91B0FBB4-04A9-D5D7-16F0F3976AA697ED
C9A22247-E776-B892-2D807E7555171534
A campus visitor from Citizen Schools.
A campus visitor from Citizen Schools.

Thirty-eight 8th grade students, 16 high school alumni,and the staff from the Citizen Schools program 8th Grade Academy in Boston spent three days and two nights exploring the Hamilton College campus during February.

On this college-immersion trip, apprentices got a taste of college life -- experiences that included watching explosions in a chemistry class, holding reptiles in a biology lab, to eating meals in the campus cafeterias, having a lesson in German and learning capoiera. They also met with admissions and financial aid officers to discover what it takes to get into and finance college.

This Hamilton trip is the lengthiest and most in-depth of the 10 college visits made by 8th Grade Academy apprentices during the course of their 8th grade years. Each visit is dedicated to giving the 8th graders a passion for college that will motivate them to succeed in high school and the knowledge of what it takes to get into and thrive in college.

The 120 8th graders who participate in 8th Grade Academy commit to spending Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, as well as Saturdays and school vacations, developing writing, math, leadership, and study skills. In addition to visiting colleges, they research and apply to Boston district, charter, pilot, and independent schools, work with writing mentors from downtown Boston law firms, take apprenticeship classes in a wide variety of subjects, publish a magazine, and more. All of the apprentices are graduates of Citizen Schools after-school middle school programs at Boston Public Schools around the city.

Help us provide an accessible education, offer innovative resources and programs, and foster intellectual exploration.

Site Search