Enrichment Program Admits 50th Student to Seven Hills

The Seven Hills Academic Readiness Program, or SHARP, reached a milestone this year of having its 50th student from the program admitted to The Seven Hills School. SHARP is designed to offer students from historically underrepresented communities a clearer path to academic opportunities available at any Cincinnati area private school.

“It is an enrichment program for students who are not at schools like Seven Hills, but might be seeking more challenge and more learning opportunities. For some families, it becomes a conduit for the admission process,” said SHARP Director Meredith Brown.

The program, which runs two sessions a year, began in 2017 for students in fourth through eighth grade and added a junior program in 2023 for students in first through third grade. Though the program is part of Seven Hills and held on its campuses, SHARP prepares students to attend any private school in the area.

This year, the SHARP Jr. Summer Program will run June 23-27. The SHARP Summer Program will run, Monday through Friday from July 21-Aug. 1. Both sessions will be on the Hillsdale Campus in Madisonville.

Brown explained that families who take part in the SHARP program are at all stages of the school selection process from considering a new school, like Seven Hills, to preparing for aging out of an elementary school, or, especially during the summer, just looking for a fun and challenging enrichment program.

“We work with families in all those spots. We make sure the kids have a great time and connect with peers from around the city as well as mentor students and teachers from within our school community,” Brown said.

When current senior Devan Willis took part in the program before the sixth grade, he knew he wanted to go to a new school, but he did not know which school.

“I didn’t know if Seven Hills would be a good fit, but after I came, saw the culture, the diversity, and how the teachers acted, I felt like it was a good fit because the teachers had a drive to help you,” Willis said.

Over the program’s eight years, the cohort of SHARP participants, teachers, and student-volunteers have created a network for support for students who decide to attend Seven Hills.

“So, when a student who has been a part of SHARP comes to Seven Hills, they look around and they see a lot of familiar faces and they step into a series of ongoing community building activities that we offer here at school,” Brown said.

Willis has continued to volunteer with SHARP to help recreate the experience he had.

“I feel like it was an experience that not a lot of kids can get, so, for me, putting myself out there as a volunteer and continuing with the program allows more kids to have the same experience,” he said.

Prospective families interested in registering for the SHARP Summer programs can visit 7hills.org/SHARP or reach out to SHARP Director Meredith Brown at meredith.brown@7hills.org.