The College-Bound Mentoring Program (CBM) serves underprivileged high school seniors in the Greater Boston area, pairing them with Harvard student volunteers through the college applications process. Mentors provide indispensible advice and editing in writing-intensive sessions, from the first brainstorm to the final edit; they also learn about urban schooling, form meaningful bonds with their mentees, and gain pedagogical skills through lesson-planning.
Two “campus culture” sessions take place near the end of the fall semester, bringing mentees to the Harvard campus to introduce them to college life. The aim is that these collaborative activities between mentor and student (e.g., attending a public lecture, visiting a museum, touring an extra-curricular activity) will offer the high school student a preview of university life by fostering critical thinking skills, intellectual curiosity, and academic exploration. These campus experiences, it is hoped, will also generate positive moments of reflection for college application essays.
CBM is a fall program, running on alternate Wednesdays at Boston Green Academy from 12:30-2 p.m. Contact us at wpsiharvard@gmail.com to get involved!