By Rachel Loo
The Social Enterprise Institute at Northeastern partners with the Citizen Schools 8th Grade Academy (8GA) program at Orchard Gardens Middle School in Roxbury. Twenty 8th-grade students come to Northeastern’s campus twice per month. Each 8th grader is paired with an undergraduate student volunteer to be their coach. This may be the student’s first time in a college classroom or first experience being one-on-one with a coach. The one-to-one ratio provides students with an invaluable resource to ask questions and walk through the lesson at their own pace. The students are encouraged to build relationships with their coaches so they are comfortable asking any questions they have about the high school, college and beyond.
For over 20 years, Citizen Schools has worked with middle schools in low-income communities to provide an extended after-school program. The curriculum is intended to teach students about their future options, help them draft tangible goals, and provide them with the skills to achieve those goals. In fact, Citizen Schools impact results show that their participating students have a 20 percent higher graduation rate!
Thanks to Northeastern’s competitive application process for coaches and emphasis on career development, any college-student-turned-coach is a naturally strong mentor. We encourage coaches to share the criteria they used when applying to college to provide students with a baseline when researching high schools. Coaches have also usually taken at least one co-op preparation class or completed a co-op, and are able to speak first-hand about searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs.
During the fall semester, our sessions are focused on preparing students for high school by helping the students research and apply to high schools in Boston. Each student is required to submit an essay as part of their application, so students and coaches work together to break down the essay writing process. Coaches are encouraged to share their own tips and tricks as we guide students through brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and proofreading. This spring, we have focused on career goal-setting. We conducted mock interviews so the students could become comfortable with answering questions and we helped them draft their first resumes. Through the mock interview I conducted with my student, he articulated an interest in sports and strategy, so we spent the next session exploring careers in sports entertainment, team management, and personal training.
Coaches are usually surprised by how quickly they are able to form relationships with their students. The students are enthusiastic and curious, and the questions they ask reflect their desire to pursue a higher education and succeed in their careers. With the help of our dedicated coaches, they are able to start high school confident they are capable of reaching their dreams.
Rachel Loo leads the Citizen Schools’ 8GA Program at Northeastern University. For more information, check out the Citizen Schools website.
