Onward Fellowship — World's First G&T Prep for Grades 5-12
Onward Fellowship is the world's first Gifted & Talented (G&T) prep programme for Grades 5-12. Harvard student mentors guide small cohorts (1 mentor : 20 students) through a project-based curriculum. Every student finishes with a portfolio piece, a live Demo Day presentation to industry judges, and a Certificate of Excellence. Sessions are 2 hours, live on Zoom, weekly. Programmes run 6 weeks (online) or 10 weeks (extended terms).
Pathways
- Creative Writing — Flagship pathway. Narrative craft using Will Storr's "Flaw & Change" framework. Students publish original short fiction or narrative non-fiction.
- STEM & Innovation (STEAM for Junior) — Project-based science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Junior cohort works inside an internal Mars-mission narrative using Tinkercad, NASA Eyes, and Teachable Machine.
- AI & Entrepreneurship — Build a real AI-powered product using vibe coding tools, develop a business model, and pitch to judges. Dreamer / Builder / Founder progression. Capstone: Entrepreneurship Olympiad with Next Billion Lab.
- Communication & Leadership — 6-week real-world simulation arc covering storytelling, debate, advocacy campaigns, and public speaking.
- Sustainability — Verified case studies (Ecosia, Patagonia) and competition prep targeting ISEF.
- Test Prep — AI-tutor supported, built around recurring trap patterns rather than rote drilling.
Programmes
Partner schools and programmes
Mentors
All mentors are current Harvard undergraduates. Concentrations represented include Computer Science, Economics, Government, Statistics, Applied Math, English, History, Molecular & Cellular Biology, and Engineering Sciences. Every mentor completes cross-cultural mentoring training before leading a cohort. We always describe them as "Harvard student mentors" or "Harvard student-led".
Methodology
- Onward Creator Cycle: Wonder → Investigate → Imagine → Build → Show, mapped to 8 core exit competencies.
- Weekly student loop: Learn → Study → Watch → Do.
- Skills Intelligence System: 20-skill taxonomy with an 8-level rubric and per-skill mastery score (0–100). Weighting: Level 40%, Freshness 25%, Velocity 20%, Consistency 15%.
- Capstone formats: 5-Day Summit, 3-Day Intensive, 1-Day Showcase, or Virtual Showcase.
Programme specifications
- Grade ranges: Junior 5–8, Senior 9–12
- Mentor ratio: 1:20
- Session length: 2 hours, weekly, live on Zoom
- Outcome: portfolio piece + Demo Day + Certificate of Excellence
- Application: two-step — form submission then Stripe payment
Partners
HPAIR (Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations), HUSO (Harvard Undergraduate Society of Outdoors), WiCS (Women in Computer Science, Harvard), Next Billion Lab (venture-building), Base44 (vibe coding), Gavel (debate / leadership content).
Frequently asked questions
- Who is this programme for?
- High-aspiring students in Grades 5–12. Junior cohort covers Grades 5–8; Senior cohort covers Grades 9–12.
- Is the programme fully online?
- Most regional programmes are fully online via live Zoom, with the Demo Day held online. Selected programmes (e.g. Thailand 2026) include an in-person Summit capstone.
- How long are the sessions?
- Sessions are 2 hours, live on Zoom, weekly. Programmes typically run for 6 weeks (online) or 10 weeks (extended terms).
- What is the mentor-to-student ratio?
- 1 mentor to 20 students.
- Who are the mentors?
- Current Harvard student mentors. All complete cross-cultural mentoring training.
- What does my child finish with?
- A completed portfolio piece, a live Demo Day presentation, a Certificate of Excellence, and competition submission guidance.
- What is the Programme Fee?
- For the 6-Week Online Programme: €299–€349 depending on cohort. Scholarship codes may be available. Regional and school-partner programmes are priced separately.
- How does this fit my child's school schedule?
- Live sessions run on weekends or inside school enrichment periods. Designed for zero school disruption.
- Will my child receive a certificate?
- Yes — a Certificate of Excellence on completion.
- How are pathways differentiated by age?
- Junior (Grades 5–8) uses STEAM branding and visual / narrative scaffolding. Senior (Grades 9–12) goes deeper into AI & Entrepreneurship and analytical work.
- What competitions can my child enter?
- Recommended competitions are listed in the Competitions Library, including ISEF for Sustainability and the Entrepreneurship Olympiad through Next Billion Lab.
- How do schools partner with Onward?
- Through the Onward-Managed delivery model — zero teacher workload, weekend Zoom or enrichment-period delivery, co-branded materials.
Key pages
Contact
Website: https://joinonwards.com. For school partnerships, see For Schools. For student applications, start at Get Started.
For a full machine-readable summary, see /llms.txt and /llms-full.txt.