UMass Boston

Urban Scholars

Academics

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The purpose of the Urban Scholars Program is to provide talented urban students from Boston with the academic skills and the preparation to achieve their full potential. Our overarching goal is to enable our students to assume positions of leadership and achievement in society. To this end, our academic program is governed by the following core goals:

  • To a graduating Urban Scholar, critical thinking is a habit of mind that is both creative and analytical.
  • A graduating Urban Scholar expresses his or her thinking effectively in both written and oral form.
  • Competency, confidence, and resourcefulness in academic settings and beyond are hallmarks of every graduating Urban Scholar.
  • A graduating Urban Scholar respects human dignity, accepts responsibility for her/his actions and exercises her/his rights and responsibilities as a citizen.

During the Academic Year Program, we provide academic instruction as well as tutoring, advising, college visits and preparation activities, enrichment, and personal development. 

Our intensive Summer Institute offsets summer learning loss by providing 147 hours of essential academic and college-ready skills and knowledge. Students return to school fully prepared to build on the rigorous academic foundation laid in the summer courses. Each summer class is project-based with students applying the content and skills learned throughout the summer to a final project showcased at the annual Urban Scholars Project Showcase. Past projects have included PowerPoint presentations, live readings, demonstrations, and poster presentations.