Student support at TechBoston Academy is a comprehensive program designed to help students with their educational and emotional needs. As part of the design of TBA, student support is a key component in connecting students to services either inside or outside of the school. These services can be tutoring, college and career preparation, seminars, counseling and family support. The mission of the department is to support students around any needs that are disrupting their education.

Various programs that TechBoston Academy is working with:

• Higher Education Resource Center, MCAS and SAT prep
• Boston Partners in Education
• IBM e-mentoring program
• MassPep
• McNair Science Prep at Northeastern
• Invest in Kids at Boston College
• Upward Bound
• Urban Scholars
• Admissions Guaranteed Placement at UMass Boston
• Technology Explorers Fellowship
• Arbor Counseling Services of Boston

Amie Capodanno, Program Coordinator for Student Support
acapodanno@techboston.org

Ms. Capodanno is responsible for identifying issues that can disrupt a student's education, and coordinating resources to provide students with the academic, social and emotional support they need. She is the liaison with all outside programs coming into the school, some of which include UMass Boston Upward Bound, Urban Scholars and Admissions Guaranteed Program, MIT SEED Academy and Harvard Crimson Summer Academy . Ms. Capodanno organizes tutors and academic support resources to help students become more connected to their education. As part of TBA's in-school counseling program run through the Student Support Department, Ms. Capodanno holds monthly Student Support Team meetings to identify students in need of counseling assistance. Ms. Capodanno also provides support to all students on Individual Educational Plans and she is a liaison with the school ETF and BPS's special needs department.

Amie came to TBA from the Boston Private Industry Council. There she was the Technology Employer Account Manager for the TechBoston Program, an initiative in the Boston Public Schools aimed at preparing middle and high school students for careers and post-secondary education in high tech areas. In partnership with Boston Private Industry Council, Amie organized technology related internships for TechBoston students. She placed students in MIS departments at organizations throughout the Boston area, including Fleet Bank, State Street Bank, Boston City Hall , as well as community based organizations and non-profits. Amie organized and ran numerous events to ensure successful internship partnerships; she was responsible for the annual TechConnections event, which Boston Mayor Thomas Menino included as part of his Summer Jobs Campaign for students. Ms. Capodanno has a Bachelor degree from University of Rhode Island and a Master's in Counseling from Rhode Island College.

Mary Jo Fleming
Academic Support
mfleming@techboston.org

George Lumpkins
Assistant Director of Student Leadership and Operations
glumpkins@techboston.org

Dan McCaul
Student Support Assistant
dmccaul@techboston.org

Tanya Payne
Tutor Coordinator
tpayne@techboston.org

Jillian Smith
Program Coordinator of Upper Academy
jsmith@techboston.org

This is Ms. Smith’s third year at TBA as the Guidance Counselor for the Upper Academy. Her role is to work with 11th and 12th grade students around both academic and emotional issues to ensure that they are on a positive track to graduate and attend college. Ms. Smith is in charge of all college counseling and works independently with all 12th grade students in Senior Advisory classes to monitor their progress in this area. Ms. Smith holds a B.A. in Sociology based Human Relations from Connecticut College and an M.Ed in School Guidance/Counseling Psychology.

Marsha Sodin
Reading Specialist
msodin@techboston.org