This summer Playworks partnered with global financial services firm Brown Brothers Harriman to assemble 40 of Boston’s finest youth leaders for a convention focused on leadership and the transition to middle school. This Junior Coach Transition Day, hosted at Brown Brothers Harriman’s Boston office, brought together Boston’s brightest young leaders for a day of service learning and study skills curriculum. During the convention, which was held August 21, 2014, rising sixth graders worked in cohorts based on middle school assignments to develop study skills, engage in service learning and build a positive peer network. The students also had the opportunity to meet their new middle school principals and other school staff at their middle school. <\/p>\n
Comprising one component of Playworks’ program aimed at transforming the way students experience the school day, the Junior Coach Transition Day represents a critical component to improving how 40 Junior Coaches across Boston will transition to middle school in the 2014-2015 school year. In addition to the curriculm that was taught, each Junior Coach in attendance was matched with one BBH employee to be a mentor for their middle school career. These mentors will be serve as a pen pal for each Junior Coach, checking in with them throughout the school year and encouraging them to accomplish wonderful things. We believe that by starting day one of middle school with a positive peer group and a positive adult mentor, our Junior Coaches will show strong results in attendance, behavior and grades in their sixth grade year. Moreover, we believe that these students will have a positive ripple effect on the entire sixth grade community.<\/p>\n