Intro
The Buildings Blocks of The Minds Matter Program
High school students enroll in the Minds Matter program as sophomores and spend three years completing rigorous academic coursework. They receive mentoring from two professionals, attending college summer programs at leading universities and receive expert guidance on the college admissions process.
Mentoring
The mentoring component consists of pairing our students with professionals who have been through the college application process. These mentors can help the students navigate the steps and requirements. Our mentors act as catalysts for the students, providing them with individual support and guidance, allowing each student to fulfill his or her potential and make the leap to college.
Writing & Critical Thinking
Overview
Writing and Critical Thinking (W&CT) represents a three-year curriculum focused on providing students with the instruction that will help them develop effective writing skills in preparation for college. The program was created in 2006 to address consistent feedback regarding students’ struggles with writing. Now in its seventh year, W&CT is an integral part of Minds Matter programming.
For Sophomores
The Sophomore W&CT Program encourages students to develop basic writing and critical thinking skills such as expanding their vocabulary, understanding essay structure, and producing written works that represent their thoughts on a myriad of topics.
For Juniors
Juniors have the opportunity to polish their skills by building on the work done in the Sophomore W&CT Program by developing more advanced personal narratives and practicing their analytical skills on current issues. Students continue to craft and refine their personal statements for summer programs. Exposure to and discussion of short-form autobiographical works by writers like Maya Angelou help students think about different and creative ways in which they can tell their own stories.
For Seniors
In the Senior Program, a targeted Writing and Critical Thinking curriculum focuses on improving college essays and scholarship applications.
Test Prep
Overview
Minds Matter’s Test Prep program offers students the benefits of for-profit test preparation services at no cost to students or their families. The program varies by year, in order to meet the needs of students.
For Sophomores
Through a series of sessions over the course of three months, the Test Prep Program provides sophomore students with free access to trained teachers, study materials, a structured weekly curriculum, and the individual attention required to increase PSAT scores.
For Juniors
For juniors, the Test Prep Program takes the form of a full year program leading up to the Spring SAT. Students are grouped into small teams based on their individual development needs, with each team receiving personal coaching from math and verbal dedicated Test Prep Instructors. The curriculum familiarizes students with the SAT, provides test-taking strategies, refreshes basic skills, and provides several diagnostic exams to identify student strengths and weaknesses while reinforcing test strategies. In the 2013 – 2014 academic year, the average improvement was more than 250 points for students taking the SAT exam.
For Seniors
Minds Matter’s Test Prep program offers students the benefits of for-profit test preparation services at no cost to students or their families. The program varies by year, in order to meet the needs of students.
Summer Programs
Sophomore Summer Program:
The Academic and Leadership Development Academy (ALDA) is a three week summer program intensive that focuses on improving student’s writing, math, and test prep skills. The students receive unique curriculum and instruction in small groups with their teacher, so they have individualized attention. The program also provides leadership and professional development activities that utilize an inspiring guest speaker series. Students attend interactive lectures on a range of topics that help them aspire and grow through examining how to overcome various challenges. ALDA is held on college campuses such as NYU and Hunter College- CUNY so students get to experience an enriching campus environment.
Junior Summer Programs:
Students in the summer of their junior year have the opportunity to study on prestigious university campuses throughout the country for 3-4 weeks. They can also elect to travel abroad as they participate in international immersion programs. Students travel across the globe from Morocco to France. They learn life skills as they are exposed to various cultures, experience perspectives from students throughout the world and become global thinkers.