Buttenwieser Public Service Academy
The Buttenwieser Public Service Academy (BPSA) offers Harvard undergraduates the opportunity to enhance their leadership and management skills through a series of trainings and workshops. It is all about helping people and programs grow. Each fun and interactive session provides tools that are useful to individual leaders and volunteers, and help them provide higher quality programming.
Trainings and resources are available to all student affiliates of the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) and the DSO-Affiliated Groups, as well as all other Harvard undergraduates, community partners, etc. Additional resources are available for leaders who want help creating quality, program-specific workshops. Please note that if you are a student organization that manages, supervises and trains its own volunteers, finances and community engagement, you must provide training for leadership and all volunteers.
The Buttenwieser Public Service Academy is named in recognition of Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser’s long-time support of Public Service at Harvard. The Buttenwieser Public Service Academy has supported student trainings for over 20 years on campus.
If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Crispi, Manager of Student Development & Evaluation at lauren_crispi@fas.harvard.edu
If you have questions about specific trainings, please contact Sona Hawkins, PBHA Student Development Chair, at sdc@pbha.org.
Spring 2026 Training Topics - click to RSVP
Program Management Certificate (PMC)
(For Program Directors)
What: The Program Management Certificate includes tools needed by all programs. Programs are only as good as their leaders. Directors manage a vision and the logistics and be more than just a volunteer. The Program Management Certificate is professionally designed to include essential tools applicable to all volunteer programs. By attending, directors build their own skills while learning ways to improve their programs.
When: Sunday, February 15 and Saturday, February 21 Time: 9:30-3:00pm location - Phillips Brooks House
(For Tutoring Programs’ Volunteers) Mandatory for new volunteers in PBHA tutoring programs, and strongly recommended for new PSN tutoring program volunteers.
What: The tutor certificate provides skills and theories for homework help, including getting students learning independently, behavior management, relationships, and safety/boundaries.
When: Sunday, February 8 -- 10:00am - 3:00pm at the SOCH
(For Mentoring Programs’ Volunteers) Mandatory for new volunteers in PBHA mentoring programs, and strongly recommended for new PSN tutoring program volunteers.
What: The mentor certificate offers practice for the roles of a mentor, intentional goal-setting, strengths and assumptions in relationship building, and safety/boundaries.
When: Sunday, February 8 -- 10:00am - 3:00pm at the SOCH
(For In-School Programs’ Volunteers) Mandatory for new volunteers in PBHA classroom-based programs, and strongly recommended for new PSN tutoring program volunteers.
What: The classroom certificate offers training for the roles of a teacher with intentional goal-setting, strengths and assumptions in relationship building, and safety/boundaries.
When: Sunday, February 8 -- 10:00am - 3:00pm at the SOCH
What: Presentation and training design skills - become a member of the paid Buttenwieser Public Service Academy student Trainer Corps!
When: Sunday, March 1 -- 9:30am - 4:00pm in Phillips Brooks House
Be sure to check back regularly for new trainings and dates.