Our Approach
Mission | The Massachusetts Promise Fellowship believes that all young people in the Commonwealth have a right to the resources they need to be successful in life. These include: a caring adult, a safe space, a healthy start, an effective education, and an opportunity to serve. We deliver these 5 promises to youth by training emerging leaders who commit one year of service to support and provide these needed resources to youth throughout the Commonwealth.
Program Overview | The AmeriCorps Massachusetts Promise Fellowship (MPF) at Northeastern University grew from the America’s Promise Alliance, a collaborative network based on “5 Promises” that form the conditions youth need to succeed: Caring Adults, Safe Spaces, Healthy Start, Effective Education, and Opportunities to Serve. America’s Promise is a thought leader in dropout prevention, closing the opportunity gap, and supporting young people beyond high school.
MPF believes all young people in Massachusetts have a right to these Promises and delivers related interventions in Out of School Time (OST) settings to increase youth academic engagement – a key factor in dropout prevention. Through the Promises and research-based academic engagement interventions, MPF supports schools, city agencies, and community-based organizations in the effort to help youth reach their full potential. Fellows lead academic enrichment and college and career exploration projects at these host sites during a year of service.
MPF is hosted by Northeastern University’s Office of Community Service & Civic Engagement and supported by the Massachusetts Service Alliance and the Corporation for National & Community Service.
Our History
The Massachusetts Promise Fellowship (MPF) is an AmeriCorps program founded in 1999 by Walt Horner. The program’s inspiration is the America’s Promise Alliance, a thought leader in dropout prevention, closing the opportunity gap, and supporting young people beyond high school. MPF was initially housed at the Massachusetts Service Alliance before moving to Northeastern University in 2000. MPF began in Northeastern’s Center of Community Service; it now resides in NU’s Community Service and Civic Engagement department.
Our Impact
During the 2021-2022 Service Year each Fellow served a consistent cohort of approximately 15-25 youth and their efforts resulted in:
- 1,053 academic engagement activities (including workshops around STEAM, 21st century & soft skill building, indoor/outdoor teambuilding and leadership activities, etc.)
- 1,404 one-on-one or group academic help sessions
- 2,017 one-on-one college or career/job advising sessions
- 93 college tours
- 69 job shadows or career panels
- 105 seniors starting college in Fall 2022
In addition, Fellows recruited 653 volunteers who contributed 2,786 hours of service to communities across the state.
Our Fellows
MPF is committed to bringing together a diverse group of Fellows each year to build community through reflection, dialogue, and training. Each year, an average of five Fellows participated in a youth program led by another Fellows when they were in high school. These Fellows were inspired to give back to their communities by the Fellows that served them.
2022-2023 Cohort Demographics:
- 76% of Fellows identify as BIPOC
- 53% of Fellows are serving in their hometown
- 47% of Fellows grew up in a low-income community
- 35% of Fellows are first-generation college students
- 6 Fellows are serving with programs they attended as teens
Massachusetts Promise Fellowship
Mailing Address: 360 Huntington Ave, 232 YMC, Boston, MA 02115
Email: info@masspromisefellows.org
Phone: 617 – 373 – 5312
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