UPCD High School Program

Preparing the next generation of urban planners.

The UPCD High School Program introduces Boston-area high school students to urban planning, community development, transportation, sustainability, housing, and environmental justice through classroom learning, field experiences, and professional internships.

Program Director: Dr. Sowmya BalachandranUMass Boston UPCDUrban ScholarsBoston Streets CabinetBoston Bikes

Students participating in the UPCD High School Program

Program leadership

Dr. Sowmya Balachandran directs the UPCD High School Program in the Department of Urban Planning and Community Development at UMass Boston. The program connects high school students with planning concepts, professional networks, field-based learning, and applied projects that show how planning shapes daily life.

The program is part of a broader commitment to building pathways into planning and community development for students who might not otherwise encounter the profession before college.

Program model

Students move through a sequence of classroom modules, campus and neighborhood field activities, professional exposure, internship work, and public presentation. The program emphasizes observation, evidence, community voice, and practical recommendations.

View the Summer 2026 program structure · View the Bike Towns internship story

Program experience

Students learn planning by moving between classroom, city, fieldwork, professional practice, and public presentation.

Explore

Observe

Map

Intern

Present

Gallery

Selected images from classroom learning, field experiences, internships, and student presentations.

Program classroom instruction — Classroom instruction and interactive activities.

Students examining a city model — Connecting planning concepts to Boston's built environment.

Students on a downtown field tour — Field-based learning in downtown Boston.

Bluebikes fieldwork — Transportation fieldwork and public-space observation.

Student posters — Student research posters and internship outputs.

Student presentations — Students present planning ideas and recommendations.

Public program link

Visit the UPCD High School Program blog

Partners and pathways

The program connects high school students with UMass Boston, the Department of Urban Planning and Community Development, Boston Public Schools partners, Urban Scholars, the City of Boston Streets Cabinet, Boston Bikes, and planning professionals working across government and community organizations.