Homework Assistance Program

BPL HAP Homework Assistance Program horizontal logo

The Homework Assistance Program (HAP) is a free after-school service led by Harvard University trained teen mentors that offers homework help, mentorship, and activities for students in grades K–8. Join online for a space to work on homework with peers and extra guidance on assignments in any subject, from sciences to humanities. Bilingual help in English and various languages is available.

HAP mentors returned to branches and the program re-started in-person on February 28.

Please check back for updates. Additional days and languages will be announced.

Starting the week of September 20, join in person 3:30 - 5:30 pm at the below branches. Bilingual help in English and various languages is available at select locations:

Branch Days Languages Available in Addition to English
Brighton Wednesday & Thursday Vietnamese: Monday & Wednesday
Pashto: Monday - Thursday
Codman Square Monday & Thursday Vietnamese: Monday & Wednesday
East Boston Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday Arabic: Monday & Wednesday
Spanish: Monday - Thursday
Vietnamese: Monday & Tuesday
Fields Corner Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday Vietnamese: Monday & Tuesday
Tagalog: Wednesday & Thursday
Hyde Park Monday - Thursday Vietnamese: Tuesday & Thursday
Haitian Creole: Monday & Wednesday
Jamaica Plain Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday Farsi: Tuesday & Thursday
Lower Mills Monday & Wednesday
Parker Hill Monday, Wednesday, & Thursday Chinese: Monday & Wednesday
Roslindale Monday & Wednesday
Roxbury Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday Arabic: Monday & Thursday
Portuguese: Wednesday
Spanish: Tuesday & Wednesday

 

Harvard SmartTALK

Harvard University offers training sessions to BPL’s Homework Assistance Program (HAP) Mentors throughout the school year to support their work with younger students. Using Harvard’s SmartTALK: Homework Support for Kids model, HAP Mentors develop skills such as building relationships, asking good questions, and using games to build academic and critical thinking skills. Four lead HAP Mentors, selected from the previous year's cohort of HAP Mentors, assist with the delivery of trainings.

Learn more about Harvard’s SmartTALK program.

The Homework Assistance Program is made possible by generous donations to the BPL Fund. We would like to recognize and thank the following funders:

Anonymous
Bain Capital Children's Charity
CarGurus
Ernst & Young
M&T Bank Charitable Foundation
The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Nasella
Eric & Jane Nord Family Fund
Red Sox Foundation
The TJX Foundation, Inc.

Other Homework Help Resources

Boston Teachers Union Tutors

The Boston Teachers Union (BTU) program will be available at BPL branches September, 26, 2022, and continue until May 25, 2023. See the 2022-2023 BTU tutor flyer including libraries, addresses, and night(s) open.

Online help courtesy of the BPL

  • LearningExpress Library can help students from grade school through college improve their skills by taking practice tests, completing exercises, and reading eBooks. What's more, LearningExpress can help college-bound students prepare for the ACT, SAT, and other standardized tests.
  • Look for books, CDs, movies, and more in the BPL catalog.
  • Search for articles and use books online with our student electronic resources.

Other online help

More Sources for Homework Help and After School Programs in Boston

  • BOSTONavigator - The place to search for out-of school time programming in Boston.
  • Boston Youth Zone - Find activities, opportunities, and other fun stuff for kids and teens, plus important information and resources for parents.

Homework Help Mentors

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