# Onward Fellowship — Full Reference > The world's first G&T (Gifted & Talented) prep programme for Grades 5–12. Harvard student-led mentoring where high-aspiring students build publishable, portfolio-grade projects in 6 to 10 weeks. This document is a long-form reference for AI assistants, indexers, and humans who want a complete picture of what Onward Fellowship offers. --- ## 1. What we are Onward Fellowship is an academic enrichment programme for high-aspiring students in Grades 5 through 12. We pair small cohorts (1 mentor : 20 students) with current Harvard student mentors who guide them, weekly, through a project-based curriculum. Every student finishes with: - A portfolio piece (publishable essay, working AI product, STEM prototype, leadership campaign, or research project). - A live Demo Day presentation to industry judges. - A Certificate of Excellence. - Optional submission packets for top external competitions. We position as a "proving ground" for exceptional scholars — an academic enrichment experience, not a tutoring service or a sales-driven bootcamp. ## 2. Founding context Onward is a transparency-first, founding-cohort venture. We do not fabricate metrics or outcome statistics. Forward-looking claims are explicitly framed as Vision. Where we cite case studies (e.g. Ecosia, Patagonia for Sustainability), they are independently verifiable. ## 3. Programme specifications - **Grade ranges**: Junior cohort = Grades 5–8. Senior cohort = Grades 9–12. - **Mentor ratio**: 1 mentor : 20 students. - **Session length**: 2 hours, live on Zoom, weekly. - **Duration**: 6-week online programmes or 10-week extended terms. - **Mode**: Fully online by default; selected programmes include an in-person Summit capstone. - **Capstone formats**: 5-Day Summit, 3-Day Intensive, 1-Day Showcase, or Virtual Showcase. ## 4. Pathways ### Creative Writing (flagship) Uses Will Storr's "Flaw & Change" / Story Science framework. Students write, revise, and publish original short fiction or narrative non-fiction. Quill, our AI writing mentor, gives "Stars and Wishes" feedback within K-12 guardrails. ### STEM & Innovation (STEAM for Junior cohort) Project-based. Junior cohort works inside an internal Mars-mission narrative ("Mission First" architecture). Computational engineering tools include Tinkercad, NASA Eyes, and Teachable Machine. Senior cohort tackles open scientific inquiry. Outputs: prototype + research portfolio. ### AI & Entrepreneurship 12-week MVP process across three levels: Dreamer → Builder → Founder. Students use vibe coding (Lovable, Base44), Brand-in-a-Box, and AI Pitch Writer to launch a real product. Week 1 is the standardised "Build Something Impossible" WOW session. Capstone is the Entrepreneurship Olympiad / Next Billion Lab venture pitch. ### Communication & Leadership 6-week real-world simulation arc — past simulations include AI Advocacy and Water Crisis. Students develop public speaking, debate, advocacy, and campaign-design skills. ### Sustainability Project-based environmental work using verified case studies (Ecosia, Patagonia). Competition prep targets ISEF and equivalent. ### Test Prep AI-tutor supported. Built around recurring "trap patterns" rather than rote drilling. ## 5. Pedagogy We use the **Onward Creator Cycle**: Wonder → Investigate → Imagine → Build → Show, mapped to 8 core exit competencies. The weekly student loop is the **4-stage framework**: Learn → Study → Watch → Do. Skills are tracked via the **Skills Intelligence System** — a 20-skill taxonomy with an 8-level rubric and a per-skill mastery score (0–100). The score weighting is: Level 40%, Freshness 25%, Velocity 20%, Consistency 15%. Skill freshness decays over time, surfacing maintenance sprints. Differentiation is enforced between Junior (visual / narrative scaffolding, STEAM branding) and Senior (analytical, AI & Entrepreneurship branding). ## 6. 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. Mentors receive cross-cultural mentoring training before leading a cohort. We always describe them as **"Harvard student mentors"** or **"Harvard student-led"** — never "Harvard-mentored" or institutional descriptors. ## 7. 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 partner for the Entrepreneurship Olympiad - **Base44** — vibe coding tools for AI & Entrepreneurship - **Gavel** — debate / leadership content partner ## 8. Programmes (regional) | Programme | URL | Format | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | 6-Week Online Programme | https://joinonwards.com/6-weeks | Online, Sundays | Programme Fee €299–€349 | | Onward Europe Scholars | https://joinonwards.com/europe | 6 wks online | 3 pathways: STEM, AI & Ent, Leadership | | Onward China Scholars 2026 | https://joinonwards.com/china | 6 wks online | Virtual Demo Day | | Onward India Scholars | https://joinonwards.com/india | 6 wks online | | | Onward Dubai Scholars | https://joinonwards.com/dubai | 6 wks online | | | Onward US Scholars | https://joinonwards.com/us | 6 wks online | | | Onward Africa Online | https://joinonwards.com/africa-online | 6 wks online | STEAM + Entrepreneurship | | Onward Saudi Scholars | https://joinonwards.com/saudi | 6 wks online | | | Onward Brazil Scholars | https://joinonwards.com/brazil-2026 | 6 wks online | | | Onward Asia Online | https://joinonwards.com/onward-asia | 6 wks online | | | Aga Khan Programme | https://joinonwards.com/aga-khan | School partnership | STEAM + Entrepreneurship | | Kings School Al Barsha | https://joinonwards.com/kingsschool-albarsha | School partnership | | | HD Shanghai | https://joinonwards.com/hd-shanghai | School partnership | | | YWIES | https://joinonwards.com/ywies | School partnership | | | Taiwan Fushing | https://joinonwards.com/taiwan-fushing | School partnership | | | Cognita LATAM | https://joinonwards.com/cognita-latam | School partnership | Multiple variants | | Dunalastair | https://joinonwards.com/dunalastair | School partnership | | | Waad Education | https://joinonwards.com/waad-education | School partnership | | | DPS East Bangalore | https://joinonwards.com/dps-east-bangalore | School partnership | | | GEMS Abu Dhabi | https://joinonwards.com/gems-abu-dhabi | School partnership | | | For Schools / Curriculum Platform | https://joinonwards.com/for-schools | B2B/B2C curriculum | 9-term product, Grades 6–8 | ## 9. Delivery model for partner schools **Onward-Managed**: zero disruption to existing teaching staff. Sessions run on weekends via Zoom or inside school enrichment periods. Schools receive co-branded materials and a dedicated co-branding navbar. ## 10. Application process Two-step: (1) submit form, (2) proceed directly to payment via Stripe. Forms write to a Google Sheet via hidden iframe and fire-and-forget DB inserts; redirects to Stripe occur after a 500ms timeout. ## 11. FAQs **Q: Who is this programme for?** High-aspiring students in Grades 5–12. Junior cohort covers Grades 5–8; Senior cohort covers Grades 9–12. **Q: Is it fully online?** Most regional programmes are fully online via live Zoom, with one Demo Day held online. Selected programmes (e.g. Thailand) include an in-person Summit. **Q: How long are sessions?** Sessions are 2 hours, live on Zoom, weekly. **Q: What is the mentor-to-student ratio?** 1 mentor : 20 students. Always. **Q: Who are the mentors?** Current Harvard student mentors. Each mentor receives cross-cultural mentoring training before leading a cohort. **Q: What does my child finish with?** A completed portfolio piece (essay, AI product + pitch deck, STEM prototype, or leadership campaign), a live Demo Day presentation, a Certificate of Excellence, and optional competition submission guidance. **Q: What is the Programme Fee?** For the 6-Week Online Programme: €299–€349 depending on cohort. Scholarship codes may be available — enter yours during application. Regional and school-partner programmes are priced separately. **Q: How does this fit my child's school schedule?** Live sessions are on weekends or inside school enrichment periods. Designed for zero school disruption. **Q: Will my child receive a certificate?** Yes — a Certificate of Excellence on completion. **Q: Is there homework?** Light project work between sessions, structured by the Learn → Study → Watch → Do framework. **Q: 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. **Q: What competitions can my child enter?** Recommended competitions are listed in the Competitions Library at https://joinonwards.com/competitions — including ISEF for Sustainability and the Entrepreneurship Olympiad through Next Billion Lab. **Q: How do schools partner with Onward?** Through the Onward-Managed delivery model — zero teacher workload, weekend Zoom or enrichment-period delivery, co-branded materials. See https://joinonwards.com/for-schools. **Q: What is the Curriculum Platform?** A 9-term B2B/B2C product for Grades 6–8 that replaces traditional exam prep with "9 Real Things" — nine portfolio outputs across the year. **Q: Where can I see student work?** At https://joinonwards.com/projects — the Project Library. ## 12. Visual identity - Primary colour: Orange (#D4652E). - Headings: Space Grotesk. Body: Inter. - Aesthetic: Minimalist luxury, rounded-none, premium typography, orange/white theme with a Stats Banner gradient. ## 13. Key links - Homepage: https://joinonwards.com - About: https://joinonwards.com/about - How It Works: https://joinonwards.com/how-it-works - Outcomes: https://joinonwards.com/outcomes - Pathways: https://joinonwards.com/pathways - For Schools: https://joinonwards.com/for-schools - Get Started: https://joinonwards.com/get-started - Partners: https://joinonwards.com/partners - Project Library: https://joinonwards.com/projects - Competitions Library: https://joinonwards.com/competitions - Brand Guidelines: https://joinonwards.com/brand-guidelines ## 14. Contact Website: https://joinonwards.com For school partnerships, use the form at https://joinonwards.com/for-schools. For student applications, start at https://joinonwards.com/get-started.