression, transgender oppression, religious oppression, ableism, sizeism, and more. 

We are doing this work pro-actively and purposefully, with the intent of positive outcomes, and because we need to. In doing so, we are building capacity to support and assist schools, and districts responding to their educators' and students' needs with an increased and intentional focus on matters of bias, social justice, and equity.