“My experience at NorthStar will help me in the future because one day I would like to own a small part of a company. Now I know how to buy shares of the company and if I’m making a profit in the stock market.” —Marta

Apprentice Learning offers career education programs for eighth-grade students in Boston Public Schools designed to teach essential work skills and habits and expose students to different careers and adults who are passionate about their professions, so that students can make a clear connection between success in school and a satisfying, productive work life.

We are thrilled to be a 2018 recipient of the Cummings Foundation $100K for 100 nonprofits.

“The Cummings Foundation grant is the largest competitive grant Apprentice Learning has received. Not only will funding help us to serve more students this year and next, this gift propels our organization into Boston’s nonprofit ecosystem in significantly new ways. We are so very grateful to Bill and Joyce Cummings for their deep generosity and radical philanthropy.”
—Helen Russell, Executive Director

354 Eighth graders have completed an apprenticeship with one of our 60+ worksite partners.

Skills for Success

The Thrift Shop of Boston
“I learned the true value of being on time.”

Maxwell Health
“I learned about ways the Web works and how posts are sent from one website and/or computer to another. Knowing that nothing can truly be deleted from the web has taught me to be careful of what I post on social media. I will be more cautious of the words, photos, and post I like or write.”

Birch Street House and Garden
“I learned how to be more organized because I learned to put everything in order for the displays. It became a habit. Also, I learned to listen to a specific order exactly as it was said.”

Menton Restaurant
In the kitchen, I learned to always be aware and communicate with each other and to have a neat food space so the food will turn out well.”

Career Knowledge

Trinity Financial
“I’ve come across so many new things from the past 6 weeks such as learning about different types of jobs, real-estate uses, geo-coding and so much more! It helped me realized that as I get older work is going to be so much more than just a sheet of paper.”

NorthStar Asset Management
“We learned the process of the stock market in the real life world and how to check the amount the stock of a company is worth like Facebook,Twitter, Instagram. I enjoyed that the most because we got to learn something new about companies that we use on our daily life style.”

Menton Restaurant
“I feel so special to get to have this privilege to learn what it takes to be a real chef and what it’s like to work in a real kitchen and especially a kitchen for a fancy restaurant like Menton.”

Dreams & Plans

“Now that I’m 14, I feel like I am ready to take the first step towards my goal and get a job. Ever since I was younger I have always wanted to be one of those people walking down the street with a suitcase in their hand. I’ve always wanted to be the kind of woman who is independent. In order to be this I realize that I was going to work hard in school.

Apprentice Learning gave me a glimpse of what it feels like to be that independent woman.”

Allen & Gerritsen
“I remember you said that said that even after a long day at work, you still give it your all because you want to be here. You’re doing it because, you love it and you have a goal to reach. That inspired me try my hardest when ever I do or try something new.”

Skills for Success

The Thrift Shop of Boston
“I learned the true value of being on time.”

Maxwell Health
“I learned how posts are sent from one website and/or computer to another. Knowing that nothing can truly be deleted from the web has taught me to be careful of what I post on social media.”

Birch Street House and Garden
“I learned how to be more organized. It became a habit.”

Menton Restaurant
In the kitchen, I learned to always be aware and communicate with each other.”

Career Knowledge

Trinity Financial
“I’ve come across so many different types of jobs, real-estate uses, geo-coding and so much more! Now, as I get older, work is going to be so much more than just a sheet of paper.”

NorthStar Asset Management
“We learned the process of the stock market to check the amount the stock of a company is worth like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. I enjoyed learning something new about companies that we use on our daily life.”