Teachers To Get Better Time-Out Space With Help From Bruins, Wellpoint

WOBURN, MA — With help from the Boston Bruins and a Woburn company, teachers somewhere in Massachusetts may soon enjoy a better break in their busy schoolday schedules.

The pro hockey team and the company, Wellpoint, have launched their second annual Teachers’ Lounge Makeover Contest – which promises a $5,000 room renovation for a deserving Bay State school.

The redo will include new furniture, fresh paint and other upgrades, according to the contest guidelines. Anyone can nominate a Massachusetts school for the prize; you just need to submit a short explanation of why your school should be the winner.

Entries are due April 17.

In 2025, the Edith C. Baker School in Brookline received the prize after being chosen from a field of nearly 100 entrants, a Wellpoint spokesperson said. The public school was outfitted with new furnishings and healthy snacks to support the well-being of educators and staff.

Wellpoint said the makeover brought a “meaningful moment of celebration” to the school community after a devastating loss – the deaths of a teacher, Matthew Goldstein, and his family from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The renovation at Baker School, a fixture in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, included a plaque honoring Goldstein, who taught eighth-grade math.

“Educators play a critical role in shaping student well-being every day, and this is one way we can show our appreciation,” said David Morales, Wellpoint general manager, in a news release.

The company, headquartered on Unicorn Park Drive in Woburn, is a health benefits provider for public employees and retirees in Massachusetts.