UMass Boston

Talent Search Program

Talent Search

The Talent Search Program is a college and career readiness program that identifies and serves disadvantaged young people. Our goal is to encourage them to continue in, graduate from high school, and to enroll in programs of post-secondary education. High school and post-secondary dropouts are also encouraged to return to school and assisted in the process.  The majority of services are provided at the students’ middle or high schools within a classroom or workshop setting. Students may also make appointments to meet with Talent Search staff at our UMass Boston campus office after school or during school vacations.

Program History at UMass Boston

Talent Search (aka Project REACH on campus) was first funded at our institution in September 1985 by a U.S. Department of Education grant. For more than 25 years the UMass Boston Talent Search Program was one of the only Educational Talent Search program’s to serve solely low-income, urban youth with disabilities in the nation. The grant has been consistently refunded at our institution, and we now work with all students both in General and Special Education. Our history of working with students with disabilities has allowed our program to develop invaluable specialties that is applied across all types of learning styles.

The institution now has two TRIO Talent Search programs, working with 7 middle and high schools and serving more than 1,300 Boston Public School youth.

Goals

  • Assist participants in persisting in and completing secondary education.
  • Support participants in the completion of a rigorous high school program of study.
  • Encourage persons who have not completed programs of study at the secondary level to re-enter them.
  • Inform persons with disabilities of the existing community resources.
  • Support program participants in the enrollment in and completion of programs of post-secondary education.

Contact

Talent Search Program
McCormack Hall, 1st Floor, Room 414
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
Phone: 617.287.7390
Email: Talent Search