The City School

The City School is a Dorchester organization that develops teenagers as leaders for social justice. Its best-known program, the Summer Leadership Program, brings together high-school-age youth ages 14 to 19 from Boston’s neighborhoods, nearby communities and outlying suburbs for an intensive summer of community building, political education and leadership development. Participants arrive concerned about injustice and leave prepared to join a broader movement for change, with curriculum covering racial, economic, gender, queer and disability justice.

The summer starts with a retreat on identity, power and privilege, followed by five weeks of youth-led popular education, affinity groups and community action projects. Past projects have included organizing a conference for Boston Public Schools teachers on restorative justice and liberatory education. Facilitators are experienced youth workers, often program graduates themselves. During the school year, the organization runs Pathways to Change, and it also hosts the Ella Baker Young Adult Fellowship Program.

What to Know

• The Summer Leadership Program began in 1995, and 2025 marked its 31st summer.
• Applications are accepted for first-year and returning youth members, Emerging Leaders and adult staff.
• The summer closes with youth-led workshops and a graduation celebration called We Rise Up.
• Social justice training and workshops are offered through its Social Justice Education Institute and Social Justice Leadership Institute.
• Hundreds of teens take part each year, supported by donors and volunteers.