Learning to Learn (LTL) is a new kind of learning experience in which the student, with the help of mentors picked by the student or with the help of LTL, defines what is to be learned, how it is to be learned and how it is to be evaluated. LTL does not offer a curriculum. It offers students the chance to make meaning out of an education they design and develop in partnership with LTL.
Students start by submitting an application (individually or with a group) and meet with an LTL Counselor to help structure their project plan.
After choosing a mentor, students and their mentor meet once a week for 10 weeks to work on their project.
Lastly, students get a chance to portfolio their work and present their project for recognition & college credit!
Whether you have a clear idea of a project you want to do or you are just interested in doing independent study, we’re here to help and support you.
So how does this work? Read on to learn more and apply to join our upcoming cohort.
Submit your application and we’ll begin by having a conversation to learn more about your project and figure out who might make a great mentor. If it sounds like a fit, we'll get you a short-list of potential mentors.
After you've chosen your mentor--and after they have accepted you-- you'll meet for the first time and put together a learning contract. This is a project outline with big-picture goals and a meeting timeline.
Once you have the learning contract in place, you'll meet with your mentor for inspiration and project guidance (with a little structure from us) each week over a 10-week period. You'll also be able to connect with other students going through similar projects, and get advice from the LTL team on our Discord channel.
When you're close to finishing your project, an LTL portfolio and exhibition specialist will meet with you to help you package and prepare to present your project at our next Exhibition, where you'll discuss the work you have done and answer questions from the audience.
After you've finished your project and presented at the Exhibition, you can add this to your resume, college or job applications, and can apply for college credit through the Exploratory Pathways Program at UMass. (Optional!)
If you're on a roll with your mentor and your project, you can continue for another semester with the same mentor and take your project to a new level or a different iteration. Or start an entirely new project with a new mentor. Either way, there is no limit to how much you can learn and build through LTL (and no limit to how much college credit you can earn!).
Fantastic. We'd love to get to know you. We work with mentors from all professions and life-stages. Our students are as diverse as their interests, so we're looking for mentors from all backgrounds, interests and experiences.
Submit our quick mentor application and we'll follow up for a quick conversation over the phone or video chat. If you're approved as a mentor, we'll let you know as soon as you have know your first potential student. You can sign up to mentor 1 or more students at a time. We can't guarantee that we'll find a student for you each semester, but if we do, it's because we think it will be a great use of your time and expertise.
If there is a potential match, we'll run a background check and then will connect you with your student to begin the project process (assuming you also agree that it's a good match!). You first session involves putting together a learning contract and project plan - essentially figuring out where the student is in their project and what the next steps are. We have a process for this that you can follow to streamline the conversation.
We'll provide as much structure as you need, but ultimately this is about building a relationship with a student who is excited about the same space as you. You'll meet once a week for 10 weeks, and work with your student to reach their goal in a project. You'll make a difference in a young person's life, and you'll make some extra cash too!
We are committed to access and inclusion and are working with nonprofit and foundation partners to increase access to our programs. If tuition is a challenge for you or your family, we may be able to provide assistance with partial scholarships to qualifying applicants.
Minimum of 2 students per project
1 project planning session
10 weekly meetings with a mentor
2 exhibition prep & portfolioing sessions
Final Exhibition of Student Learning
1.0 Credit Hours *
On-on-one Mentorship
1 project planning session
10 weekly meetings with a mentor
2 exhibition prep & portfolioing sessions
Final Exhibition of Student Learning
1.0-2.0 Credit Hours *
Indvidual or group projects
Peer mentoring readiness session
1 project planning session
10 weekly meetings with a mentor
5+ peer project mentoring sessions
2 exhibition prep & portfolioing sessions
Final Exhibition of Student Learning
Discounts for Group Projects
2.0-3.0 Credit Hours *
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Whether you are a student, parent, mentor, a University administrator, or just curious, we'd love to connect. Send us your email and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
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