Leadership Academy

Year-round partnership with Boston’s Future Leaders

Leadership is learned, it takes many forms, and every one of us has the potential to lead. The Camp Harbor View Leadership Academy is a year-round program offering Boston youth in grades 9-12 tools and resources to succeed — and lead — in high school and beyond. More than 200 young people participate in weekly group workshops and receive one-on-one mentoring and access to our comprehensive wrap-around family services. And because all leaders have expenses — every young person receives a monthly stipend for their participation.

Wrap-around model

YEAR-ROUND LEADERSHIP TRAINING

College and career prep, leadership workshops, skills development and more.

THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT

Access to individual and group therapy, mentors, emergency support, and more.

SUPPORT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Skills workshops for parents, community events, coordination of food, housing, education, and more.

9th Grade RISE PROGRAM

The RISE program (Realizing Interests through Support and Exploration) is open to all 9th graders who have participated in our summer camp. Our goal is to help program participants in their critical first year of high school by offering community, skill-based workshops, and early exploration of college and career options.

RISE program focus

Support teens’ transition to high school and equip teen participants with the skills to navigate social and emotional stressors.
Strengthen communication and interpersonal skillsto set RISErs up for academic success
Introduce a variety of useful skills and opportunities to prepare participants for experiences in grades 10-12.

Learn more about the RISE program

Camp Harbor View has always made me feel comfortable and heard. They’ve always made sure that I know I have a voice and I definitely would say they’ve helped me find my voice.

Khandace — Leader in Training

95%

of teens in the Leadership Academy say there’s an adult at Camp Harbor View who cares about their future

Our impact by the numbers

10th-12th grade Leader in Training Program

The three-year Leader in Training program supports 100+ exceptional young Bostonians year-round, during the summer and throughout the academic year. The program aims to help young people realize their potential in high school and explore boundless opportunities upon graduation.

Learn more about the LIT program

LIT program focus

10th Grade: Career Exploration
As a first year LIT, participants are exposed to a wide variety of career pathways including entrepreneurship, the arts, criminal justice, healthcare and STEM with the opportunity to hear from professionals in each field.
11th Grade: Post-secondary Planning
Teens explore post-secondary opportunities from associate and bachelor-level college degrees to work in the civil service and trades as they develop a personalized plan in their second year.
12th Grade: College and Career Readiness
In preparation for graduation, LITs focus on executing their post-secondary plan in their third year of the program. This includes college essay writing, scholarship applications support, resume workshops, interview prep and more.

Credentials & Skills

In partnership with Boston Beyond, Camp Harbor View Leadership Academy programs seek to build critical life skills and prepare young leaders for the 21st century economy.
Through a curated set of hands-on projects specific to each grade level, our team aims to teach, and then allow young people to demonstrate, the following skills: perseverance, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication. Upon successful completion of each year-long project, young leaders earn a skill badge that can be used on their college application or resume.

College Scholarships

All Leaders in Training are eligible to apply for the Camp Harbor View college scholarship — offering up to $10,000 per year for four years of post-secondary education for every student who qualifies. As of Summer 2021, we have awarded $1.95M to over 170 students.

Learn more and apply