Graduation

Graduation is soon approaching! It is truly a special event, and we congratulate everyone who will be receiving their diploma. We’ll be honoring our 2025 graduates on Friday, May 30 at Old North Church, plus a Friends & Family Gathering on Thursday, May 29.

Below is a schedule and information. Official invitations will go out in early May.

Friends & Family Get-Together

Thursday, May 29 | 3:00 – 6:00 pm
North Bennet Street School
 
Friends and family of graduates are invited to the School the afternoon before Graduation to visit benches and program spaces, as well as view our 2025 Exhibition: Meaningful Work. This event will not have refreshments.

Graduation

Friday, May 30, 2025
8:30 – 9:30 am ET  |  Open House at the School
10:00 – 11:30 am ET  |  Ceremony at Old North Church

Graduation Speaker: TBA

Schedule

8:30 – 9:30 amOpen House for graduates, students, friends, and families at NBSS
Coffee and breakfast refreshments available
9:30 amGraduates gather by program in front of School, with staff, faculty, and guests
Parade to Old North Church begins
Guests may choose to walk with us or meet us at the Church
10:00 – 11:30 amCommencement Ceremony at Old North Church
12:30 – 2:00 pmNBSS Store and Business Office reopen
1:00 – 5:30 pmGraduates may move out of the building

Each graduate is allowed to bring up to four guests to be present inside the Church. Additional guests can watch the ceremony from outside in the courtyard at Old North Church. We will also livestream and record the event for those who can’t be there in person—see below for details.

We’ll have assigned seating for graduates; they’ll sit in the pews in the center and right hand aisles. Instructors will sit in the pews at the back and at the right. All current students are invited as well.

Old North Church is located at 193 Salem Street, Boston, Massachusetts.
North Bennet Street School is located at 150 North Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

Livestream Recordings

The ceremony will also be live streamed and recorded so that family, friends, and guests can watch them remotely. Feel free to share these links. 

You can watch:

Live stream links will be active 5-10 minutes before the ceremony begins.

Additional Information

No Classes and Machine Rooms Closed Friday, May 30, 2025
During the Open House and the Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 30, classroom instruction will be suspended and machine rooms will be closed. There will be no instruction after Graduation on Friday. It is left to the discretion of the instructors whether bench rooms will be open.

Moving Out of School
Please do not plan to move out of the school between 3:00 pm Thursday, May 29 until 1:00 pm Friday, May 30. You may begin moving out after 1:00 pm on Friday. Please notify your instructor(s) of your moving arrangements.

Please remember to discontinue package delivery to the School as of Friday, May 23.

Transportation and Parking
As always, we encourage everyone to use public transportation to visit NBSS, especially on Graduation day.

Please note that, as usual, there will be no parking in our back lot.

If you have guests who need parking, our Front Desk can validate parking from the Parcel 7 Garage located at 92 New Sudbury Street, for three hours for $3; any time over three hours results in the regular full charge. (We can validate your ticket anytime after you arrive at the garage, but the validation timing begins when you enter the garage. So your total stay in the garage must be 3 hours or under to apply discounted pricing.)

Note: Keep in mind that Hanover Street between Congress and Blackstone Streets is closed for the Haymarket produce market on Fridays, and you’ll need to route around the streets to access the garage.

Check nbss.edu/visit for more info on neighborhood parking options, public transportation, and directions.