About Us
Hitchcock Free Academy is a public nonprofit community center established in 1956, following its 100 year tenure as a free public high school founded in 1855 by Samuel Austin Hitchcock.
Mission Statement
The mission of Hitchcock Academy is to enrich the lives of area residents of all ages by providing educational, recreational and cultural programming.
We're always interested in your ideas! If you have something you would like to see happen at Hitchcock, please contact us at: [email protected].
Mission Statement
The mission of Hitchcock Academy is to enrich the lives of area residents of all ages by providing educational, recreational and cultural programming.
We're always interested in your ideas! If you have something you would like to see happen at Hitchcock, please contact us at: [email protected].
A Brief History
|
From 1855-1954, Hitchcock Free Academy was a high school, one of the first to offer a high school education for free, thus the word "free" in our name. Mr. Samuel Austin Hitchcock was too poor to afford to go to high school but he set off in 1812 with one borrowed dollar to make his fortune and indeed he succeeded, becoming one of the wealthiest men in Massachusetts by the 1850s.
Hitchcock closed as a high school in 1954 when Tantasqua Regional High School opened to meet the growing needs of the community. It reopened in 1956 as a community center, and serves over 20,000 participants annually. While much has changed since 1855, Hitchcock's core mission remains: to serve its community by enriching the lives of local residents in the arenas of education, recreation and culture. |
Founder, Samuel Austin Hitchcock
|
One of the last classes (circa 1950) to attend Hitchcock while it still operated as a high school.
Our Team
Staff:
Cindy Skowyra, Executive Director
Christina Mealey, Publicity
John Prescott, Custodian
Board of Trustees:
Officers:
President: Genise Jackson, Brimfield
Vice President: Mark Carron, Warren
Clerk: Tom Faxon, Sturbridge
Treasurer: Sarah Majewski, Brimfield
Mike DeFalco, Brimfield
Charlotte Corry, Brimfield
Carrie Deltoro, Brimfield
Alia Abaid, West Brookfield
Susan Staples-Holt, Brimfield
Joe Ballou, Brimfield
Jean Sullivan, Brimfield
Chris Bolte, Brimfield
Josh Skowyra, Brimfield
Stephanie Skaza, Country Bank, Brimfield
Greg Majewski, Brimfield
Cindy Skowyra, Executive Director
Christina Mealey, Publicity
John Prescott, Custodian
Board of Trustees:
Officers:
President: Genise Jackson, Brimfield
Vice President: Mark Carron, Warren
Clerk: Tom Faxon, Sturbridge
Treasurer: Sarah Majewski, Brimfield
Mike DeFalco, Brimfield
Charlotte Corry, Brimfield
Carrie Deltoro, Brimfield
Alia Abaid, West Brookfield
Susan Staples-Holt, Brimfield
Joe Ballou, Brimfield
Jean Sullivan, Brimfield
Chris Bolte, Brimfield
Josh Skowyra, Brimfield
Stephanie Skaza, Country Bank, Brimfield
Greg Majewski, Brimfield