Opening Remarks Welcome to the 17th Edition of Citizen Schools Eighth Grade Academy Bridging Magazine! Part yearbook, part literary magazine, Bridging Magazine highlights some of 8GA’s best moments of the year and showcases the tremendous work of our young people. Citizen Schools’ Eighth Grade Academy (8GA) is the capstone program year where students “build a bridge” of knowledge and skills to support their transition from middle school to high school. Every program element has a deep focus on providing students with unique opportunities that build upon their previous Citizen Schools experiences and further build out the skills they’ll need to thrive as students and succeed as adults in the modern economy. 8GA is composed of four key program elements: Preparing for High School Program: Students research the high school landscape in their district and navigate any relevant school choice, gain familiarity with the academic and extracurricular differences between middle school and high school, and understand how the high school experience and academic performance relates to future college and career pathways. Writing and Mentoring Program: Students work on a variety of real-world assignments that help them develop personal and professional communication skills. As part of the program, students meet with a volunteer Coach from the community on a biweekly basis. Coaches serve as both mentor and tutor, supporting students on developing their written and verbal skills and navigating their last year in middle school. College, City, and Career Exploration Program: Students have the opportunity to attend and participate in a series trips and events – taking place in the afternoons and on weekends – focused on connecting students to the resources in their community. Project Based Elective Program: Students select an elective focused on collaborative, hands-on, and project-based learning. Through the program, students develop 21st-century skills - problem-solving, innovation, collaboration - that will allow them to tackle complex assignments across a variety of content areas. This year, Citizen Schools partnered with The Cookbook Project, Generation Citizen, LemelsonMIT, Networking for Teaching Entrepreneurship, and WGBH to bring dynamic project-based learning into the classroom.
As you dig into Bridging Magazine, enjoy learning about the year our young people have had and the hearing their voices brought to life on the page! Carolyn Navikonis Director of Eighth Grade Academy and Alumni Services