Hands-on Technology Experience for Low-Income Kids

About Citizen Schools 

Citizen Schools is an educational non-profit that partners with local public middle schools across the nation and volunteer Citizen Teachers to help expand the learning day. Our vision is to close the opportunity and achievement gap for middle school students in underserved communities and move students onto a successful track, heading toward high school graduation, college attainment, and positions of leadership in their careers and communities.

Since its inception in Boston in 1995, Citizen Schools has partnered with middle schools and communities to reimagine the learning day and provide all students with rigorous and engaging experiences that connect students’ current learning to their future. We mobilize a second shift of afternoon educators, who provide academic support, leadership development, and apprenticeships hands-on projects taught by volunteers from business and civic organizations.

By focusing on middle school, Citizen Schools capitalizes on this critical developmental period and inflection point, effectively setting students' sights on graduation, college matriculation, and ultimately a successful career. Citizen Schools also seeks to build a strong and skilled pipeline of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technology professionals to fill the national gap in qualified STEM professions.

In the 2014-15 school year, Citizen Schools served 4,877 students from disadvantaged urban neighborhoods, 80% of whom were children of color. Google remains one of Citizen Schools’ leading supporters – not only through financial contributions but especially through the human capital of Googlers, who teach our students in 10-week, hands-on apprenticeships.

Quotes from Volunteer Citizen Teachers

• “Working with the students and seeing the inner strength, perseverance and courage they show is inspirational and inspiring. It is one of the more rewarding I have had the pleasure of having.” - Citizen Teacher Massachusetts
• “I'm so delighted working with citizen schools. I improved my communication skills and confidence levels. And most importantly, working with kids and the teaching experience is giving me so much of satisfaction. We tend to reinforce our skills during our apprenticeship. I'm very grateful to Citizen schools.” - Citizen Schools North Carolina
• “Watching the transformation of the children from the day they start to the day of the WOW.  There are no words it is simply amazing to see as well as getting to know the personalities of each of the children.” - Citizen Teacher Massachusetts

Photos from the Field

Massachusetts STEM week took place for the first time this year, October 22nd through October 26th. From our new campus at  Young Achievers Math and Science School to our programming in Somerville our students were able to experience STEM first-hand, all week long. There was rocket building and launching, coding at google, egg drop physics and much much more.

Over the summer Citizen Schools had the opportunity to host 5 High School Summer Interns who are alumni of our program. Each were able to work in a department that they found to be most interesting, allowing them all their first what it means to work in an in office for the first time.

During their internship they were able to work on a project together that they then presented to the new cohort of incoming Teaching Fellows. This project focused on health issues in the community and in what ways, Teaching Fellows could be more empathic to the challenges that are faced by the communities in which our students come from, as well as serve a more comprehensive support system to our young people.

Thanks to local support from theBiogen STAR Initiative as well as from theAll Points North Foundation, this fall we are bringing our signature apprenticeship program to more middle school students than ever within theSomerville Public School District. That means more hands-on, project-based STEM learning experiences for our students, taught by volunteers from the thriving local tech community.  We also expanded our program to a second school, with plans to continue growing over the next few years, and students and families are excited about it!  

Winter Hill Community Innovation School, our newest campus, serves students in grades 6-8, whileEast Somerville Community School serves students in grades 5-7.  Due to overwhelming interest at both campuses, we are thrilled to report that both programs have exceeded their target numbers! This year in Somerville we will be serving 150+ students across these two campuses.