YEAR-ROUND ACADEMY PROGRAM (6th - 12th)

The Next Generation Scholars Academy program serves students from 6th through 12th grade - helping them realize their unique identities, achieve their goals and take command of their futures.

We measure our success by our ability to get Scholars to and through college and their ability to impact their communities. Our core year round Academy program is centered around three components: (1) Academic curriculum, (2) Community Uplift projects and (3) College exploration.

boys, students, backpacks, sweatshirt, tee shirt

The multidisciplinary curriculum is oriented around seven grade level specific goals:

GRADE 6

Sparking curiosity and finding strengths

GRADE 7

Transitioning to independence and purposeful experimentation

GRADE 8

Applying content and innovating approach

GRADE 9

Fortifying scholarly independence and understanding the “why” of education

GRADE 10

Forming an independent identity and honing personal strengths

GRADE 11

Expressing critical thought and embracing uncertainty

GRADE 12

Advocating for self and others through effective communication

The Academy Program

The Academy Program provides socially-relevant, grade-specific material for Scholars from 6th- through to 12th-grade, bolstering the learning experience of their respective schools.

Academics are at the core of the Academy Program. The Academy curriculum varies by grade-level and across the calendar year:

  • Academic year: Scholars meet twice a week at the Scholar House by grade-level. The goal of the Academic Year program is to be additive to the coursework Scholars complete in their regular classrooms. In addition, 1:1 tutoring is provided to those students who need additional support in a given academic subject.
  • Summer session: Scholars meet five days a week over the course of five weeks. The Summer Academy is designed to be “anticipatory”, preparing them for the upcoming academic year, as well as “exploratory'', allowing students the opportunity to discover new interests and passions. Learn more about Summer Academy programming and applications here.

Community Uplift

The Community Uplift Program empowers Scholars to make a meaningful, direct impact on their communities, while bolstering their applications and candidacy for acceptance and financial support, to competitive colleges and universities.

Starting the second semester of their Sophomore year, Scholars begin to plan out their projects and our staff guides them from idea development to final execution.

Each Scholar selects a project that speaks to their aspirations for their community. Recent projects include: 

  • Developing mental health lesson plans created to de-stigmatize mental health services for Latinx communities
  • Creating a community garden to address food insecurity and limited access to healthy, culturally-responsive food
  • Establishing affinity spaces that allow Latinx high school students to genuinely express themselves in a safe and supportive environment

College Support

Getting Scholars to and through college is key to their ability to take command of their futures. Recognizing that a Scholar’s family support network may not have all the necessary tools to guide Scholars through the college process, Next Generation Scholars assists students and their families in the college evaluation and application process (and where necessary, in the financial aid negotiation process). Since its inception, 100% of the Next Generation Scholars have been accepted to a four year college and 95% have graduated within 5 years (versus the National Average graduation rate of 60%)