Ace Academy

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Tenacity Middle School Academy staff work with students during a special workshop

Tenacity Middle School Academy students work on their tennis skills

Tenacity Middle School Academy staff work with students in the classroom

Tenacity Middle School Academy staff working with students on fitness drills

Program Snapshot

Offered in partnership with four Boston Public Schools (BPS) sites, Tenacity’s Ace Academy is an intensive program for students in grades 6-8 that focuses on improving students’ academic, tennis, and fitness skills, while simultaneously nurturing social/emotional development and engaging families.

The Ace Academy program provides students with 300 hours of enrichment per year, helping them grow academically and socially while improving their fitness.

The Tenacity staff has built strong relationships with students and families and always works to support the students with their goals. These are lifelong lessons that will help all of our middle school students to become successful adults.

Katie Grassa

Principal, Curley K-8 School

I love the work that you do with the students. Thank you so much for all your support! Keep doing what you do that makes this such a wonderful program!

Tenacity Parent

I think Tenacity has done a great job with my daughter and truly helped her transition into middle school. The encouragement she received from the team was great.

Tenacity Parent

It has been an amazing three years and I hope every student gets the same opportunities that my son got.

Tenacity Parent

You’re doing a great job! My daughter really enjoys your program and I have noticed a positive effect from it.

Tenacity Parent

I really appreciate the help my son gets and all the work you guys do with him. I appreciate that I’m always in the loop of what is going on with him. Thanks again.

Tenacity Parent

I feel Tenacity has and continues to provide the needed support for my child to meet her goals and be successful.

Tenacity Parent

Personally I think Tenacity is doing an excellent job with my son and I thank them for everything they do, not only with my son, but all the students who are in Tenacity.

Tenacity Parent

My son has been with the Tenacity staff now for three years and I have never met so many people interested in my son’s success!

Tenacity Parent

The amount of dedication provided to students is outstanding!

Tenacity Parent

In my nearly six years as principal of the Jackson Mann K-8 School, likely the most reliable out of school time resource that I can offer to my families is Tenacity. Tenacity staff work closely with our teachers to track student progress and to find ways to support individual students.

Andy Tuite

Principal, Jackson Mann K-8 School

Tenacity’s partnership at the Frederick positively impacts the academic success of students and provides an extended day platform for students to receive academic enrichment and learn to play tennis.

James Brewer

Former Principal, Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School

Tenacity is an important long term partner of the DMC. Students get academic interventions, healthy physical activity, and mentoring. They are exposed to great role models and to experiences they otherwise would never have.

Mike Sabin

Former Principal, McCormack Middle School

Even prior to my becoming principal in 2009, Tenacity was a valued partner at Mario Umana Academy not only for the strength of their academics, fitness programs, and family engagement component, but also because of the way they support our students through high school and beyond.

Alexandra Montes McNeil

Former Principal, Mario Umana Academy

Why grades 6-8 are a critical time

An increasing body of research suggests that the make-or-break moment predicting high school graduation may actually occur in middle school. Adolescence is a pivotal period of brain development that marks the beginning of a person’s ability to problem solve, think critically, plan, and control impulses.

Studies have pinpointed a series of indicators that can predict how likely a student is to drop out of high school: attendance, behavior and course performance – which are described as the “ABCs.” When a student struggles in just one of these areas as early as sixth grade, there is a 75% chance that he or she will not graduate high school.

What makes Tenacity’s program unique

The whole-child approach of the Ace Academy program focuses not just on the academic and social-emotional aspects of youth development, but also stresses the importance of fitness and health by incorporating athletics and nutrition. Recent studies have shown that students involved in sports based youth development programs are more likely to stay in school, more likely to graduate, and more likely to attend college.

Each component of the Ace program is designed to provide students with the support, skills, and perspectives they need to successfully complete middle school and transition smoothly to a “right-fit” high school. The program not only helps improve student engagement, behavior, effort, and course performance – 95% of our Ace students graduate from high school.