Towers of Excellence Mentoring Program Modules

Our middle school program includes researched based grade level modules designed to meet the needs of each of our students. Our students are engaged in rich discussions and activities to inspire excellence and grow as change agents.

All students engage in quarterly experiential and service learning outings aligned to their program work, interests, and exposure to new people, places, careers and possibilities.

Towers Calendar 2022 2023 Google Docs

Middle School Program Modules

5th Grade: Character Drives Success

Students engage in weekly lessons with their small groups and mentor. They engage in activities and discussions on our Be SMART core values- Be Self-Aware, Be Mindful, Be Authentic, Be Respectful & Responsible and Be Tenacious. Their year culminates with a whole group presentation on their learnings from the year.

6th Grade: Roadmap to Success

Students engage in weekly lessons with their small groups and mentors. They engage in activities and discussions with their Roadmap to Success- exploring and researching, backwards by design approach, career aspirations, colleges/higher ed programs and high schools.Their year culminates with a whole group presentation on their learnings from the year.

7th Grade: Creating Curious Minds with Robotics

Students engage in weekly lessons with their small groups and mentors. They engage in activities and discussions with their STEM- exploring and researching, backwards by design approach, career aspirations, colleges/higher ed programs and high schools.Their year culminates with a whole group presentation on their learnings from the year.

8th Grade: Creating Young Entrepreneurs

Students engage in weekly lessons with their small groups and mentors. Students research, create and design a mock business plan utilizing business management and marketing tools to build their own unique brand. Their year culminates with a whole group presentation on their learnings from the year.

Wellness Module

What are healthy thinking habits?

Healthy thinking means looking at the entire situation—the positive, the negative and the neutral parts—and then coming to a conclusion. In other words, healthy thinking means looking at life and the world in a balanced way.

We believe giving our students the tools to see life in a balanced way they can be aware of their thought patterns and identify negative thinking and begin to shift these habits, with a set of tools, to adapt a more healthy way of thinking and responding to people, places and events.

Our Healthy Thinking Course was designed by our social worker, Kimberly Walton, MSW, LCSW. She researched and designed a course to implement with our middle school students to engage them with healthy thinking habits that are aligned to our Be SMART principles.

This course was designed to help our students be critical thinkers around observers of their thoughts and actions.

Core Concepts in the course:

  • Optimism and positivity
  • Visualize positive outcomes for all scenarios.
  • Eliminate negative talk.
  • Change negative thinking patterns.
  • Be a self starter.


Our students obtain and develop specific tools for healthy thinking. They apply these tools to their daily lives and evaluate the impact through written reflection.

Our students become responsible for observing their own thoughts and actions, reflecting on how to pop negative thinking and recognizing how healthy thoughts lead to healthy actions.

Calendar for Healthy Thinking Course

Experiential and Service Learning Opportunities

  • Women’s Empowerment Panel with The Base (2022)

  • Brooklyn Boulders Team Building (2022)

  • Painting Course (2022)

  • SIX Broadway production (2022)

  • Chicago Sky Game (2022)

  • Engage 2 Empower Virtual Workshop (2021)

  • High School Panels (2021)

  • Video Production (2021)

  • Hamilton (2019)

  • Bulls Game (2020)

  • The Chopping Block, private cooking class (2015 and 2018)

  • Brooklyn Boulders Rock Climbing (2016 and 2019)

  • The Great Escape Room (2018)

  • BLUE 1647 (2017-2018)

  • Broadway Play: In the Heights, Lin Manuel Miranda (2017)

  • Luncheon with Curtis Granderson, MLB (2017)

  • UIC Event (2017)

  • Double Decker Bus around Chicago (2017)

  • Eric Davis, CEO CPD (2017)

  • WE Day Celebration (2017 and 2018)

  • Google Tour and Presentation (2018)

  • Brunswick Bowl (2018)

  • Black Womens Expo (2018)

  • James Taylor- guest speaker (2018)

  • Chicago Bulls Game (2018)

  • Escape Room (2019)

  • Yoga Hour (2015-2019)

  • Media Incubators of Chicago (2018)

  • Coding Class (2019)

  • Improv Class (2019)

  • Service Projects- Providing less fortunate with quality produce and goods at Second Harvest Church (2019)