Photos by Ellen Harasimowicz

Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz

If someone told you that navigating a 10-foot-high and 40-foot-long school bus around the narrow and often treacherous hills of Harvard was easy, you'd probably be somewhat skeptical.

What makes young people want to get good at something? What makes them catch fire, work hard, and persist despite difficulties? And, the all-important question—what can schools do to help kids bring the same passion and practice to academics that they bring to athletics and the arts.

The Harvard Conservation Trust will hold its first annual "Run for the Hills" 5K run on Sunday, Sept. 12, at the McCurdy Track.