Thayer Academy Collaborative to open registration Jan. 13

The Thayer Academy Collaborative is gearing up for another exciting summer as registration opens Monday (Jan. 13). 

The Collaborative is a three-week academic enrichment program open to students from Boston and the South Shore area entering grades 6-8 who come from underrepresented groups and possess academic potential and curiosity. It leverages Thayer Academy’s resources and opportunity-centered teaching as it seeks to avert summer learning loss. 

The entire point of the program, said Thayer Academy Collaborative Program Director Danny Seymour, is to get kids excited about a subject they’ve never been interested in before or an activity they’ve never tried before. The emphasis is always on hands-on learning. 

“The teachers are excited for the summer,” said Seymour. “They’re bringing their expertise, but they’re also bringing their best activities. This is about summer engagement, so we want the kids to be doing as much as possible.” 

The 2025 program will run weekdays from July 7 until July 25. Academic classes take place Monday through Thursdays and Fridays are reserved for field trips. Last summer’s trips included visits to Blue Hills, MIT, and the Massachusetts State House. A typical day runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Thayer Collaborative students take classes in English, math, and science. Each course is taught by a Thayer faculty member as well as a teaching assistant. In addition to academics, weekly enrichment activities include media production, robotics & coding, and music & visual arts. Meals (breakfast, lunch, and a snack) are provided. 

Seymour witnessed the success of the program in 2024 as teachers led the way with energy and enthusiasm.

“I saw it firsthand last summer,” he said. “Every time I walked into a classroom, the students were actively learning and having fun doing it.” 

Last summer’s parents and guardians also expressed their approval and excitement about the program. At an end-of-program showcase where the students put their newfound abilities on display for families, parents and guardians were able to see the students’ creations and how comfortably they interacted with the faculty, as well as the personalized recognitions for each student. As for the kids themselves, they pointed to the friends they made, their favorite subjects or teachers, getting to swim in the campus pool, and – for some – navigating the challenging ropes course as highlights of the summer. 

The deadline for 2025 applications is June 1; however, early application is strongly encouraged. 

For more information, contact Seymour at dseymour@thayer.org or 781.664.2330.