TAG Latino Program

ponents is intensive parental outreach and involvement as well as leadership development. Students who participate in TAG and successfully complete high school are guaranteed admission to UMass Boston, when meeting minimal criteria, and have the opportunity to obtain a scholarship through the Lucia Mayerson-David Endowment, named after the program's founder. TAG has helped thousands of students access higher education and excel, developing much of the young leadership in Boston and beyond. TAG Components include:

- SATURDAY ACADEMY: Enrichment programming on Saturdays that combine academic classes focused on English Language development, recreational activities, and field trips that expose students to Boston's various cultural and historical offerings.

- WINTER & SPRING ACADEMY: Enrichment programming during the weeklong vacations in February and April, Tuesday through Friday. April's academy hosts the Pa'lante College Tours that offers students opportunities to visit college and meet with TAG Alumni who are either successful college students or professionals.

- PANAS Mentoring: Students are paired with a volunteer mentor age 18+ who offers friendship, guidance, and support- the pair with time become "panas" or "pals" and develop a relationship that often lasts beyond their high school years.

- TAG CLUBS: Student-led, school-based clubs are a powerful vehicle for the cultivation of social support, student leadership and activism, and the positive promotion of the Latino culture at the schools. Clubs have been active since the inception of the program at Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and John D. O’Bryant School of Math and Science. New clubs are forming at the Burke High School and TechBoston Academy.

- TAG in ARTS: TAG in Arts is newly established musical theatre program acquired through a Boston Cultural Council grant. Through these efforts, Talented And Gifted students will participate in acting and music workshops, professional theatre experiences and the opportunity to produce two musical theatre productions each year. TAG in Arts is proud to provide students with first hand experiences to develop themselves as excellent orators, charismatic performers and artistic creative thinkers.

- PA'LANTE COLLEGE & CAREER EXPLORATION: TAG offers bilingual workshops, opportunities and events for students and families to explore college and careers. Activities include bilingual workshops, college tours, speaker series, career-focused conferences, and college fairs.

- SUMMER TAG: Summer TAG offers an intensive five-week summer program at UMass Boston that prepares 300 students for the following school year. Students take academic classes in the morning and recreational activities in the afternoon. Classes are taught by highly qualified, culturally competent and diverse teachers, and are supported by teaching assistants, most of whom are TAG Alumni. The Summer TAG TA program not only offers 24 junior or seniors in high school and college students a summer job, but also gives them a meaningful experience with rigorous training in teaching and youth development, with the hopes that they will pursue a career in education. The program is specially designed for Latino students, but open to all BPS students, with a component dedicated to English Language Learners (ELL), who can also receive summer school credit in Math and English. Summer TAG has been recognized nationally as a “Best Practice Model” for ELLs