All-Girls School Opens Innovation Center in Hingham

An all-girls Catholic school in Massachusetts is betting big on the future, and 172 years of history shows they know what they're doing.

Notre Dame Academy in Hingham just unveiled the Teixeira Family Innovation Center, a three-space learning hub where students dive into everything from robotics to podcast production. The center opened in February 2026, transforming how young women explore science, engineering, and digital storytelling.

The space features three connected areas working together like a creative engine. The computer lab runs advanced software including RStudio, MATLAB, and 3D modeling programs that let students build virtual anatomical models or take digital field trips to operating rooms and outer space.

Next door, the engineering lab houses the school's robotics team, the Cougears, along with 3D printers, soldering stations, and prototyping tables where ideas become tangible creations. Students use platforms like Tinkercad and NASA modeling resources to design everything from custom parts to full-scale robots they test on the lab's dedicated robotics field.

The recording studio gives students professional-grade equipment for producing documentaries, audiobooks, and public service announcements. It's where literature meets technology, and where students master the communication skills they'll need in any career path.

Teachers across all subjects are weaving the center into their curriculum. Business classes run startup simulations, English students build interactive literary websites, and science teachers use the 3D printers to create physical models of complex molecular structures.

The Ripple Effect

The center wouldn't exist without community support that shows how much people believe in young women's potential. The Teixeira Family's lead donation sparked contributions from multiple families who wanted their daughters and granddaughters to have these opportunities.

The Yawkey Foundation chipped in with a grant specifically for computer workstations, ensuring every student gets hands-on time with the technology. It's the kind of investment that pays forward for decades.

President Annemarie Lynch Kenneally, herself a 1980 graduate, sees the center as more than just fancy equipment. "It's a place where imagination and curiosity soars," she says, emphasizing that the goal is nurturing creators and problem-solvers, not just tech users.

Notre Dame Academy holds the distinction of being Massachusetts' first all-girls Catholic day school, founded in 1853. Now serving grades 6 through 12, the school continues its tradition of adapting to meet students where the world is heading, not where it's been.