Class of 2026 Senior Legacy

This year’s Senior Legacy gift will raise matching funds for Thayer’s Edward E. Ford Foundation grant to launch the Peer Education Collaborative—an innovative program that empowers students to lead and serve. The Peer Education Collaborative begins with a semester-long seminar at Thayer, as well as a virtual seminar for students at under-resourced schools. With tracks in health education and civic engagement, this initiative will equip students with advanced leadership and facilitation skills, while also creating meaningful educational opportunities for teens beyond our campus.

Impact for Thayer

• All student leaders on campus will be invited to do NAPSA Certified Peer Educator (CPE training), including the peer leadership fellows, sports captains, student government, class officers, club and affinity group presidents/leaders, head tour guides, peer advisors.
• By building deep expertise in a portion of the student population so student leaders formally model and share their knowledge with younger students, more students are able to support others, model positive choices, and shape the social norms in the spaces where all students are learning and socializing. In that way, this is an investment in the human infrastructure of the school, rather than physical infrastructure.
• Partners include psychologist and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Lisa Damour, who will lead a campus workshop with parents and students, and Dr. Tim McCarthy of Harvard, who will collaborate with students on civil discourse.

Since its inception, the Senior Legacy program has raised over $4.3M and contributed to projects such as the Thayer Farms hydroponic lab, enhanced fan seating at Kendall Field, the buildout of the recording studio, the reimagining of the Health and Wellness Center, the restoration of the iconic Main Building clock tower, the creation of the college counseling center and renovation of the Brickyard in the basement of Main Building, and the construction of the Hospitality Pavilion on the main campus athletic fields.