by Maryanna S. Phinn
Academic programs continue to gain popularity with high school students and their parents. Program providers have responded with a widening array of choices for teens seeking summer learning.
Universities, prep schools and private organizations sponsor these diverse residential and day programs across the U.S. and abroad. Some offer college or career preparation. Others provide advanced technology training or opportunities for hands-on experience.
At local colleges, high school students can prepare for careers or design their own curricula. Many major universities feature college-style residential study programs. Some private institutions offer advanced placement courses. Some students choose to study abroad at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions. All of the academic programs include a variety of recreational and social activities.Parents and teens considering an academic program must do some research. Program locations, cost, time commitments, eligibility and benefits vary significantly. “A lot of teens today use the Internet to research programs on their own,” says Donna O’Sullivan, coordinator of summer programs at The Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, NJ. “Times have changed so we add programs to reflect those changes.”
Camps for Gifted Students
“Gifted kids love hands on, practical, challenging experiences,” says Alan Groveman, vice president for student recruitment at The Summer Institute for the Gifted. The Institute offers residential and day programs for academically gifted students from kindergarten through 11th grade. Locations, spread across six states, include programs at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, PA and Princeton University in Princeton, NJ.
“There is no clear, single definition of ‘gifted,’ Groveman says. “From our perspective, it is not defined by IQ tests. We try to look at children who will benefit, with certain skills and abilities and who are motivated and love challenges. It sounds cliché, but they think ‘outside the box.’”
To be eligible for the summer program, the application process includes teacher referrals as well as test scores. In addition to attending classes, students participate in traditional summer camp activities such as fencing and swimming.
Gaining the Edge
“There’s a greater focus on college admission preparation today. A whole industry has grown up around it,” says Beth Goldstein, a representative with the Camp Experts & Teen Summers, a free advisory service on summer camps and programs based in Wynnewood, PA. “The overall choices have expanded tremendously, so teens do different things every summer,” says Goldstein.
Teens often use academic camps to get ahead, even during summer vacation. “For teenagers thinking about
college, they (colleges) like students who pursue learning even over the summer. That’s some of the feedback we’ve received from the students,” Groveman says.
Students interested in college entrance or high school advanced placement courses can attend private institutions such as The Hun School of Princeton. Rigorous coursework requirements are combined with leisure and recreational activities. “We are very serious and strict on academics, but we realize they are teenagers,” says O’Sullivan. In addition to the academic classes, students also participate in activities including intramural sports, indoor games, swimming, bowling and field trips.
The Real World
At Penn State University’s campus in Abington, PA, high school students can enroll in “finding your future” day camps called Kids College at Abington. “We offer more career awareness programming to the high school-age
student, giving the kids a chance to experience hands-on learning in a wide variety of subjects,” says Ethel O’Dea of Penn State Abington’s continuing education department. Courses generally run for one week and include topics such as politics and leadership, medicine and forensic science, debate, writing and public speaking.
Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell, PA, offers several new specialty camps that provide high school students with real life career experience. “Our specialty career programs are ‘immersion experiences,’” says Joanne Muir Behm, a representative of the camp program. Courses include full day, weeklong hands-on classes such as “Camp Scrubs” to explore health careers or “Camp Astronomy” for future scientists, engineers or astronomers.
College Life
Older high school students researching colleges might consider attending a summer academic camp similar to the University of Delaware Summer College. High school juniors or “rising seniors” spend five weeks living the life of a college student and studying freshman-level courses for college credits on the Newark, DE campus.
“Our program is a really effective way to try out a college,” says Chuck Shermeyer, the summer college program coordinator. “Surveys of students show that a high percentage found attending summer college helped with the transition to college life.”
Studying Abroad
Another academic camp option includes studying abroad. For example, students who have completed 10th grade can spend a month at The Oxford Advanced Studies Program at Magdalen College in Oxford, United Kingdom.
“One of the most significant gains for most students is the perspective gained from living in a collegiate environment with other young people so far from home,” says Ralph Dennison, the program director. “Many students will have excellent transcripts, but more important is an eagerness to learn and to sample a different culture, the courage to face new challenges and the desire to contribute to our summer community.”
Another program, Oxbridge Academic Programs, offers highly academic-centered courses on prestigious campus settings in Oxford, Cambridge and Paris
“Kids come for a variety of reasons such as college preparation or to experience different cultures or to take classes not available to them such as Latin or Greek,” says Andrea Mardon, the program’s executive director. “We use a completely different approach. Our program is not about testing, finals or midterms. Our program is based on the Oxford and Cambridge tutorial tradition.”
Specialized Camps
Science Camp Watonka combines traditional camping with specialized coursework. “We are the only overnight camp dedicated to the sciences in the country,” says Neil Corbett, program coordinator.
The camp for boys is located in the Poconos in northeastern Pennsylvania. “Our camp provides hands-on experience. It is not meant to be summer school but to encourage the boys to have science as a hobby or to build enthusiasm from the ground up,” Corbett says. In addition to science courses, the boys participate in many activities including riding mini-bikes, woodshop, swimming and other sports.
Learning IS Fun
Although academic camps vary, the majority of the programs emphasize the importance of making the experience enjoyable and fun for the students. “We offer a relaxed atmosphere. Campers move around campus utilizing the labs, the gym, the outdoor classroom as well as the indoor and outdoor theaters,” says O’Dea of Penn State Abington. “It’s great when kids are having a lot of fun and don’t even realize they are learning!”
Maryanna Phinn is a local freelance writer.