Founded by Thayer alumnus and history teacher Rob Dixon ‘79 P’03,‘16 in 1993, Project RISE (Respect, Integrity, and Success through Education) is an academic enrichment program which runs both in the summer and during the school year.
Each summer approximately 100 students of color come from the Boston metro area to Thayer Academy to attend small classes and receive individualized instruction over a 7-week period. Students participate in cultural enrichment activities to foster self efficacy as well as other afternoon activities which provide a creative, fun, and engaging environment of discovery and learning. On Fridays, students go on field trips with the goal of fun and community building. Past field trips have included Sky Zone, Showtime Cinema, LaserTag, and Canobie Lake Park. Guest speaker forums have included prominent community leaders sharing their stories of resilience and success. Notable past speakers include attorney John J. Hightower; Keith Motley, Ph.D, Chancellor Emeritus of UMass-Boston; and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.
Many of the students who attend Project RISE excel in Mathematics and English and return to their schools with increased self-esteem and a renewed love of learning.