When many people think of Summer Camp they envisage campfires and cabins in a beautiful rural setting and days spent hiking through mountain scenery. While this type of Summer Camp is great, it isn’t the only option. Teenagers who want to broaden their horizons, study, travel the world or prepare themselves for college are all catered for in the wide variety of Summer Programs on offer.
Specialized Summer Camps
These Summer Camps are a chance for teens to focus on activities that they are really interested in. Participants spend anything from two to six weeks learning and honing their craft, whether its a hobby that they want to get better at, an interest that they’d like to develop into a career, or a subject that they want to study further at college or university, they will get the chance to spend some quality time on it during their summer break.
Specialized camps are available in just about any topic that you can think of, including animation, Hollywood stunt camp, magic, theater, dance, singing, music, drawing and painting, computer science, robotics, space camp (including robotics, simulated space missions and math challenges), business and entrepreneurship, soccer, gymnastics and archaeology. Whatever your interest, you’ll find a specialized Summer Camp program to suit you.
Pre-College Study Programs
If you are looking for a Summer Program that will help you take the big step to College or University, then a Pre-college Summer Program will be just the thing for you. Hosted by many Universities and Colleges, these programs for High School Students allow you to focus on one area of study. You’ll take classes alongside actual college students, following an academically rigorous study course which will give you college credits. At the same time as building your knowledge of your proposed area of study, you’ll be able to find out more about college life and the town where you are thinking of spending your University years, while in a safe environment. Students taking part in these programs are expected to have maturity and independence to direct and manage their own time. While there are staff and volunteers on campus and in the residence halls to help the young people, they will be selecting their own meals and their own bedtimes, and alongside their study sessions and group assignments they will be able to choose from a range of co-curricular and social events.
Pre-College Summer Programs are a great addition to a CV and College application, and are available in many disciplines including Pre-Vet, Pre-Med, Engineering, Emerging Science, Languages, Computer Science, Sciences, History and Politics. Students who have attended a Pre-College program have said that as well as the subject matter that they learn, the independence that they develop has really helped them to make a smooth transition into college.
Summer Programs Abroad
For teens who want to travel the world, there are some amazing opportunities available for Summer Programs Abroad. Whether you want to travel within the United States or anywhere else in the world, there are Summer Travel Programs in South America, Europe, Japan, China, Africa and everywhere in between. While every program is different, most offer a combination of language programs, adventure travel, community or conservation volunteer work and cultural immersion. Most programs are about travel, learning about cultures and the world around us, and developing your own skills and understanding, not just about seeing the tourist sites, though there may be a bit of that as well. Think about what you are looking for in your Summer Program – are you looking for adventure, to learn a language, to stay with a family or to do some volunteer work for the environment? When you’ve a clear idea of your purpose you’ll find it easier to steer your way through the wide variety of programs on offer. Whatever type of program you choose, teenagers who take part in these life-changing travel experiences come back with a new world view.
Selecting a Teen Summer Program is very exciting, but there are always nerves too, for teens and their parents. This Summer they will grow and develop independence, blossoming into a young adult that you can be proud of, but in the mean time they are still your child. As with any Summer Program, it’s important to do your research together, look at and compare all the options, check out supervision and safety records and talk to teens who have already taken part in the program before you make your choice. Summer Camp for teens is not just about s’mores and sing-songs – it’s about taking the next step towards adulthood, and having an absolute ball on the way.
