Program Name: Urban Scholars Program
Focus: Gifted & Talented Middle and High School Students
Sponsor: UMASS Boston
Director: Robert-Thomas Duclersaint
Address: 100 Morrissey Bloulevard Boston MA 02125
Schools Served:
High schools partnerships include: Jeremiah E. Burke, Dorchester Education Complex, South Boston Educational Complex
Middle Schools partnerships include: Grover Cleveland, Patrick F. Gavin, Solomon Lewenberg, John W. McCormack, William B.Rogers, Woodrow Wilson
School District: Boston Public Schools
Phone Number: 617-287-5830
Fax Number: 617-287-5818
Email: urbanscholars@umb.edu
Website: www.urbanscholars.umb.edu
Program Type: Academic
Schedule: All year
Ages: 12-18
Capacity: 120
Membership/Pricing: Free
Setting: House on a college campus
Support Services: Yes
Activities: Friday Field Trips, Chill Wednesday, Annual kid-friendly events
Field Trip Destinations: College tours, Six Flags Great Adventure, Movies, Bowling, Roller Skating, Camping
Program Information: USP offers a year-round program featuring after school classes on Tuesday & Thursday, tutoring Monday thru Friday, supervised study on Monday & Wednesday, seminars/workshops, and Friday field trips. A seven-week Summer Institute offers morning classes and participation in afternoon activities including group projects, tutoring, cultural enrichment, and outdoor recreation
Slogan: Success Begins with US

Urban Scholars was created in 1983 by the University of Massachusetts Boston as a pilot program serving 15 students from three public, neighborhood high schools in Boston - Jeremiah E. Burke, Dorchester, and South Boston. A middle school program focused on the "feeder" schools for the neighborhood high schools was initiated in 1985.

In the past twenty-three years the program has grown to serve, on average, 75 high school and 45 middle school students annually. Expansion of this pioneering outreach program for talented urban students was made possible with the financial support of the University of Massachusetts Boston, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, the Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Program of the Higher Education Coordinating Council, and the Pre-Freshman Enrichment Program of the U.S. Department of Energy and contributions from the corporate community.

Today, having served more than 1,400 students, Urban Scholars has a near perfect record of helping students gain college acceptance. Most are accepted by at least three colleges or universities. In addition, more than 85% of Urban Scholars complete their undergraduate education.

Urban Scholars has a college acceptance rate of nearly 100 percent. Its students are generally accepted by at least three colleges or universities.

Urban Scholars' college retention rate is 85 percent, as compared to the national rate of 50 percent and the Boston average of approximately 45 percent.

Urban Scholars' graduates have attened ot are attending some of the best colleges and universities in the country.