Students and Teacher posing together in their improv class.

Urban Scholars: Courses

Students and staff in the Urban Scholars Program are underway with preparation for their project showcase, where students show off everything they have learned this summer. Students are currently taking classes that include Biology, Research Psychology, Your Money and You, Own Your Voice!, Algebra 1, Improv, and French. These classes are designed to help students prepare for the upcoming school year and to retain information over the summer.

On June 30, I joined a few classes for our “A Day in the Life” project. Over the course of three hours, students take courses that pertain to their upcoming grade level. Each year, new subjects are added to the curriculum and some of the most popular courses remain. The classes I covered were Improv, Boston Strong, and Your Money and You.

The Improv class is taught by Michelle Mount, a performing artist, director, and drama teacher. In this course, students play theater games as a form of preparation for their big show. Students are improving their acting skills and are also learning to be less shy. They were very happy to have me as an audience member, and I was very happy to see such comedic and dramatic talent.

Boston Strong is taught by Chris Kelley, an English teacher. I met Chris when I was in the sixth grade, and I have also taken his renowned Shakespeare class. In Boston Strong, students are learning about the city of Boston and all of its developments. Many of the students have lived in Boston all of their lives, but most know only a tiny piece about its history. I think that it is interesting to see students learning about this amazing city.

The last class I visited was entitled Your Money and You. This class is taught by Rachael Perry, a mathematics teacher. In this course, students are learning all about the importance of finance and budgeting. I never got to take a class like this when I was in Urban Scholars, but I think it’s important because it depicts the hardship of living with debt. It’s great that these students are learning this now because it will benefit them when they become college students.

The academic portion of Urban Scholars is still as strong as it was when I first started eight years ago. From my own experience, I know that students will be prepared for their upcoming school year. I had a good time covering them and I learned a lot as well.