College and Career Awareness
College & Career Awareness
Studies show that when young people participate in programs and activities that help them envision themselves in future college plans and high-earning careers, the more likely they are to enroll and succeed in college. Harvard is committed to working with schools and organizations to provide opportunities and resources to local youth that help provide pathways for post high school success.
Program spotlights
Elementary programs
Summer explorations at the Harvard Ed Portal
Open to Allston-Brighton residents, weekly programs in July and August include the Science of Cooking, anatomy of animals, drama, and more
Youth mentoring with Harvard undergraduates
Weekly one-on-one and group meetings at the Harvard Ed Portal with local Allston-Brighton youth focused on academic support and enrichment
Family-friendly athletics events
From Fall Fest to Community Days, families and local youth can enjoy various Harvard Crimson sporting events throughout the year
Harvard Museum of Natural History: K-12 classes
The Harvard Museum of Natural History brings the museum to the classroom through frameworks-oriented programs taught by museum educators.
Peabody Museum: K-12 programs
The Peabody Museum offers a wide variety of K-12 Programs that encourage students to use observation and inquiry skills to form new perspectives on cultures.
Free admission to Harvard Museums
Harvard Art Museums is free to all visitors; Harvard Museum of Natural History and Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology is free to Massachusetts residents on Sunday mornings (year-round) and Wednesday afternoons (September–May)
Middle school programs
Education day with Harvard athletics
6th Grade Cambridge and Boston Public School are invited to attend a Harvard Athletic Event and meet with student-athletes. In 2023, 700 students attended a Harvard Women’s Hockey game.
Project Teach campus visits
7th Grade Boston and Cambridge Public School middle schoolers meet with undergraduates, attend short lectures, then enjoy lunch and a campus tour.
STEM engagement with Boston Public Schools
8th Grade Boston Public School students spend Pi Day at the Science and Engineering Complex doing hands-on engineering projects and interacting with undergraduate and graduate students studying STEM at Harvard.
Harvard Museum of Natural History: K-12 programs
The Harvard Museum of Natural History brings the museum to the classroom through frameworks-oriented programs taught by museum educators. Middle school programs include: Under Our Feet: The Geology of New England, Climate Change, and Human Origins.
Peabody Museum: K-12 programs
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology offers a wide variety of K-12 Programs that encourage students to use observation and inquiry skills to form new perspectives on cultures. Middle school programs include: Magnificent Maya, Virtual Aztec and Maya Leaders, Virtual Mesopotamian Monuments, and Foragers to Farmers.
High school: discovering college and career pathways
A day which brings together Boston Public School & Cambridge Rindge & Latin School students to learn about post-secondary schools, technical training programs, and organizations that support first-generation & minority students to attend college.
SYEP provides valuable work experience to students. SYEP has been instrumental in helping local teenagers develop strong work habits, establish networks, and receive exposure to possible career paths by working in Harvard offices and labs.
This collaboration with the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School explores approaches to gallery teaching for high school students, building multi-visit partnerships with high school teachers, using visual art at a tool for teaching, and more.
High school: focusing on college and career readiness
College application day
Harvard University’s Public School Partnerships (PSP) team offers expertise and resources that support curriculum goals and guide students toward academic success. In the Fall of 2022, PSP organized a College Application Day.
Science research mentoring program
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) provides students from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School the opportunity to work on a year-long independent research project in astrophysics.
Marine science internship programs
Cambridge Rindge & Latin School high schoolers receive hands-on lab experience and explore career paths available in marine science, through internships in labs across Harvard and throughout the region.
Harvard Medical School summer programs
HMS MEDscience Summer Programs offer innovative, immersive medical science programs for local high school students curious and passionate about science, healthcare, and related STEM fields.
High school lab pathways
High School Lab Pathways aims to familiarize students with diverse career opportunities in STEM fields through a partnership between the Harvard Ed Portal and Harvard’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Designed to offer practical experience, the program not only enhances science literacy but also equips students with foundational life science, laboratory, and workforce competencies.