This page provides detailed information specific to schools matched with Project Beacon.
Please also visit our general Getting Started page for detailed support on setting up your testing operations.
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What you can find here…
Click to jump to each section about:
ABOUT PROJECT BEACON
GETTING STARTED WITH PROJECT BEACON
TESTING SITE OPERATIONS WITH PROJECT BEACON
GETTING YOUR POOLS TO THE LAB WITH PROJECT BEACON
FOLLOW-UP TESTING OPTIONS WITH PROJECT BEACON
ABOUT THE TESTS OFFERED BY PROJECT BEACON
About Project Beacon
Project Beacon is a nonprofit COVID-19 testing support vendor that manages a number of the express ‘Stop the Spread’ sites throughout Massachusetts and built the software for the Massachusetts schools symptomatic testing program with BinaxNOW. Project Beacon’s tests are RT-PCR tests processed by the Broad Institute in Massachusetts.
Lab Address: The Broad Institute, 320 Charles Street, Cambridge, MA
Connecting with Project Beacon
Pooling@beacontesting.com
Software Help Line: (617) 741-7310
Getting Started with Project Beacon
Welcome
Receive welcome email from Project Beacon team
Submit Form
Fill out onboarding form for EACH of your schools (creates primary admin account at each school) and start tube order process for each school
Get Set Up
Request any additional Organization Admin accounts (those at a school who need to view pooled and individual test results and manage the testing roster) by sending an email with their full name and email to pooling@beacontesting.com
Onboard
Make sure your testing team attends an onboarding training webinar
Set Up Profiles
Receive confirmation email once your Project Beacon platform account has been set up and continue the process to set up your profile
Confirm
One week before implementation date, email pooling@beacontesting.com to confirm tube shipment and arrival date
Tier 2 Support
If joining with Tier 2 support, you will need to fill out this additional form (sent in the welcome email)
Testing Site Operations with Project Beacon
Project Beacon designed their own software which can support both pooled testing and follow-up testing - including both rapid BinaxNOW tests and individual PCR tests. It also allows parents/guardians to have accounts on the software so that they can give consent and view their students' results directly on the platform.
This Project Beacon Site Operations Manual walks through the process of administering pooled and follow-up tests, including how to log the information in the digital platform.
Getting Consent
To learn about collecting consent and building your testing roster see our section on Getting Consent
Getting your Pools to the Lab with Project Beacon
Register pools on the Project Beacon platform
See our detailed section on Getting Your Pools to the Lab.
You should arrange for a volunteer, a courier service or a shipping company to send tests - as early as possible - to the Broad Institute
Be sure to fill out the Specimen Manifest for each box and secure it with a rubber band.
Specimen Manifest for Pools
Specimen Manifest for Individual Tests
Lab Address: The Broad Institute, 320 Charles Street, Cambridge, MA
Follow-Up Testing Options with Project Beacon
All tests must be registered and logged via the Project Beacon platform as required by public health laws. This enables results to be reported directly to public health authorities without any additional action from the school. You should already have the correct information uploaded into the system.
See our follow-up testing guide
About the Tests Offered by Project Beacon
Pooled Test
The pooled test Project Beacon offers was developed by and is performed at The Broad Institute. While the pooled version of the test does not have an EUA from the FDA as it is considered a Laboratory Developed Test (LDT), the Broad Institute’s individual PCR does have an EUA which can be found here. The Broad Institute’s collection kit also has an EUA for self-collection. Here are fact sheets about the test for patients and healthcare providers.
Please note that this test, along with most COVID-19 tests, does not have an EUA for asymptomatic screening testing.
The Broad Institute has internally validated its pooling methodology.
Molecular tests like this one are highly sensitive, even among populations without symptoms.
Individual Follow-Up Tests
BinaxNOW
BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card is a rapid antigen test produced by Abbott.
The test has an EUA which can be found here.
Please note that this test, along with most COVID-19 tests, does not have an EUA for asymptomatic screening testing.
This study examines the sensitivity and specificity of BinaxNOW in different populations in Massachusetts - including asymptomatic children.
Antigen tests like this tend to be less sensitive in populations without symptoms.
Individual PCR
Project Beacon offers the Broad Institute’s RT-PCR test as its individual PCR follow-up option. It has an EUA which can be found here. The Broad Institute’s collection kit also has an EUA for self-collection. Here are fact sheets about the test for patients and healthcare providers.
Please note that this test, along with most COVID-19 tests, does not have an EUA for asymptomatic screening testing.
Molecular tests like this one are highly sensitive, even among populations without symptoms.
None of these tests are approved or cleared by the FDA. They are authorized under an emergency mechanism called an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or are considered laboratory developed tests, which are authorized to be performed in designated laboratories only.
Project Beacon Additional Resource Links and Training Materials
Broad Institute’s Instructions on How to perform a Nasal Swab (English and Spanish)
Sample email to parents/guardians on how to collect electronic consent
