What interesting camps/programs have your teens done this summer?

[gatorsmom]

We live in a pretty rural place so there aren’t many opportunities widely known around here. Recently some other local mom friends and I have been brainstorming and sharing ideas about this. Many of you wise BBB moms live in larger cities where summer programs are well known and available. I was just wondering if you could recommend some your teens have been to or shown interest in or just have a reputation for excellence. I’m thinking programs through colleges or other high schools or government summer programs open to high school students. We would consider any area of the country. Travel isn’t an issue.

TIA!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Look at what your state offers. Ours has opportunities in the arts, leadership and other categories through the governor's office. You might have plenty of options at home. Your guidance counselor should have a list of resources- ours does.

[cuca_]

One of my teens did a film camp through a local university and loved it. The other did a Shakespeare acting camp through a local Shakespeare company and had a great time. There are also travel camps for teens, and some of them combine travel and community service. My kids have done Apogee and loved it. I know others who have done Moondance Adventures. They both offer trips in the US, Latin America and Europe. One of my kids has also enjoyed working as a camp counselor at a local day camp.

apogeeadventures.com
moondanceadventures.com

I also know kids who have done Explo, an exploratory summer program that takes place at Yale and Wellesley. There are also plenty of pre-college summer programs for high schoolers at many colleges and universities.

[squimp]

My 15-yo DD has been working all summer as a daycamp counselor for our city. It has been GREAT for her to work, she is by far the youngest counselor but has been able to rise to the occasion. They have given her a promotion and she will come back next year. None of her friends are working, but she really wanted to do it. She loves the job and will have several thousand dollars by summer's end. She wants to work with kids in health care, so this is a great job for her.

We also have Youth Volunteer Corps, which allows kids to get a flavor for all types of jobs and community service. DD did this for two years prior, and was a boost on her resume for getting her current job because the two programs are linked.

We have some great internship/research type programs here for kids in STEM fields, where they get research experience at the local university for the summer in high school. There are lots of camps out there depending on your kids' interests. The school may have ideas as well.

[fauve01]

My 15YO has done the Young Americans camp the past few years. She loves it! I wish it were longer. https://www.youngamericans.org/youth.../summer-camps/

A friend's son did drum camp through a music store here.

There were a few music camps through different universities we would have loved to sign her up for, but she did summer school this year to get ahead so couldn't do any camp this summer.

ETA: as a kid, when i was in middle and high school, i went to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. it was amazing back in the day, but iDK how it is now.
https://bluelake.org/

[bisous]

Well, we didn’t do this but I WISH we could. Essence’s DS1 was slated to go and my kids went for 6th grade camp but there’s a science/oceanography camp on Catalina island through CIMI that looks amazing. Snorkeling, kayaking, bolstered by lots of hands on science classes! It’s what I’d do for sure!

[niccig]

Well, we didn’t do this but I WISH we could. Essence’s DS1 was slated to go and my kids went for 6th grade camp but there’s a science/oceanography camp on Catalina island through CIMI that looks amazing. Snorkeling, kayaking, bolstered by lots of hands on science classes! It’s what I’d do for sure!

That’s is s great camp. DS went through his school for a few days in 7th grade


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[California]

For California residents with high schoolers who are interested in science, check out COSMOS. Competitive program to get into, and it's one of the few summer programs that our UCs consider as a plus on a college application. Through COSMOS, my DS lived on a UC campus for a month and worked in a lab with other highly motivated students, graduate students, and UC professors. Incredible experience for him. I think one of the best parts was that he's used to being top of his class and he got a taste of what it will be like in college when he's surrounded by bright, hardworking, ambitious students. Humbled him a bit, and he also loved it.

[mmsmom]

No personal experience but I have sea.org book marked for high school programs. If there is a college they are interested in I would check out their summer programs.

[jenmcadams]

My DD has done two competitive programs the last few summers that have been amazing. The first was last year between Soph & Junior year, she did NSLI-Y (National Security Language Initiative for Youth) which included a full scholarship from the US State Dept to study Arabic in Amman, Jordan for 7 weeks. This summer she was selected as a Bank of America Student Leader (1% acceptance rate so kind of crazy) and BofA paid her to work a full time internship at a non-profit (City Year Denver). Both of these programs are crazy competitive and equivalent to programs like COSMOS and other competitive science programs in that because they're fully funded, they tend to be bonuses on college apps (unlike programs at local colleges or ones you pay for which can be amazing but probably aren't look upon as favorably as a part-time job as far as college apps go).

In both cases, my DD was convinced she had no chance to get into the programs, but decided to try because someone has to get picked :-) They were both completely life changing for her.